Call me Quasi

I had a root canal on Tuesday. I've known people who've had root canals and gone back to work the same day. I hate those people right now.

You could call me Quasimodo this week

Or maybe Marlon

see the resemblance?

BECAUSE that is not how dental work seems to work for me. What started off as a toothache last Friday, became a really effing bad toothache over weekend, which became an OMFG I need to see a dentist NOW toothache on Monday, that resulted in an emergency root canal on Tuesday morning, which didn't really improve things so I had to go in yesterday morning AGAIN for a SECOND opening of the tooth at which time I had a complete sobbing melt-down in the endodontist's office as a result of the frustration and pain.

In short, it's been a pretty sucky week. I seem to be OK on the pain front right now (tylenol 3 + ibuprofen is a beautiful thing). But it's not like I've been able to run or ride this week. Pretty much, I've just slept.

So...on Sunday, I'm supposed to do the Senorita Century (100K - a metric century), and I'm still planning on riding. But I may just do the 40 mile ride instead. I'll take along some ibuprofen and tylenol (not the tylenol 3 stuff...that seems a little risky) and see how it goes.

I'd really like my old face back though.

Wipeout!!!!!!

You know those shoe reviews you read in Runner's World? Lucky us...Coach Paul from the track club is one of the people who rounds up people to test out shoes.

One of the many advantages of belonging to this particular track club.

So, this morning, I hauled myself, Mik, and Betty to the track club workout at 5:30 am because  Coach Paul had mentioned at Tuesday night's track workout that he'd have some shoes for "testers" to try out and write up a review for Runner's World...and he said he'd have a couple of women's size nine (my size!), but we'd have to be there by 5:45 to get a pair.

For free shoes? I can get to a workout early.

So, I got me a pair of New Balance RevLites. I think it must be a new model, because there's nothing that looks like it on the website...but pretty cool huh? I haven't tried them out yet in a run yet, but I spend most of the afternoon walking around in them. They are a super light shoe, and are very comfy. DramaGirl is coveting them something fierce.

Walter scored some new shoes too...so we'll see how these super-light shoes work for us. In exchange for the shoes, we were asked to run in them for the next 20 days, then send a review to Runner's World. I'll keep you posted.

Once the shoes were scored, we set out for our run.

This is one of my favorite routes...from Hospitality Point, through Ocean Beach, and out to the end of Sunset cliffs. It was a spectacular morning, and at the risk of just pissing off my north and midwest and east coast readers...here is what I had to put up with this morning.

I know. I know.  But someone has to live here

But karma's a bitch you know.

Running through Ocean Beach is always treacherous. The streets are uneven and after all the rains this year, they are pitted, and pot-holed all over the place.

As I neared the third water station, I took a little spill...

At 28 - 31 seconds is a pretty accurate representation of what I think I did...only I'm not a dude, but I'm pretty sure I bounced like that...

A lesson I learned from all my skiing years is that once you know you're going to fall, don't fight it. Just try to roll with it in order to minimize the damage. You can hurt yourself a lot more trying to STOP a fall than from a fall like this itself...

Basically, I tripped over a pretty big bump between where the road turned into a parking lot. The sun was coming out and it was getting sorta warm, and having run 7.5 miles, I was probably dragging my feet a little bit. I was excited to be nearing the water station, was thinking of something clever to say about the off-shore breezes and the distinct dog-poop smell emanating from dog-beach (locals know where this is), so I wasn't looking at the road, and before I knew it, I was stumbling over the bump.

I took one hard step and realized in a nano-second that I was going down, so I stuck my hands out to break my fall and slid as if I was stealing second base. Sadly, instead of a smooth slide, I bellyflopped and bounced a little, which isn't such a bad thing. In fact, I guess it helps to have a little bit of a jelly roll at times like this. Then, having slid to a stop, I quickly rolled over onto my butt and started assessing the damage.

Knees?  - Seem OK.
Expensive NEW CRX compression pants?  - All in one piece, no holes. That's good.
iPhone? -  In back pocket, so I didn't land on it and crush it...that's really good
Hands?

Hands?

Oh SHIT that hurt!

So the heel of my left hand was pretty torn up, and the right one, just a little bit. I'll spare you the photographic evidence. You can just take my word for it.

I don't think the guys at the water station saw me fall because as I was completing my acrobatics, a car passed by and blocked their view of me. Their actual view may have been a glimpse of me as I neared the water station from across the street, then I disappeared as the car drove by, then they saw me on my ass. (because yeah, in my mind, they were watching me run...because, yeah, doesn't EVERYONE).

What I know for sure, is that the guy behind me DEFINITELY saw me fall. In fact, when I was telling Betty and Mik about my fall when I finished the run, he was standing nearby. I asked him, "Did you see me fall?" He looked pretty sheepish and confirmed that, yes, he's seen it and yes, I bounced. He didn't say much else, but I could tell he was very kindly trying not to completely LAUGH OUT LOUD, because, seriously, once you know that someone isn't hurt from a fall, it is sorta funny.

In any event, after the fall, I pulled myself together, dumped a bunch of cool water over my bloody hand, and ran the last two miles back to the finish, where, for the first time ever, I got to break the tape at the "finish line."*

After reliving the events of the morning,** Betty, Mik, and I headed to Elsie's. She decided to run in her 'hood this morning, but sent me an email that we were welcome to come over for breakfast...so of course...we did. No mimosas this morning, but we had a a great time catching up.

Elsie also provided me with a bandage, some Neosporin, and some ibuprofen.

Best line of the morning?

