Happy Halloween!

This was one of those mornings where the warmth of the bed holds you prisoner. I didn't mind. I would have stayed there gladly for another hour or so, but I could see the sunshine already warming the day. We don't get many days like this and I know that and to forfeit the opportunity to run outside on a day like today would have been criminal. So I peeled myself out of bed, laced up and headed out.

I opted for a neighborhood route this morning. Since it's Halloween, I figured I'd see what the inhabitants of Prospect Park, Norwood, and the neighboring boroughs had to offer in the way of decorations. Of course, they did not disappoint... all sorts of spiderwebs and other silliness... and, of course, pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins.

I tried to be uber aware of my how my hip felt throughout this run.. and not just my hip... but how I felt, in general. I've somehow gotten into this mindset that I'm not as fit as I was a few weeks ago because of my brief hiatus and because of my decrease in mileage (though, I have not been strictly adhering to the 'cut mileage in half' instruction I had been given). As usual, the hip was troublesome in the beginning of the run... for about the first two miles and then the pain subsided a bit. It does not go away completely, but it's less of a (pardon the pun) pain. By the end of the run, I really felt great. Cardiovascularly I felt better than I have in a while, which was nice.

I'm scheduled to see the PT on Friday. I'll be interested to see what he has to say. I'm hoping, at the very least, to learn a little something to help improve my running, my fitness, and to help me avoid injury in the future. Of course, I'm hoping for some help with this hip thing as well, but part of me wonders if this will just turn out to be a mystery injury/pain that I'll have to learn to deal with from here on out. We shall see.

5 miles in 42:35

Breezy like Sunday morning

It's hard to keep up with Amy's busy travelling schedule. One weekend, she's in Vegas, the next New Orleans... so planning a run with her takes some doing. We managed to get together today for a bit of a run. We're both on the injured-but-recovering list, so we planned on doing a pretty tame six (3 out, 3 back) along Kelly Drive.

Originally, we had planned to do the Sebeka loop of Tinicum, but given the fact that it had rained for nearly four days straight (the animals were starting to line up two by two), we decided to forgo that route in favor of the paved safety of the Art Museum area. Of course, the trademark head-winds-in-every-direction were blowing steadily. The first two miles were pretty good... my hip was 'talking' to me a bit, telling me that she liked it better when we didn't run, but I ignored her and hoped she'd quiet down... which she did, a bit.

The first two miles went by in 18:05 - not a bad pace for two semi-injured lasses battling a stiff headwind. Unfortunately, Amy wasn't feeling great... so she opted to slow down her pace a bit but encouraged me to go on. I took her up on that and decided to see about picking it up a bit now that I was good and warmed up. Mile 3 went by in 8:20, mile 4 in 8:14, and miles 5 & 6 in 8:17... making for six miles in 51:13. I felt pretty good on those last four miles and felt like another mile or two would have been tolerable. Still, I'm trying to be a bit conservative until I go to PT and try to figure out how to fix this hip thing once and for all.

Holding pattern

I made good on my promise to schedule my PT appointment. I'm all set for next Friday. Of course, since nothing is ever as easy as it should be, I learned that the PT my doctor wants me to see is not part of the capitated PT center that my crappy HMO (Keystone Healthplan East) wants me to go to. Fortunately for me, though, the PT guy (Keith Wobeser) was very nice about it and agreed to work with me a bit on the cost. Very sporting of him.

This morning I was not feeling like dealing with the cold and rain, so I hamster wheeled it. There isn't really much for me to write about the run. Five miles in 43:30. I want to run more, but I'm trying to be a good girl and continue to follow 'orders' to reduce my mileage. Hopefully once I get PT underway, I'll be given the green light to resume my regular running schedule. But for now, I'll hold steady.

