At Tuesday's BWR session, the lead coach mentioned Road Runner Sports in Elkridge as a good place to get fitted for shoes. Since both Feet Fleet and RRS allow you to return shoes after you've run outside in them and I had a meeting in Glen Burnie this morning anyway, I decided to check them out during my lunch hour. They run a serious shoe-fitting operation there! You first get your feet measured, then you stand on this thing that figures out where you put the most pressure on your feet, then you run on a treadmill and your feet are videotaped, then they analyze that frame by frame, and THEN they potentially fit you for custom insoles. I was fitted for insoles since my feet do different things. It was interesting because they said the shoe I was in up til then was forcing my left leg to do things it wasn't built to do, which is probably why that knee (and only that knee) was hurting. I got the shoes and the insoles.
I was supposed to do a solo run today but didn't because I put a deposit down on my car!! I'm getting an orange Honda Fit and have named her Punkin. I'm picking her up tomorrow!! I feel a little bad for the Warrior, but I have to keep reminding myself that inanimate objects don't have feelings. Anyway, I've set my alarm for 6:45 so I can do a run tomorrow morning before work. I can bring ice with me to the office for my knees if necessary...
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Frustrated
If you can't tell by the post title, I'm frustrated. I went to the BWR session today and didn't get very far before my knee started hurting. Well, to be fair, it never actually stopped hurting - it just tapered a little bit and then redoubled once the running movement started. I think it's an issue with the shoes. One of the coaches said the place I got my shoes from wasn't good, and she heartily recommended another one that's out in Elkridge or somewhere out in the boonies. Since I've got a meeting in Glen Burnie on Thursday, which is in the same part of the boonies, I'll check out the store then and bring my shoes. Also, supposedly Fleet Feet (Feet Fleet?) will take back my shoes even though they've been outside, so I'm not totally out $100. I'll also ask them about the insoles Pat recommended.
Anyway, I stopped running after a couple laps because I didn't want to completely fuck up my knee, especially since my health insurance doesn't start until April 1. And even though it's not a competitive group, I'm still super frustrated that I can't keep up with the slowest people because of this damn knee issue. One of my coaches suggested MCRRC's upcoming stride clinic, so I signed up for that. I'll figure this damn thing out.
Anyway, I stopped running after a couple laps because I didn't want to completely fuck up my knee, especially since my health insurance doesn't start until April 1. And even though it's not a competitive group, I'm still super frustrated that I can't keep up with the slowest people because of this damn knee issue. One of my coaches suggested MCRRC's upcoming stride clinic, so I signed up for that. I'll figure this damn thing out.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Disney Princess registration
I did some googling today and found that registration for the 2013 Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon starts July 10, so I have tons of time to figure myself out as a runner. It's about 3 weeks after my beginner women runner group finishes, and I'll probably end up doing another one of those groups for a longer-distance race if they have them for the fall. There's a winter half marathon one but it starts in January and finishes in May.
I'm finding I have left knee pain and right shin pain. Anyone have any suggestions on how to stop those? My mom has a knee brace she's going to lend me, so maybe that'll help me out. I was noticing on Saturday that my issue wasn't with my lungs and being out of breath; it was my legs hurting. I'm 27 - should I really have knee issues now??
I'm looking into replacing my bike. I had a Trek hybrid bike that I loved that got stolen in Denver last year. It would be good for cross training and also just because I really like to ride my bike. The DC area has some nice bike paths. I went to Revolution Cycle in Rockville yesterday and found a bike I loved, which turned out to be the newer version of the bike I had that was stolen. Hey, at least I'm consistent! ;)
I'm finding I have left knee pain and right shin pain. Anyone have any suggestions on how to stop those? My mom has a knee brace she's going to lend me, so maybe that'll help me out. I was noticing on Saturday that my issue wasn't with my lungs and being out of breath; it was my legs hurting. I'm 27 - should I really have knee issues now??