Betty: So the first thing that my husband will say to me tomorrow morning is "He is risen; He is risen indeed"***
Alice, Mik & Elsie: REALLY? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Happy Easter everyone!

Happy Easter!

__________________________________
* The marathon group ran their 20 miler today, so it is a SDTC tradition to give everyone a chance to break the tape because "everyone is a winner!" This may sound really lame, but as someone who would otherwise NEVER be breaking the tape at a finish, I have to say that I LOVED it! 


**Betty's best story is that she had a close encounter with a rastafari who tried to convert her, or something like that, I wasn't paying attention because my hand EFFING HURT...but having a close encounter with a dreadlocked dude would not be an atypical event for a morning run through Ocean Beach...it's a rather eclectic place that is sorta, permanently, stuck in a time warp of peace, harmony, and probably way too much weed.


*** yes, I know this may border on blasphemy and I hope I don't offend as this is, in many Christian churches, the way the priest or minister announces that Christ has risen on Easter morning, and yes, I took it out of context, and yes I may be going to hell for this...but it sure was funny because Betty almost NEVER slips up like that.

Food Consumed, Problems and a Mystery Solved!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Turkey Day. Like most, my weekend included football (lots of it, and a HUGE win for my Alma mater, Nevada, against the previously undefeated Boise State...Go Pack!), food, and family.

Like last year, the family rented a house in Palm Desert so that we could hang out together. Unlike last year, when we cooked Turkey in our swimsuits, this year was quite a bit cooler. In fact, one night it was almost freezing.

Here are some photos from the weekend!

Food Consumed

DramaGirl and Turbo and their cousins. They started sharing what they were thankful for at the kid's table without even being prompted to do so! How cool is that (everyone? Awwwwwwww....)

A fine plate of food. BTW..that cranberry sauce? I made it. I'd never made cranberry sauce from scratch before. I couldn't believe how easy it was and YUM!

Sis...knowing this photo would inevitably be on the blog, posed with her plate o'food

Problem Solved

When we returned on Saturday, there was some fixing to do. One of the things I'd been meaning to deal with for quite a while was my closet. This was my shoe rack.

Walter commented that my shoe rack was like Jenga...one false move and the whole thing could come crashing down

DramaGirl with a hammer and...

VOILA! A shoe rack that doesn't seem to be falling over!

And that night? Yet another football game!

And Finally..a Mystery Solved
For the last several weeks, I have been complaining about foot pain...again. It's been the strangest thing. Unlike my bout with Plantar Faciitis*, wherein the pain was in my heel, and would increase in intensity as I ran to the point where I would have to stop, or my stress fracture last winter, wherein I couldn't even pretend to start running due to the pain in my upper foot, this current general achiness was localized to the area underneath the ankle bone and next to/inside the Achilles tendon. I couldn't figure it out. I would start feeling some pain when I would start running, but as soon as I'd logged about a 1/2 mile, the pain would subside and by 1 mile, it would disappear entirely until about an hour after I STOPPED running, and then I would feel it again.

I'd also been noticing that my shoes didn't seem to fit as well (HUGE HINT HERE...ONE THAT I UTTERLY FAILED TO PICK UP ON!)

Several of you surmised that that it was tendinitis of some sort and wisely counseled me to take it easy (which I have been doing!)

But it never felt like tendon pain. I could stretch with no problem and, in truth felt pretty flexible. To be honest, it felt more like a bruise.

So tonight, I actually took the time to check out my shoe at the area that was bugging me and I discovered this...

The culprit...I can't draw arrows here, but that little bulge is showing how that area is really about a 1/2 inch thicker** than it is at the heel...in other words, the heel on this shoe is starting to collapse and was rubbing against my foot and after a few miles OUCH!

I'm still not completely sure why, after a mile or so, my foot would stop hurting other than to guess that my foot would sorta work it's way into the shoe, but not so much that it still wasn't putting pressure on my heel.

In any event, I found an old pair of running shoes tonight and ran in those instead and much less pain, and so until I am confronted with other evidence, I'm calling this mystery solved! (Oh yeah...3 miles/10:12 pace)

Well, it's a busy time of year. I'm off to get caught up on some blog reading and commenting. Hope you all had a fabulous Turkey holiday. Our 25 days of Chrismukkah starts on Wednesday...please tell me the semester will be over soon so that I can get caught up on everyone's blogs!
_________
* If you are new here...the link is to an April post, one of the first times I'd written about PF last year...I'd continue writing about it until well into July...GAH!


** For all of you who are giggling because I used the words "buldge" and "thicker" in the same sentence, be happy that I didn't also use the word "base" (as in base of the heel) to describe where the shoe is deformed. Shame shame...and you know who you are :-))

New and Not New - Soft Sand and My Butt Hurts

When I first started this blog, every run was a new adventure. Every new ache or pain or failure or success opened up a whole new world of things that I'd never experienced before. Every race was a first time...and we all know what that implies...to say the least, first times are memorable.

There haven't been many firsts recently...maybe you've noticed. 

This morning started off being, really, no different. Mik, Betty, Kat, Elsie and I got together (yes! all of us...at the same place, at the same time!) to run at Mission Beach, a place that we've run, oh I don't know, a gazillion times. I'd done some speedwork on the treadmill and some squats and lunges on Friday (3.5 miles/10:09 pace thank you very  much), so my legs were a little spent. Even worse, the last couple of times I've run, my plantar fasciia tendon has bend bugging me again, so I thought for this morning's run, I'd take it easy and I really wanted to avoid running on concrete, the hardest of hard surfaces.

The problem is that the boardwalk on both the beach and bay side of Mission Bay is concrete, so this morning, I decided to run on the sand for a couple of miles instead.

