Yay for 12 miles!

OK, maybe I shouldn't be that excited because it was 12 miles and who gets truly excited about 12 miles of running at 8am on a Saturday morning?? I'm probably more excited about the running being over and that I finished it having not run since the week before! I was so worried because I had been in such a running slump and I felt I was really going to struggle with the 12......but, I actually felt great!! Well, I felt great right up until 10.5/11 miles and then I had some difficulties. My damned feet were hurting so bad it felt as though I was running on stumps. Not good.....

So, in talking with some people and doing some research on my symptoms, it turns out I have Plantar Faciitis. Awesome.....can I please get through a running season without an injury?? I met with Todd (my massage therapist) yesterday and he worked on my feet for a while to get them feeling better. This issue actually started at least a month and a half ago, but I'm really good at ignoring pain (with the idea that I push my body pretty hard, so of course there will be pain) until it never goes away.....then I take notice. The defining symptom is the foot pain when you first get out of bed in the morning. I have been experiencing excruciating pain first thing in the morning and it takes me about an hour to get my feet moving properly. Once I'm past the initial pain, I'm good, unless I stand or sit too long, then I have to start from square one again.

Now I have a whole schedule of remedies I'm following to ease the pain. I always ice when I come home from a run to ease the inflammation. I also froze a water bottle and I roll my foot over the bottle to ice and stretch at the same time. Todd, my massage therapist, is awesome and will work on my feet a few more times before the half marathon (and he is in the massage tent at the end, so I will certainly be seeking him out!). I think I should be able to move past this and maintain some running!

So now I'm headed into my taper!! Whoo Hoo!! This is my favorite part of the training because you know the event is right around the corner! I'm excited to have met some fabulous new running friends who actually run at my pace.....this means I'll have people to run with during the half! Love it!

Happy Running!

Slumpin....slumpin....slumpin....

Wow, I'm in a wicked slump right now!! Seriously!! The half marathon is just 3 weeks out and I'm having a really difficult time getting out there and running. In fact, this week, I've only done some elliptical work and weight training. I think I'm a bit burned out on the running thing.....which is not good at this particular moment! We have a 12 mile run coming up tomorrow and I'm a bit nervous.

The same thing happened to me last year and the year before. I thought I had run through it this year, until I hit the wall last week. Ugh!! So, I'm planning on the 12 mile run tomorrow, I'm heading out right now to do about 4/5 miles and I'm hoping that gets my head back into the game heading into the home stretch toward the half marathon!

Athlete Performance Insole by Sof Sole

I started running with these insoles about 2 weeks ago and have had some good runs. I was having problems with my feet becoming incredibly sore during a run and felt that my current insoles were pretty worn down. So, I replaced them with the Athlete Performance Insoles from Sof Sole and have been feeling less foot pain. It took me a few runs to get used to them being in my sneakers, but now I'm really enjoying the extra cushioning that these insoles provide. The forefoot cushioning is incredible as that is where I was having the most pain and now I'm not.

If you want some extra cushioning for that long run (or even the shorter one!), this is a great insole! It not only offers minor arch support, but incredible cushion support and moisture management. The insole paired with the Coolmax sock really works to keep my feet happy and dry during through all the miles I run.

Barktober Fest '09

I just signed up for Barktober Fest '09 at Lollypop Farms. It's a day dedicated to the animals that Lollypop works tirelessly for day in and day out. The morning begins with a 5 mile road race (which is what I registered for) and then offers attendees a 1.5 mile nature walk where you can bring your dog. The past 2 years I've run as a member of Team S.O.S. (well, last year I signed up but ended up on crutches, so I road marshalled the race) and we have been the fundraising champs both years.

Once again I will be running with Team S.O.S. and have set up a donation page. If you love little furry friends and you want to support them, feel free to donate on my page at: http://lollypop.org/melash.

The many animals of Lollypop thank you immensely!!

Coolmax Liner Sock

I have been running in these socks most of the summer and couldn't be happier with them! They are a nice and thin/light sock that keeps the air flowing in your feet while running. My feet stay very dry through all my runs as well as being super comfy! The sock itself is also lowcut, so it doesn't come up much higher than the top of my sneaker. I don't know about anyone else, but I really like that quality because I am not a fan of my socks showing! That's just me!