I am definitely still in a funk with this whole hip thing. I'm frustrated that there is no definitive answer for what is going on. As I've been easing back into the running, the pain is still there. My first run back wasn't bad, but I can tell that it's getting a little bit worse each time I run. Of course, it's not stopping me. While I am frustrated by the whole thing (and the limitations it puts on me), I am thankful that I am still able to run a bit.

Falling off the Wagon

So far, I've been pretty good about following doctor's orders. I made and kept all my appointments, did the MRI and X-ray in a timely manner, laid off the running, all that good stuff. For some reason though, now my O.D.D. is showing. I've had the PT referral for almost a week now and haven't done anything about scheduling an appointment. My excuses are as follows:

1) I've been really busy.
2) I can't imagine how I'm going to fit the prescribed 2-3 PT session a week in my schedule.
3) I don't even want to think how much this will cost me in co-pays.

I know, I know... excuses are like bellybuttons - everyone's got one. I'll do it. I'll do it tomorrow. I promise.

So... anyway... today I ran five miles in 44:50.

Update

Sheesh... a lot has happened since last I wrote. I'll keep this pretty minimal: Had an MRI (aka my $60 nap), had some X-rays... they didn't show what they were expecting to find (femoral neck stress fracture). This is good news. But they did find something amiss in the bone marrow of my right femur. "What does that mean?" you ask. Good question. It could be a stress related injury from running (and that is the popular consensus), or it could be an 'incidental finding' (meaning, they just stumbled upon it doing the MRI and it's unrelated to my pain). No one is thinking it's bone cancer - though, of course, that term got thrown around initially just for shits and giggles. So the long and the short of it is they don't really 100% know what was/is wrong with my hip. They're sending me for a short course of PT to help work on some tendon stuff in my hips and some core strengthening.

The best part of it is that I've been given the green light to run again (YEAH!!!)... however, I have to cut my mileage in half (booooo!) for the time being. I can live with that compromise. So, Friday I ran 3.1 in right around 25 and today I ran about 4 in 36. The hip pain is still there, but a week's worth of rest seems to have helped as the pain is about half (or less) what it used to be.

The Bridge Run is in two weekends and since I've already paid for it and am allowed to run... I'm going to do it. I'll likely do a 5k with some friends sometime in November, but I think my racing for the fall is over.

BOO & HISS

So I went to the doctor's office today to see about this hip pain I've been having for the last month and a half. I didn't know what they'd tell me... though I was sure of one thing... that if they told me not to run, I wouldn't listen. With referral in hand, I went over to the Healthlex in Springfield to see Dr. Collina. Nice facility... nice guy... seemed to know his stuff.

I've never been to a sports medicine doctor before, so it was interesting to see how they do their exams - checking strength, balance, flexibility, mobility, etc. He did all sorts of 'tests', which included pressing on the tendons in my hip/pelvic area. I'm not sure what he learned from that other than I am extremely ticklish. All of this just seemed to confirm what I had been saying all along - which is that it does not feel muscular and it does not feel like a tendon issue. Based on my reports and what he discerned from the various motions he put me through, he said that, most likely, I have a stress fracture - more specifically.... a femoral neck stress fracture.
In order to confirm the diagnosis, I have a prescription for an X-ray and an MRI. Joy. In the meantime, I've been forbidden to run. At all. Of course, I objected.. at which point I received a stern warning that if I choose to run, I'm putting myself at risk for a displaced stress fracture... which is apparently more serious and will cause me a lot more grief in terms of treatment. Blah, blah, blah. So I agreed to give it a week - In the mean time, I'll get the X-ray and the MRI and go back to see Dr. Collina next Friday.

I wish I could say that I'm a stranger to stress fractures, but I'm not. I have had, and likely still have, a tibial stress fracture... also in my right leg. This I've (kind of) dealt with and have learned to manage successfully over the years.