Oooohhhhh something NEW!

The tide was going out, but for some reason there wasn't much hard sand to run on, so I spent most of the time hurdling kelp and trying to stay somewhere near the surf, no so near that my shoes got wet, but not so far away as to be running in the dryer, really soft mushy sand.

Running in wet soft sand must be a really, really good workout because my legs are just trashed tonight. Moving from a sitting to a standing (or vice versa) position is excrutiatingI'm not sure it helped the PF tendon at all and I may not be able to stand or sit tomorrow.

All for the sake of newness, which I'm thinking now is highly overrated.

Had I not been running on the sand...I would have missed this. Proof that red beer cups are quite versatile

Of course, some things never change. Post run mimosas and pancakes at Elsie's

On another note, it's been a completely beautiful weekend here in So Cal. On Thursday, Walter, Turbo and I went to Wind and Sea beach. It was pretty funny. I have run to Wind and Sea on numerous occasions, but usually on back streets, so I made Walter drive the back streets of North Pacific Beach and Bird Rock to get there. It was a round about way to get there, but well worth it.

Walter and Turbo out on a rock, trying to stay dry.

Gosh my little boy is getting big. Those are surfers in the background

Turbo, climbing up one of the cliffs

That's my boy!

My other boy

Ah shoot...somebody's gotta live here....Nothing new there

A Quick Recap

I set out some pretty lofty running-workout goals for myself last weekend during my run at Lake BP. If I were to grade myself for the week so far?

C+

Monday - nada
Tuesday - I had every intention of running with the track club, but at about 3:30 on Tuesday, some of the herd started texting and emailing that we needed a happy hour at Gios (a local wine bar), and I succumbed to the herd and drank wine instead of ran.
Wednesday - I did run...about 25 minutes on the 'mill. At about 20 minutes, I started feeling some tightness on the side of my foot. This is how the PF started last time, I don't feel it in my heel, but in the tendon on the outside of my foot. As soon as I felt it I stopped running (well...OK...I ran for about 5 minutes more) and realized that not doing any strength training for the last two weeks is a REALLY BAD IDEA. Made pact with self to start doing squats and lunges STAT.
Thursday - 30 minutes of lunges and squats with weights on my driveway. I'm sure the neighbors were entertained.
Today - No running today because we're taking the kids to Magic Mountain, which is on the north end of LA County. We drove up here last night (hence the comments from me on Twitter about the 10 being the longest road EVER. I HAAAAATE driving in LA. I know a few of you live up here. Honestly, I don't know how you do it.) We'll drive home afterward, so this weekend's long run may have to wait until Sunday. I've got 7 miles on my training log scheduled for this weekend.

Oh...yes, this should be good. 7 miles, a tender foot, and one measly 25 minute treadmill run. I've really gotta do better than that.

I know it's Foto Friday, but I've got nothin' this week. I'll probably be blogging over the weekend, but I'm definitely thinking of all of my blogging-friends who are in SF this weekend for the Nike Women's Marathon and 1/2. Good luck to all of you and have a GREAT TIME.

In Which Alice Proves, Once Again, That She Cannot Walk and Talk at the Same Time...

It's not as violent as Quadrathon's fall this week...nonetheless it hurt...both my elbow and my pride...

Ouch!

Is the best part of this photo that I am wearing my "Toenails are for Sissies" t-shirt?

I'm on Vay-Kay with the family this week (thus the extraordinary lack of posts and/or comments). More photos and stories are sure to follow...but quickly, the beat-up elbow occurred after I fell face first while walking down the street on my way to get, what turned out to be, the best EFFING PIZZA EVAH in (of all places) Sacramento!!!!

Here's the pizza...much prettier than my elbow.

YUMMMMM!

There's a pizza/road-pizza joke there somewhere isn't there?

Here's some of the fun Walter, Turbo, DramaGirl and I were having earlier in the day (I managed to survive THIS without a scratch!)

FUN!

I'm sure I'll be back to regular posting/running/commenting soon!

Heat Training & What'shisname?

This summer hasn't really turned out like I thought it would. In June, I had visions of me running, biking, surfing, nearly every day. You know lots of fun, active, outdoor stuff.

Then I got hurt.

So now, three mornings a week, I go to physical therapy, which I'll admit, is a workout of sorts and while I do like it there, but it's not really what I envisioned I'd be doing with my summer mornings.

((sigh))

That being said, the PT is working on the PF. I can actually walk barefoot or in flipflops without limping or screeching in pain. (Now I ask ya...if I can't wear flipflops in the summer, WTF am I supposed to wear for shoes? I had NO FLIPPIN' IDEA that PF would cause me such footwear issues...GAH!)

And yesterday, I RAN*...yep 35 minutes on the 'mill...I decided to run on the 'mill instead of with the track club because it was hot, and muggy, and the track club was doing a pretty difficult trail/hill run and I just wanted to do an easy run...and the 'mill is in my air-conditioned home, so I thought it would be cooler.

Until the AC went off, and neither DramaGirl or Turbo noticed because they were really heavily involved in some super-important Wii Lego Starwars Video Game, and when I got off the 'mill, I thought, "darn, it's a little warm in the house," and so I checked the thermostat and the house was about 85 effing degrees--indoors...

At least there would have been a breeze at Balboa Park with the track club!

So we'll call that run my heat training effort (which I need to to do for AFC anyway). So, other than the heat, and the fact that I was on the dreadmill, it was a wonderful run. Hardly noticed the PF at all.

Then I stopped running...

And my knee started doing this strange clicking sound, like with every step, and I'm thinkin' OH SHIT...WHAT NOW?!!?