The socks are made by Sof Sole and if you check out their website, you can find a local retailer. I highly recommend checking them out, they are worth it for those long runs!!

One Month....

Rochester Half Marathon is one month from today! Whoo Hoo!! I feel ready....although I'm having a little running slump this week....but I'm ready! Everyone has their weeks right? I've only fit in about 7 miles this week. Yikes! We have 11 on tap for saturday so that should be interesting.

What do you do when your in a training slump? When you are having a hard time getting out of the house and hitting the streets to pound out your miles? The gym is always an option to just maintain fitness......but how do you work past the running slump? Just curious if there are any thoughts.

Hydration Belt

So I finally bit the bullet and bought a hydration belt for my longer runs. I've been struggling once I get around 8/9 miles so I had to find something that would help me push through. The belt I got has one larger waterbottle in an insulated sleeve, a smaller bottle for gatorade (or other sport drink), and a pocket to carry whatever I'd like.


I used the belt during our 10 mile run this past saturday and loved it!! I was always hesitant to use the belt because I was afraid of the extra weight and how it would feel while running. Running with it, I didn't feel any extra weight and the sloshing water sound didn't bother me b/c I had my headset on the entire time. I loved it!! I had water and G2 anytime I needed it, and I filled the pocket with Sport Beans by Jelly Belly for some added fuel.

Great Week!

This week I covered all my training runs and felt incredible! Wednesday I did 8, Thursday was 7, and Friday 5. We then had our saturday long run (10 miles) starting at Fleet Feet and wandering through parts of the Rochester Half Marathon course and ending back at the store. After yesterday's run, I'm at 30 miles for the week.....which is a first for me!! I've never made it out of the 20's for miles run in a week. I have 4 on the schedule for today, so I will end with 34 for this week.

The half marathon is inching closer, just a little over a month to go. I'm hoping for a PR this year, and if I keep running the way I have been over the past few weeks, I just might be on target!

Happy Running!!

Yay t-roller!!

I love this little guy!! After our 9.2 mile run on saturday, the t-roller came in very handy to work on my legs! The best feeling after a long run is to have your legs massaged and this gadget does the trick! I highly recommend checking it out and investing in the t-roller! Love it!

It's been soooo long!

I have been bouncing around with a million and one things on my plate for most of the summer.....which ultimately kept me from blogging. Isn't it crazy how busy the summer becomes! I can't believe it's already August! I'll try to keep my update short and sweet to get the blog back on track.

First, Alex and I have spent most of the summer working on the kitchen remodel.....which has been such a long drawn out process. We gutted the entire kitchen the last weekend of June and we are finally getting to the last stages of the remodel. It's amazing how much we've learned about remodeling and how different the kitchen looks! Love it!! We just started cooking in it this week, even though there are a few things not quite done yet. Love all the new gadgets and appliances!

Second, I spent a large chunk of the summer job searching.....which is quite the task when looking for a job in education. My search paid off with a job offer in mid July at Urban Choice Charter School in Rochester. I will not only be a School Counselor, but also a Heath and Home & Careers teacher. The idea is to educate students on balanced living through nutritional, physical, and emotional health. What an incredible concept!! I am absolutely excited about the opportunity and looking forward to becoming part of the team at UCCS!

Third, I have been running pretty regularly, with little time outs here and there. I finished the Boilermaker in mid July and beat last year by only 15 seconds. I was on target to finish almost 5 minutes faster than last year until I hit my wall around 8.5 miles. Not good! My legs felt like cement and I had to talk myself into continuing to move toward the finish line. Thankfully the finish line is at the bottom of a downhill! Since then, I have been focusing on the Rochester 1/2 marathon in September and following my Fleet Feet training program and group runs. I'm feeling great and running better than ever before. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can make it injury free throughout the rest of my training!

OK, I think that does it for now. I'm contemplating adding a blog focusing on kids nutrition to coincide with my classes, so stay tuned!