Also... interesting tidbit I learned today. I've always known redheads are special, but today I learned that along with all of the wonderful things and many blessings of being a redheaded, speckled being... there are some, shall we say, costs. According to the fine doctor at the Healthplex, redheads are genetically 'different' in a number of subtle ways from lesser, I mean other, humans. One way that we are different has to do with our collagen - which is the main component in our bones. Apparently, this difference makes us more suceptable to injuries such as stress fractures.

So, I'll try to be a good girl and lay off the running at least until I get the X-ray and MRI. It's very disappointing as I was really starting to see some positive changes in my running. Boo and Hiss.

Little Red Corvette

I was out a bit late last night (salsa... what else) so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this morning's run. I'm not used to a late night before my Wednesday runs, but I had that eye-of-the-tiger feeling for some reason.

I already knew I'd be doing the Seebeka loop in Tinicum. Some impressive rain storms had rolled through last night, making a few puddles here and there and restoring some of the car wash properties to the Interesting Part of the loop, but conditions were good. Overall a quiet morning... lots of mist and moisture hanging about. I thought I'd see more wildlife, but the sightings were limited to the usual cranes, a deer here and there, and one Felis silvestris catus.... something I haven't seen in Tinicum before.

I've run this route enough times now that I'm starting to really know every nook and cranny. While in some ways, this can lead to boredom, in other ways, it's liberating. I know where the roots and burrows lie on the interesting part... I know how many bends there are in the trail before you pop out the other side... and this knowledge allows me more control over my run.

Like I said earlier, I kind of had the eye-of-the-tiger feeling this morning and really was in the mood to tackle the run. Now, I've had this feeling before and then wound up feeling disappointed in my body for not rising to meet the challenges I place upon it in the manner I would like. Today felt different. Today, I felt in control. I was working pretty hard (really hard, at times), but I felt like my body was doing what I wanted it to do... speeding up when I wanted to, holding steady, slowing a bit, etc. I don't know how else to describe it other than I kind of felt like the car and the driver at the same time. That was a new expereince for me.

I feel like my running has changed a lot in the past six or so months. I have to admit to having mixed feelings about it. It's fun and exciting to run faster and see results from the work I've put in. On the other side of the coin, I feel more pressure now in my running than I ever did before. It hasn't gotten to this point yet, but I do worry about that taking some of the fun and enjoyment out of it for me. Like all things, I suppose, it's about finding the balance.

6.5 in 54:40.

Maybe I was wrong

It happens once in a blue moon... with about the frequency of Haley's comet... sometimes I am wrong, or mistaken, rather. It's been about a month or so now since the evil Bruce took over Nancy's spin class on Tuesday mornings. As you may know, I am not a fan of Bruce's. However, he has been slowly but surely winning me over. I haven't heard him mention how many classes he's done/will do in several weeks now. He's even gotten on a bike himself in recent weeks! And even beyond all that... he has really good music. Today was an interesting mix - some 80's pop, some Springsteen, and even Seebo's favorite song. And, yes, the workout is good too.

After spin class... jumped on the treddy for 2.25 in 19.

Delaware Distance Classic* LBRR (Schwag!)

A year ago, I ran this race for the first time. It was an unusual race for me - first of all, it was in Wilmington (I didn't know there was anything in Wilmington other than credit card companies)... secondly, it was a 15k - a strange distance too. And I went down there not knowing a soul... and there were Kenyans. I was intimidated and almost went home without running. But I did it, had a good time, and met a wonderful man.

Flash forward to today - no Kenyans, there were a few now-familiar faces, and from the temperature, you couldn't tell that it was the beginning of October. Even before race time (8:30), the sun was making itself known and it was already in the low 70s. Fine. It was going to be hot. I was just eager to get started so I could get finished and have some delicious muffins.

I think because I was so eager to get this over and done, I went out too fast.... my first mile coming in right around 8 minutes - not far off from my 5k pace from last weekend. Not smart, I know. I'm usually good about not doing that. Around mile 2, I met a woman named Kelly and we chatted for a bit and kept pace together. She's training for a marathon in about a month. She said that her goal for today was to finish under 1:20. That seemed ambitious for me given the heat and my time for last year (1:24), but I thought I'd try to hang with her for as long as I could.