(((super-sigh)))

So, the (sorta) good news is that at PT this morning, Brett, (My PT's name is Brett, not Bryan as I previously thought...how awful is it that I don't ever know people's names...I suck as a teacher, you should see me... I'm always calling students things like "sweetie" or "Jethro" because I just SUCK at learning people's names...it's not a good thing).

Anyway, the sorta good news is that Brett did NOT tell me to stop running. He did tell me to take it easy on the home strength training and that we'd limit that to three days a week (all those lunges and squats seem to be taking their toll on my knees...a part my body BTW that I've NEVER had trouble with before the EVIL PF) and that I should stretch my quads and hammies LOTS.

So, when I teach tonight, we'll take a 10 minute stretch break, and I really will be stretching!

I'll try running again tomorrow...after all, Jethro Brett said it was OK.
_____________________
*In other workout news this week. I rode 22.5 miles on Sunday...all by my lonesome and this morning, I swam with the pool/torture devise about 25 minutes of mind-numbing boringness before I stopped.

Another Random Bullet Point Post

I think at least 36 hours went by at the beginning of this week without a single update from me on either this blog, or FB, or twitter...I must be busy, so busy that I started this entry yesterday morning (Tuesday) and now it's Wednesday...so I'll just add on a bullet or two before I get to work on planning for my class tonight. ((sigh))

So...here's the week in bullet points...

• Had a nice 4th. Went to at a couple of barbecues - ate my body weight in crappy, not good for me, fatty, yummy foods. (I'll just say that the artichoke-jallepeno dip from Costco should be illegal!)
• Text messages to Clarence, Betty, and Mik began at about 7pm...morning ride needed to compensate for aforementioned overindulgence STAT!
• Rode about 18 miles on Sunday at 6:30 am! (Did I mention this was on July 5...and did I mention the overindulgence included wine?)
• I'm gonna call Sunday's 18 miler the three cities tour - La Mesa, El Cajon, San Diego with one trip around Lake BP - 17.9 miles - 1:28 - Ave 12 mph

It's a new game...find the boy part!

• Mik is getting a new rack.
• Had to teach Monday night so I didn't get to meet Elsie's new RB, but I did get text messages while I was teaching from Betty which said that the RB seems to be a nice guy and that she (Betty) was on her best behavior.
• Went to the PT Monday and Wednesday mornings. This PT is a freekin' WORK-OUT. The kind where I must ask for a towel or I drip and spray sweat all over the place.
• PT said to hold off on the running for awhile longer...I cannot begin to articulate the depth of my disappointment. I need to continue working on strengthening my hip and loosening my calf muscles so that my foot moves how it should when I'm running. Apparently, the completely inflexible calf muscle doesn't allow my foot to flex properly, which is what is creating the PF issue.
• Did the 18 mile Three Cities tour again yesterday with Clarence and Betty. At about mile 7.5, the Garmin stopped tracking mileage. It just stopped. I was at Lake BP when I finally noticed that the Garmin was asking me if I'd gone inside (Answer = no), so I suspect it somehow lost the satelite link. Has this ever happened to anyone else? I could understand if I were in a secluded area, but this was pretty much out in the open, in the middle of town, no trees...and on Sunday I did the same route with no problem.
• I haven't run in 18 days (not that I'm counting). The AFC 1/2 is 39 days away (again...not that I'm counting!). I'm getting worried. AFC has that nasty HILL on 6th Avenue which I have done absolutely no training for (I mean, how could I without running and all?).

Yeah...you're gonna see lots of this again...those three downhill miles from 2 to 5, lots of flat around the airport and downtown, then that nasty uphill at Mile 11.5...brutal.

• I will say, I am going to have kick-ass glutes and quads when this PT stuff is done. I've done more squats and lunges in the last few weeks than I've done in maybe my whole life! I'm hoping that extra strength will come in handy in running both up 6th Avenue...I hope.
• I know this not-running-thing is the right thing to do, but the not-running-thing is sooooooooooo hard. I wanna run, just a mile, even on the 'mill, just to make sure I remember how.

Not much else to report - no running, more biking, no new bike yet. Got lots of blog reading to catch up on, but that'll probably have to wait until tomorrow...gotta prep for class now!

And since today is Wordless Wednesday, and I have way too many words, I'll leave you with this...

What a good uncle...

Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before...

Isn't everyone getting just a little bit tired of me bitching and moaning about being hurt and not running?

Stay tuned...cuz there's more comin' your way...

After doing just a kick-ass job of doing SQUAT this week, no running, no biking, no anything (yes, this was due to having a cold, but still), I went and hurt myself again today doing, of all things...

Surfing.

Yes, you read right.

Surfing.

And no, I don't surf. An no...there are no pictures of Betty or I surfing.

I took Turbo and a nephew to the beach this morning and met up with Betty. The high school where Betty works (and where I used to teach) started an after school surf club this year, and through some grant money, put together a week long surf camp. Very cool. Take some kids from east county San Diego (which may as well be Nebraska for all some east county kids actually see the ocean, even though it's only 10 miles away...geez), and teach 'em how to surf.

So of course I had to try.

In all honesty, I've pretended to surf before (it's much more difficult than it looks), but the last time was probably about four or five years ago...well before I started running. I felt pretty confident that I was stronger and would do better than my last outing...

And for the most part, that would be true, but on the third wave I tried to catch, I was too far forward on the board, didn't get to my knees fast enough, and went over the front end...which again, isn't such a bad thing. That happens all the time when you're in the surf. Unfortunately, this time we were in some pretty shallow water, so when my left foot hit the ocean floor.

