My ipod had a mind of its own this morning...it was jumping randomly through my playlists. So, I "ran" with it. It was kind of fun not knowing what the next song was going to be... This was one that came on.. (:



Keep running!

Someone asked me the other day, "If you knew years ago, when you first started running, about the knee issues you have now, would you do anything differently?" My immediate response was "Absolutely NOT!" No way! I would do it all over again! All the running experiences that I have had over the past 16 years have made me the runner I am today. I think it was Oscar Wilde that said, "You never get any fun out of things you have not done." That is so true!

I have been thinking about that question a lot and to be honest, there is something I would change. I would have run more marathons, more often! When I was a new runner I thought I needed to wait at least 6 months in between marathons. So not the case! The first time I ran back to back races (2 weeks apart) I PR'd on that 2nd race. At that point I was hooked! Train once for several races...that is my motto... It is also good time management. It works for me. And YES, I am careful! I take rest days, in fact, at my peak I would only run 4 days a week. I do listen to my body, probably to a fault! 

Running is my thing. It is what I do. But running has become quite a luxury for me lately. I can't don't run in between races to give my knee some recovery time. I do strength train and get on the elliptical machine daily. Like I have said before, it is my new best friend! It is keeping my fitness up. I  have been doing my "long runs" on the elliptical~ 2-3 hours at a resistance of 10. It is a far cry from running. So when I do get to run, it is magical! It is fantastic! It is heaven!

Since July, when I was diagnosed with degenerative joint disease (DJD), I have been so lucky to be able to run 4 marathons and 1 half marathon. And hopefully, will be running two more marathons this year. I have had to be extremely careful with my training. I don't want to make things worse, but I also can't sit back and let my knee get me down! You have to stretch the limits in order to find where they actually are. And that is exactly what I am doing. I know I will eventually have to take some time off to have surgery, but right now I am going to do anything and everything my body will allow me to do. And that makes me happy!

Keep running!

I have been wanting to get some recovery socks for awhile now. With me not running as much in between races due to my knee issues, I have been feeling a real need for them lately. Recovery is taking me a little longer these days. As I have been reading about the great results other runners have had with compression socks, it has made me want them even more. So when SIGVARIS contacted me with a free pair of their Athletic Recovery Socks to try, I jumped at the chance!

You know that feeling your legs get after a long, hard run? A little bit Jello, a little bit sore, a little bit twitchy... Well, after the half marathon on Saturday I didn't have any of that. The reason..Recovery Socks! The idea behind recovery socks is that by lightly compressing your lower legs, they improve circulation and prevent blood pooling and swelling in the legs, thus reducing that after race feeling and speeding up recovery time.

When I got home from the race, my quads and calves were already starting to feel a little tight. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. Knee-high socks are going to help my recovery? But WOW! When I put them on they felt fantastic! Like a warm, cozy blanket...I didn't want to take them off. In fact, I wore them all day. They made my day (and the moving house) more enjoyable. But the most important question is: "How did my legs feel the next day?" The answer..They felt great. My calves haven't been sore.

There doesn't seem to be a set 'prescription' about when and how long to wear the socks. I know a lot of people wear them during runs and races, with great results. I wasn't sure I wanted to try that for the first time on a race day. But I will definitely try it in the future. As I said, I wore the socks for most of the day after my run. Some people say they wear them for an hour, some say for a few hours, some say they live in them. If you have any experience with compression socks, how long do you usually wear them? Do you race in them? And if you have never tried them, you need to.

So here's the deal with SIGVARIS: They are the global leader in medical compression therapy. And they are giving one of you a unique opportunity to win a free pair of their sports compression socks!

SIGVARIS Athletic Recovery Socks' slogan is "Because not all compression socks are created equal," and their reasoning is that most compression socks don't feature true graduated compression. Looking at the sock, the fact that these truly are graduated is obvious; you can clearly see that it's very narrow around the ankle, and GRADUALLY widens as it goes up the calf. Theoretically, this is conducive to good blood flow and faster recovery. You can read more SIGVARIS features here.




There are two socks in the SIGVARIS Active Therapy Line. The Athletic Recovery Sock and the Performance Sock. These two socks are designed to work together to peak your performance and enhance your recovery time.

The Athletic Recovery Sock:
~Promotes lactic acid flush-out and relieves delayed onset leg muscle soreness
~Features a patented Drirelease and embedded Fresh-guard that eliminates odors
~Features true graduated compression

The Performance Sock Features
~Achilles Tendon Protectors, reduces vibration on vulnerable ligaments
~Footbed cushioned Zone and To Protectors keep feet blister free
~Latex-free High Tech Fibers provide odor and thermal control
~Extra-wide Comfort Top Band keeps sock comfortably in place
~Features true graduated compression

Here's how to enter (comment for each):

1. Become a fan of SIGVARIS Active Therapy on Facebook and/or follow on Twitter (1 entry)
2. Write about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. (1 entry)
3. Follow this blog or let me know if you already do (1 entry)
4. Leave a comment stating your shoe size, the measurement of your ankle circumference, if you prefer black or white and which social networking site you joined. By doing this, you are agreeing to the terms of the contest. (1 entry)
The winner must agree to write a review about the socks on the SIGVARIS website. (Writing a review on the site will automatically enter you to win socks for all of 2011)
This giveaway will end on November 15th.

**SIGVARIS is providing the giveaway item. They also gave me a pair. I did not pay anything for this.
The winner will be chosen at random by Random.org. Check back on November 16th to see if you won! If I don't hear back from the winner within 2 days after posting that they have won, I'll random.org another name.

Good luck! Keep running!

Some  people thrive on chaos in their lives and others (like me) feel like we can't breath. I feel like I am being pulled in a hundred different directions. There really is an art to balancing everything. If you have the balancing act figured out, please pass on your secrets. (:

 I recently went back to work full time after being a stay at home mom for nearly ten years. Yes, I do have a sense of guilt for leaving my kids, but it is a necessity right now. I'm not complaining, it has just been a bit of an adjustment for my little family. I am grateful to have a job that I enjoy. I am grateful to work with people I like and get along with. I think that is rare.

I feel like I have no control in my life right now. We moved to a new house this weekend and it has been a little crazy. I have not been eating very well, darn you, Halloween! It is my downfall every year. And with everything else that is going on... I read someone's post the other day and she said she did not give in to one piece of candy. I was so impressed...and jealous that I didn't have that kind of will power this year. Oh well, it is a new day.  It is amazing how when one area in your life is a bit nuts, all the other areas seem to fall in suit to the craziness. Maybe, it is just me.

I made a trip to SLC this past week to see Dr. Toronto. My knee has been popping with every step. It actually started before the NWM. The popping doesn't hurt it is just annoying and unnatural. I called him to ask about it and he said I should probably get more cortisone. At the appointment, I fully expected to be scolded for running two marathons so close together, but to my surprise he was excited, in fact, he was impressed that I was able to pull it off. He said it was a good sign and that my knee is doing better than expected, since these things can "go fast." We talked about my plans for future races and training. I think we have a great plan! I really do have the BEST doctor! I got another cortisone shot. Wow! What a difference! I haven't had to take ibuprofen for four days..IN A ROW!! (:

I can't believe it is November already! This month I have the Snow Canyon half marathon (on Saturday) and the Mesquite marathon on the 20th. And if all goes well, Las Vegas in December.

Keep running!