Mile 2 came in around 8:20. Three and four weren't much slower than that - 8:25ish for both, if memory serves correctly. That's about when the heat started to get to me. There are long, long stretches of this course that are not shaded. The sun was brutal. I took water at all of the water stops (except the last) and I walked a bit as I downed and doused myself with some water.

Somewhere around mile six I was thinking that I would have been wise to have brought a Gu or something - though I can't imagine how I would have choked down the thing being as dehydrated as I was. The last three plus miles are kind of a blur. I definitely slowed down. I think there were at least two miles that were 8:45 pace... and I know the last mile was about a 9 minute mile pace. At that point though, I was just glad that it would be over soon.


With Kelly just ahead of me, I finished in 1:19:40. I was really happy to have finished under 1:20. Like I said, it was rough out there, but I felt proud that I did not give up and I kept pushing. Took me a little while to cool down afterwards, but when I did I was rewarded for my efforts with a delicious muffin, some strawberries, and some Mimosas (courtesy of Seebo).

Kelly found me later and told me that I had won 3rd for my age group! (She won second.) I was so excited... that's a first for me. Good thing she told me, otherwise I probably would have left without collecting my plaque! And while it is a nice plaque.... it's not nearly as nice as the schwag I got last year!



*This race was nearly renamed the Amy V. Memorial Run yesterday. Yes, as in the Amy that I run with. Indulge me a brief story.... So I'm all set to meet my super-responsible, conscientious pal Amy for a little Ardmore Farmer's Market breakfast Saturday morning. She texted me the night before: "How about 930 tomorrow?" I confirmed the plans and headed over to her apartment. Granted, I was about five or seven minutes late when I arrived at Amy's apartment. I knocked and waited. Nothing. I knocked again, louder this time. Again, nothing. Hmmm. I call her house phone and leave a message. I call her cell phone and leave a message. Now I'm officially starting to worry. Her car is parked in the lot... she must be here. Hmmm. Now I'm starting to really worry. Nope, no signs of 'forced entry' into her apartment.

The mailman arrives and delivers the mail without ceremony. Do I tell him that I'm worried that she's on the floor, dead? Nah... too crazy. But his delivery of the mail gives me an idea. I peek through the mail slot. In doing so, I have a clear visual shot up the steps that lead directly to Amy's apartment - lights are off... all looks quiet. Hmmmm. I call again. Pressing my ear against the open mail slot, I can hear her apartment phone ring, and ring, and go to voicemail. I try the cell phone again - listening.... the ring tone for Amy's cell plays........"Breathe... just breathe....", sings a lovely lilting voice and all I can think is YES, AMY... BREATHE!!!... because now I'm convinced that she's dead on the floor. I don't know what to do. I leave her crazy, desperate, pathetic messages on her phones.

Amy would never leave her apartment without her cell phone - especially when she's supposed to meet somebody. None of this is adding up. I feel helpless... I don't know what to do. I think about all the horrible possible fates that could have befallen my dear friend, Amy. She's had anaphylaxis before... maybe that's what happened.... maybe she drank too much last night and aspirated in her sleep.... maybe someone (carefully) broke into her apartment, had their way with her and then murdered her... maybe she ... oh who knows!?!?

I decide that I should walk to the Farmer's Market on the off chance she's there. I know she's not though... and the guilt over leaving her alone at the apartment overwhelms me and I can barely force my feet to cross Montgomery Avenue. As I do.. I see an omen... a black squirrel.... don't ask me what that means, but I'm sure it's bad. And then I see a BLUE PARAKEET!!!.... just hanging out. What is a bird like this doing 'in the wild'? It's another omen... an even worse one than the black squirrel.... I don't know why, but it is. I'm beside myself... am I dreaming.... I hope?