TWANG

I felt the tendon in the bottom of my foot just pop (like three times).

As the surf receded, I tried to put weight on my left foot and almost fell over.

I think I scared Betty to death. She took one look at me and said, "We are soooo done now."

She may have been wondering how she was going to carry me back to my beach chair, but I managed to walk back up, even though I was swearing like a sailor, and almost in tears the whole way.

So...the foot? It hurts like a mother. When I got home, I stuck it in a bucket of ice water for about 20 minutes. Swam 30 minutes in the home pool (which is a lot of effing laps by the way in a 40 ft pool), iced it again. Now it's taped and I think I'll ice it before I go to bed, but it hurts to stand on it.

Damn, I'm tired of being hurt.

With that...I'll leave you with some lovely beach photos...other than maiming my sorry foot, it really was a fun day.

Betty knitting at the beach...

Turbo, on the surf board. We saw loads of dolphins today.

Turbo and my nephew, who decided that boogie boarding was waaaaaaaay easier than surfing and switched

Scary beach-dude, who was playing horseshoes and had a totem pole with him.

One Way to Rest - Do Product Reviews and Giveaways Instead...

Well...all of the running books, magazines, websites, doctors, physical therapists have been suggesting insisting that the best way to fix the plantar fasciitis issue in my left foot is to REST.

But have I listened to any of THAT?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I've continued to run, bike, swim, exercise (am LOVING the Wii Personal Trainer BTW), and the heel has not healed. Not really. Not one bit.

Saturday's run with the track club was a testament to that. I ran 5 miles. At 4 miles I had to stop and walk my heel hurt so bad (thanks to Irene for hangin' in there with me and my super-slow pace for the first 4 miles).

So, what's finally gotten me to not run, bike, swim, lift, or do any other effing thing for the last two days?

A nasty cold.

Or at least I hope it's a cold, and not the swine flu (although, unlike Diana, I don't work in a place that'll hose me down at the first sign of illness). Symptoms include: stuffy nose, tired, congestion, no fever...all in all, good signs that's it's not the flu, but I still feel like crap.

And, since I have no running, biking, tire changing, bike-store-dude conversation stories to share with ya'all today, I thought I'd do my FIRST PRODUCT REVIEW!

Yes, the Hefferblog does it's first product review! I like to try out free stuff as much as the next blogger does!

Here goes...about three months ago, nuruplanet.com contacted me and asked me if I'd review their Exercise Anywhere cards.

"Why the heck not?" I thought.

They arrived in the mail about mid April or so (yes, I've had them that long...I've been REAAAAAALLLLLYYYYY BUSY!) and they've pretty much been sitting in the mail pile since then.

Knowing that I had little else to write about, and that I hadn't even had the courtesy of writing anything over the weekend, I located them this morning and took a look. Basically, Exercise Anywhere is a deck of cards; each card describes a single strength exercise. The cards are organized into sections. Each section targets a major muscle group including: the chest, back, lower body, shoulders, arms, abs. There is also a section of cards that describes exercises called the "cardio lab."

The cards are advertised as a way to get a full body workout when you cant (or don't want to) go to a gym. Here's a sample (from their website)...I suspect they won't mind since I've linked it again here.

I'll be honest, I took one look at these cards and at first thought, can't I get the same thing from Self magazine every month? And in color...with a real (skinny...OK...that's depressing) model? But I'm open minded, and gave them a closer look...So here's my opinion...

Good things about the cards:

• They are compact. I could keep them in my pocket, and anyone who has ridden or run with me knows that I have some storage issues, and I tend to carry way too much stuff with me.
• The directions for each exercise are well written and simple to follow. If I didn't know how to do a plank (or if I'd been doing it wrong) the card explains it pretty darn well...

Get in pushup position, but rest your weight on your forearms. Keep your face looking toward the floor (my comment: this is a good point as I've seen plenty of people doing planks on Tuesday nights looking up and around and not at the grass...maybe they're looking strength, or for inspiration, or to see if someone else (Stoney for example) has given up on his plank, but in all cases, looking up and around while doing a plank is bad form...so is sticking your butt in the air, but that's another rant...anyway the card continues) Stay firm: no drooping or bending. Hold for 15 seconds. Work your way up to 30, 60, and 120 seconds.

• The cards seem comprehensive and seem to target all the muscle groups as advertised.
• The cards give a sample weekly routine to follow (I would need this. I tend to do all major body groups all at once, on one day, then get sore, and stop...which is probably why I've never gotten into strength training.)
• There are modifications for typical weight training exercises that you can do if you don't have hand weights...that is, you can use "cans" instead of "weights" for the arm exercises.
  
• It has a glossary. For the uninitiated, it tells what a "set" is or what a "superset" is. In all honesty, I know at one point of my life, I didn't know these things.
• It includes random bits of information about the muscle groups that made me giggle...for example did you know that "the word "triceps" comes from the Latin tri (three) = capit (head) which literally means "three-headed" (for the three muscles that compose it)." So you can get your anatomy lesson in as well as some exercise. Or you can giggle whenever you see the word "head" like I do.
  

Some criticisms

• The type is really small. When I exercise I wear contact lenses and to see these, I'd need to put on some reading glasses to read the small print. So these are best for people who don't need reading glasses.
• Basically, each card has the same layout and the same color scheme, and even though each muscle group has a tab, the tabs aren't really offset all that much AND they're all the same color, so the tabs are not particularly useful in quickly finding exercises. (If that were a goal). I think it'd be easier to find the "chest" exercises if they were color-coded in a different color than the "arm" exercises.

This would be sooooo much better if the tabs, or even the card headings were color coded

• The black and white drawings, which illustrate each exercise, while straightforward, are a bit boring...On the other hand, maybe that's a good thing. I always wonder whether or not those models in Self magazine actually DO the exercises they're modeling, or if they're just standing lying there faking it....

As luck would have it, my Self magazine arrived yesterday (why do I even get this magazine...I think I got three free issues from Active.com when I signed up for a race one time and never cancelled...GAH!). Anyway, here's one of this month's tear out exercise cards

A similar exercise featured on the Exercise Anywhere card...why does this card not make me feel like someone should at least be buyin' me dinner?

So, the final review? Exercise Anywhere cards...they aren't sexy, but they're functional, and for $9.95 with free shipping, relatively affordable. They're probably best for the beginner who wants to start a strength program exercise, but doesn't really know where to start, or for those who've been at it awhile and who need a tangible reminder of what to do next.

And, also for someone who doesn't need glasses :-).

The Giveaway!

Just leave me comment that says you'd like to be included in a drawing for a free set of Exercise Anywhere cards before this Saturday, June 27. If you don't have a blog you should also email me at hefferblog [at] gmail [dot] com, to let me know you'd like to be in the drawing, so that I know how to get a hold of you. This is a really important thing to do if you don't have a blog. If you do have a blog, I can track you down.

OK...that was exhausting. I need a nap now. (evidence of how sick I am? I started this blog at about 9:00 this morning and it's almost 3:00 now...a full days work for me).

Path-et-ic

Finally went to see a doc about the foot pain (you can all breathe a sigh of relief)... However, in the interest of full disclosure, I didn't see my doctor. In fact, I've never met the woman. I did see her PA (physician's assistant...I have no idea what kind of training goes into being a physician's assistant, but since he could write a prescription for some physical therapy, so that perhaps my insurance will cover at least a part of it, I was more than happy to see him. His name was Sean or maybe it was Kevin...no Sean) but I digress...

Are my Canadian friends still with me here, or did that whole conversation about insurance just leave you going, "huh?"

Anyway, the good news...

Nothing is fractured or broken.

In fact, the pseudo-doc seemed pretty unimpressed with my foot pain.

He noted that yes, I have plantar fasciitis in my left foot. The right foot probably has a slightly pulled tendon. Running downhill is a probable cause (hello...can anyone say La Jolla 1/2 Marathon?). He said that I should continue stretching, icing, massaging, and taking ibuprofen and (he said I wouldn't like this and he is correct, I don't) I should REST. 

I mentioned to him that I'm running less than 10 miles a week at this point. Again, he seemed unimpressed.

He modeled some stretches (that I already knew) and he offered to write a prescription for some prescription-strength ibuprofen too, but I said that taking three or four of the over-the-counter stuff that I buy in bulk from Costco would be cheaper, so "no thank you." 

Oh, and he said he would write for authorization for me to get some PT (YES!!!), which was all I really wanted.

So I didn't run today...or bike...or swim...but I did shop for new shoes, AND I got a pretty pedicure which included a foot massage, that's gotta count for something! 

I'm going to see a new PT (closer to home, and the one who Irene is seeing for her hip) on Monday for a free injury screening, and in (hopefully) about a week, I'll have the referral for PT approved by my insurance, and I can start some real kind of PT to rid myself of this sore foot nonsense.

So it is done...I'm seeing doctors and physical therapy, sports medicine, specialists for this. Me. The one who HATES doctors and offices and insurance and all that.

And good timing too, because the AFC 1/2 Mary, the last leg of this year's triple crown, is August 16, only 10 weeks away!

Tuesday night's workout with the track club certainly didn't make me feel very ready to run another 1/2 Marathon in 10 weeks.

The workout was mostly a recovery workout for those who ran the Rock and Roll Marathon last weekend, and now that the marathon season (and winter) is behind us, we do our Tuesday night workouts in Balboa Park. This week's run was only a 20 minute recovery run. Coach Paul encouraged us to run on the grass as it is a softer surface.

Here's the route...go ahead, enjoy... 

And here are my even more pathetic running stats...

I think that the grass running killed my feet. Although it was softer, it was also uneven. I could feel everything tighten up. I didn't even last 2 miles. Both my feet were just killing me, so I sat on the grass and massaged them and was pretty much a gimp.

Afterward, Alberta, Betty and I went to Elsie's for some wine and to hear her excuses for "not finding us" after the IronGirl 10K on Sunday...Whatever...

Alberta is such a stud. She ran in a freekin' cast...

Dinner...wine, hummus, and guacamole. Did we get all the food groups in?

So...I'm going to take it easy this week. I have to give a presentation at a workshop tomorrow. I'm going to try to get a ride in, in the morning (so I should probably go to bed now, huh?). I'm planning on getting a swim in on Friday and running on Saturday with the track club. It's the early part of the 1/2 marathon program, so the runs tend to be pretty short.

And more ice, and stretch, and massage... I think that means mandatory foot rubs from Walter, right?

UPDATE...The Las Vegas RnR Marathon, just posted its course map and it's offering a $20.00 discount on the race fee for those who enter by June 11... I think I gotta do this one.

Foto Friday, New Socks, & Goodbye Marcy

Today is NikeMom's Foto Friday...so here's a shot of what took up the remainder of my week!

Little League Champs... Probably one of the last times we can ask a group of boys to raise a finger and have them all raise their index fingers... Turbo is the second ballplayer from the left in the front row. Walter is in the back... Quite a win as the team had to come out of the loser bracket to win.

Mandatory goofy shot...

Thanks for all your advice and support regarding my wacky foot issue. I spent a fair amount of time yesterday looking through other pictures of me running (since I belong to the track club, there are a fair amount of those because there's almost always someone on the course shooting photos).