Almost as I round the corner, I see a lovely redhead walking with a young man ... with a bakery bag from the market. I have to look at her hard, three times before I can make sure that I can let myself believe that it's Amy. As we greet each other, she realizes that I am not okay... I'm a dork... I start to cry... so overwhelmed with relief that my dear friend is not dead. Phew!!! I think Brian (her beaux) must think I'm insane... but if you know Amy like I know Amy, you know that this type of disappearing act is hugely out of character. I was glad to later learn that I'm not the only crazy friend Amy has.... Her friend Leigh nearly called the cops to report a missing person when Amy was 20 minutes late to work.

So.. the race name will remain the Delaware Distance Classic... and thankfully, Amy is alive!!!

Run of the (tread)Mill

I went to the gym after work and ran on the treadmill. 6 miles in 52:16. The end.

No..... That's too easy. But really, how much can be said about a treddy run? First mile was slow-ish - over 9 minute mile. Second mile a little, but not much under 9. Did tempo pace for miles three and four and part of five. Slowed it down a little for the last one and a half. The only thing that made this workout a bit different was that I added more incline than usual throughout the run.... not so much during the tempo parts, but more so in the beginning and at the end.

I felt good cardiovascularly. It's just the damn hip. I really feel like I'm doing it no favors, especially when I run at tempo pace. Of course that doesn't stop me. One week until I see the doctor. I'll pay my co-pay of $20 or whatever it is so he can tell me to stop running so I can ignore him.

Paying attention

Wednesday morning down on The Drives again. Or 'Drive', I should say as really, I'm only doing an out and back along Kelly Drive - three each way. Ashley had a test to study for late night last night so I was alone today. Again, I was pondering the whole upcoming Daylight Savings time thing. Now I consider myself a fairly smart cookie, but for some reason, I have a really hard time wrapping my head around the whole time/space continuum of the seasonal time change. Just when I have myself convinced that once the time changes it will be lighter in the morning, I realize.. no... I'm wrong, it will be darker earlier... and then I talk myself out of that again. You'd think that the experience of going through 33 years of 'springing forward' and 'falling back' would have helped me know what to expect... but somehow.. not so much. Okay.. enough of that - let's talk running. (But, in fairness, this is what I thought about the entire first mile of my run).

My plan was to do another tempo-ish kind of run like I did last week. First mile was a warm up and came in at 9:01. Second mile was 8:40, third 8:30. Don't you like how I payed attention to my splits this time? Fancy, huh? Picked it up a little for the back three. Fourth mile came in at 8:15. I decided... okay.... pick it up a bit and push it for the fifth mile and you can reward yourself by backing off on the last mile. So I did; fifth mile came in at 8:05. I did ease up a little for the last mile, but I just wanted it to be over and done and when you know it's close, it's kind of hard to slow down. Last mile came in at 8:10. Not bad... three miles below tempo pace. I wondered if there was some fancy running term for this kind of run. I later learned that it's called a Progression Run when you do each mile faster than the last. Makes sense.. isn't very creative though. So I guess this was a progression run... big whoop.

A note on the hip problem I've been having: It's still there. I made a doctor's appointment for next Friday. I have, of course, been trying to self diagnose, looking up things like bursitis and other common hip running injuries. Nothing is really jumping out at me. My hope is that now that my hip knows I mean business (making a doctor's appointment is almost unheard of for me), it will straighten up and fly right. Of course, I'll do what I can to aggravate it between now and then - by doing things like progression runs and maybe even a race on Sunday. We'll see.

6 miles in 50:41

By the way... I was the second fastest Rebecca at the Parkway Run (out of 11).

The Reba Uniform

Pics are from the Parkway Run on Sunday. Photo credit to Seebo. He also pointed out that this is the Reba Uniform for most of the races I've run lately. What can I say... he's right... guess that's all the excuse I need to go shopping.