Unfortunately, I don't see another photo that shows my foot at that angle. The good news is that there are some other shots of me running and my foot is NOT doing that weird angle thing. (looks more like its doing the normal over-pronation thing that I thought I know I do). 

I also tried to make an appointment to see a sports therapist (Irene's recommendation) yesterday, but their office hasn't called me back yet to make an appointment. But that's OK. I think I'm going to go see my regular doctor first to get a referral to the therapist to see if insurance will pick up part of the cost. 

Have I mentioned that I HATE going to the doctor? I really do. It's all I can do to get my girl-parts examined and my boob smushed once a year... 

I did run on Wednesday (for National Running Day...and after my last post). I did 3.5 miles on the 'mill. I decided to run on the mill because it was the middle of the day and it was getting warm. Also, I was short on time. And finally, because I figured my feet started hurting, I could just stop running and not do any further damage.

Good news: Running didn't hurt while I was running

Bad news: I did have some pain in both feet after running (GAH).

That night, I found some arch support socks at Sports Authority (conveniently located next to the Shakey's Pizza where the team was celebrating it's win), and I thought what the heck...and bought them. They really seem to hold my foot steady, so I wore them all day yesterday. Then I was a complete slug yesterday and didn't run, or ride, or do anything but get ready for some presentations I'm doing next week (and look at photos of me running...what a narcissist)

Good news is that this morning, both feet feel pretty AMAZINGLY BETTER.

So...I'll be wearing the socks regularly for the next week or so.

This weekend is a busy one - later this morning I'm going up to Orange County to see my sister. I may or may not be bringing one or two of her kids back with me. Tonight I get to hang out with Mik at our sons' first game of the District Little League Championship (yes...winning the league championship on Wednesday meant that we get to play MORE. BASEBALL!!!) 

Saturday, I am taking DramaGirl to a swim qualification. She has to show that she can swim 100 yards in less than 2:15...shouldn't be a big deal. 

Then I'm going to Road Runner Sports with about a 1/2 dozen registration forms because the herd is doing the 1/2 marathon training program.

Then we have Little League closing ceremonies. 

Maybe I'll get a short bike ride in.

Sunday, is the IronGirl 10K. Irene has boldly decided to carpool with the herd!

_________________________________

On a final note...much of the running-blog-world is sad this weekend as Marcy at I Signed Up for THIS? submitted her final blog post yesterday. She has decided to go into blogging retirement. I think we all get that. I love running and blogging about it and reading all of your blogs about running, but I know how much time I spend reading and commenting on blogs (which is why I sometimes disappear for days at a time and only comment on every OTHER post you all do...).

Like almost everyone else, I'm really going to miss Marcy and her trashtastic, daily yakfest. There are so many classic blogs that I'll always remember. Walmart Bingo and all the public restroom photos will remain among my favorites.  (I'd link back to them, but I think that Marcy has already deleted, or at list made private, her archive). In fact, I read her blog for several months before I got brave enough to leave a comment amongst the 80+ already left there, and much to my surprise, within hours, she'd left a comment on mine. I felt like a celebrity had been to my blog.

A part of me thinks she'll be back at some point. I hope so. The running-blogosphere will certainly be a less funny and entertaining place without her. (Although I still get to stalk her on FB...).

Better than that, her blog and her comments are always spot-on funny. She has an incredible knack for commenting on just the thing that I think is going to be funny (like the smelly dead whale...which got me BOTW honors...which is why some of you now visit here occasionally).

In any event, there have been lots of other blogs out there that are saying goodbye to Marcy much more eloquently than I have...

but seriously chica...gonna miss ya..fo reals!

More Foot Stories

So...you may have noticed that I haven't run since last Saturday's jaunt with Walter at Lake BP.

Cycling. Yes. Running? Not so much.

(Rode 35ish miles on Sunday. Rode another 12 on Monday...not a lot of miles, but I tried to ride fast...not fast by any real cycling standards, but fast for me).

Anyway, I haven't run because last week I ran two days in a row and so for three days my feet (both of 'em) are just killing me. GAH!!!!

Left foot - some mild Plantar Fasciitis (It does seem like it's getting better as I've been doing lots of ice, stretch, massage, stretch, ice, repeating).

The bigger issue is my right foot...the TOP of my foot...right at about the bridge to be exact. There are some tendons there that are VERY sore, making walking (and definitely running) somewhat painful.

The blue arrow is pretty much pointing to the area it hurts. Picture comes from Foot Pain Explained ...which describes this as tendonitis...GAH!

So, I've taken three days off from running (blah, blah, blah...this is getting boring) and for the past month or so, I've played around with various types and combinations of orthotics, including: green SuperFeet insoles, orange RRS cushioning insoles, Dr. Scholl's heel cushioning inserts (which are awesome for the PF BTW).

These do ROCK for PF issues...for the tendonitis on the top of the foot? Meh...

In other words, I am in search of something, anything that will help with what I think this causes...

I don't know if you can see this...but seriously I think this is the cause of my foot issues. I mean how does one land with a foot pointing out...but on the instep...I mean really... 

This picture was taken by the race photographer at the UT Race for Literacy last month. I'd never seen a photo taken at this angle before, so I didn't know that I landed that way on my right foot

A slightly more grainy view... But SERIOUSLY...WHO RUNS LIKE THIS??? I think I need to take a running lesson.

Yes, I run in stability shoes. I use inserts to (hopefully) keep my foot from rocking all over the freakin' place, but I don't seem to have located the correct combination. I'm going to play with how I lace my shoes today (yes, I'm going to run today...it is National Running Day after all...and did I mention that I hadn't run since SATURDAY?)

So, I'll keep you posted (cuz I know you're waiting with bated breath to see how Alice solves her running-shoe, foot-pain, WTF is wrong with her gait, problem).

Oh, and since this is June 3...I thought I'd post my May numbers

Run -  52.95 miles
Bike - 118.76 miles
Swim - 200 yards (ok...that's pathetic. I know. But I tried)

Happy running to all who are participating in the National Running Day. 

Different Views

Wanna know what I've been doing all week? Editing something that reads like this...

The JSR 168-compatiable portlets can provide management, data, mapping and analysis services. For non-portlet applications, multiple data services, Web mapping tools, and spatial analysis, services will be implemented by a hybrid combination of ESRI™ Web GIS solutions, GeoServer, and Google® Maps. Google Maps APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) will be used to display maps for GIS learning modules.

Yeah...I have no idea what it means either, but I did know that a comma was needed after the word analysis in the second sentence. One of the other grant writers and I went around in circles for awhile about whether or not it's "Web mapping" or "web mapping" (I said not capitalized). And yes, this is what English/grammar peeps like me do for fun. So, if you've been reading this blog awhile, and you've noticed that there are typos, misspells, and general grammar errors, in this blog semi-regularly, now you know that I could edit more closely if I wanted to, but most of my blogs are just too damn long, and so I don't...but I could if I wanted to.

In any event, I've been editing this grant proposal about improving geography instruction in high schools for the better part of this week. Betty (once again) and Elsie got me involved in this project, but ff you have any questions about geography and using GIS or GPS to teach it, ask Betty, she's the genius. I just edit.

So I've now increased about a gazillion-fold what I previously knew about Geographic Interface Systems and Geographic Positioning Systems (BTW...this is the technology that makes our beloved Garmins and things like MapMyRun and shiz like that work, so it is important dammit), but this is what I REALLY learned this week.

I'm way out of practice with that sort of "academic writing." I did TONS of it when I was writing the dissertation, but since my main publication writing these days is this blog, and since, apparently, the National Science Foundations doesn't really give moo-la for grants that include words like "shiz" and "WTF" and "abo-effing-lutely" whether they're capitalized or not, I volunteered to act as the main copy editor for this grant...which is fine with me since one whole parts of the grant which I wrote was whole-sale deleted and replaced by one of the other grant writers (no ego worries for me, the part she replaced it with WAS way better than mine). But, I'm a day-um fine editor and can spot a comma splice a mile away.

So, that's what I've been doing these past two days, and since I have no clever transition to anything running related here, I'll go directly to...

I have a freezer burn on my thigh! (yeah, see? That kind of shiz would NEVAH FLY in an NSF grant...)

Really...same thigh that had the enormous bruise, now has freezer burn because I left the bag of peas on it too long after I ran on Monday. My skin actually FROZE solid, and then had to thaw. Now it's red, and it hurts like a mother... almost worse than the original bruise. (No photos this time, I promised BBJ that I wouldn't).

WTF am I doing to myself...GAH!!!!!

The good news is that the thigh muscle seems to be healing nicely. So much so that even after I ran on Monday on the dreadmill, I went to Tuesday night's track workout with the SDTC and ran with Betty, BBJ and our newly named "Hook" or "Hookman" or "The Hook."

To explain...This is Scotty (photo courtesy of SDTC)

An early photo of Scotty, running with the track club, caught him in this "stretching" pose...

When asked about it, Scotty remarked that that was how he "reeled 'em in." (Again, I don't make up this shiz people...I just report)

Betty and I had an "awwwww did he REALLY JUST SAY THAT TO US? moment." Thus, he is now "The Hook" or "Hook" or "Hookman." I know the obvious choice would be "Hooker" but we actually already know a guy who goes by that moniker, so it's taken. In any event, I thought I would leave it to the Internet. What should we call Scotty? Vote in the poll at the right to help us decide.

Other injury reports - The PF

Went to Rusty the PT yesterday to discuss strategies to deal with the PF cuz let me tell you, after running on Monday (dreadmill) and Tuesday (track workout), by Wednesday (which was, admittedly, a 15 hour work day for me) I could barely walk!

Not. Good. At. All.

Here's why I *heart* Rusty the PT.

• When I asked him if I had to stop running to deal with the PF, he said "no" and added, "if you have a doctor who tells you to stop running, you should find another doctor."
• He gave me a set of stretching excercises to do, and I've noticed the result of it already (nothing you haven't seen before, but like the training schedule for the SDTC, because it's written down for me, I'm likely to follow it. Really, all I'm doing three to four times a day is ice-massaging my foot, massaging with a tennis ball, and doing some calf and achilles stretches, you know, the kind where you lean against a wall, and off a step...easy, right?)
• He cut out a "whale tail" out of some foam for me to put in my shoes, which takes pressure off the heel of my foot. It looks like this.

• I got to tell him about a different "definition" of "whale tail" (the effect that happens when a girls G-string or Thong becomes exposed as she walks, bends over or squats). that I learned from my students, which looks like this...
  

Finally, I wanted to post this picture for Foto Friday, just cuz I thought it was really cool, and it was posted on the SDTC website a couple of weeks ago,on one of the runs I missed.

That's BBJ (in black) with Mik and Kat in front of him (in light blue) in the pack running a couple weeks ago. I just liked the panorama view...cool.

I'll be walk/run/walk tomorrow morning with the track club...Hooray! Now I've gotta go ice/massage/stretch my foot and hip to get ready for it.

Have a great weekend!