I'm looking into replacing my bike. I had a Trek hybrid bike that I loved that got stolen in Denver last year. It would be good for cross training and also just because I really like to ride my bike. The DC area has some nice bike paths. I went to Revolution Cycle in Rockville yesterday and found a bike I loved, which turned out to be the newer version of the bike I had that was stolen. Hey, at least I'm consistent! ;)
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Session 2 of BWR
I woke up dark and early this dreary morning to go run at Ken-Gar Park with the BWR group. When my alarm went off at 6:30 I thought, "Why in God's name is my alarm on?? Isn't it Saturday? ... Oh right, running group." I dragged myself out of bed by 6:45 and got there in plenty of time. It started out well, then I was noticing pain in my left knee and right shin. Whatever, I finished. We're starting out super slow and progressing gradually. Today we did .77 miles. Progress, right?
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
BWR
I had the first session of the Beginner Women Runners (BWR) group tonight. It went well. It started with introductions, and the coaches are all extremely positive, supportive and helpful. Then we had a time trial. We had to run around a track 1-4 times, depending on what we were comfortable with. I only ran/walked once since my knees started bothering me and I don't have health insurance for another 2 weeks. I did 1 loop in 4 minutes, which means I'll probably be in the slowest pace group, but everyone has to start somewhere, right?
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Chi Running
I had my Chi Running workshop today and it went rather well! Some concepts I grasped immediately, some seemed to click once I got someone at the running store to fit me for shoes that make my feet do what they're supposed to do, and others will come with practice. I found that my shin splints generally seem to come from overextending my stride, so I have to work on taking smaller steps. I did it right once, and I was like, "But that doesn't feel like I'm doing anything." To which my instructor replied, "Exactly." Oh. Right. That was the point.
I met this really cool woman, LaVerne, at the workshop. She's 64 and started running a few years ago. Since then she's done the Marine Corps marathon, a few 1/2 marathons, and several shorter races. She did the running groups in MoCo that I signed up for and spoke very highly of them. She was also really encouraging of my beginner attempts and had some good stories. Many people there were very cool, but she's the one I ended up talking to the most. There were about 10 of us total.
I've heard from several varied sources that the #1 thing you should do when starting running is go to a specialty store to get fitted for the proper shoe. The woman at the store (Feet Fleet in Adams Morgan) saw how I walked, measured my feet, and came up with a few options. Then she told me to go run up and down the block in each of them. I ended up with Nike Zoom Structure +15s. They're way better than what I was running in before! I'll take them out for their inaugural spin tomorrow after work.
Once I got home I took a bubble bath and had a bit of an Ariel moment. Remember in The Little Mermaid how Ariel trades her voice for legs rather than a fishtail and she sort of sits in the water and is amazed at her legs and what they can do? I had a bizarre Ariel moment in the bath. When I was younger, I never thought about my legs. Once I got to college I started to gain weight and only thought about them in a critical manner. Then I went to Guatemala and, while still thinking of them as too big, they got devoured by mosquitoes and are still scarred from that, but I'm learning not to care. Anyway, today I started to think of them differently. Yeah, I'm curvy and most of that is in my hips and thighs. Yeah, they've got dings and marks and whatever. But they're also strong and getting stronger, and will be able to take me over distances at progressively faster speeds as I improve. I consider this progress.
I still haven't decided on which Disney race to do. I've scrapped the idea of the 2013 marathon, but I'm debating whether I want to do the 1/2 during marathon weekend in January or the Disney Princess 1/2 in February. A full marathon will still come at some point, but I think it's a better goal for me to start now with the half.
That was my day - how was yours?
I met this really cool woman, LaVerne, at the workshop. She's 64 and started running a few years ago. Since then she's done the Marine Corps marathon, a few 1/2 marathons, and several shorter races. She did the running groups in MoCo that I signed up for and spoke very highly of them. She was also really encouraging of my beginner attempts and had some good stories. Many people there were very cool, but she's the one I ended up talking to the most. There were about 10 of us total.
I've heard from several varied sources that the #1 thing you should do when starting running is go to a specialty store to get fitted for the proper shoe. The woman at the store (Feet Fleet in Adams Morgan) saw how I walked, measured my feet, and came up with a few options. Then she told me to go run up and down the block in each of them. I ended up with Nike Zoom Structure +15s. They're way better than what I was running in before! I'll take them out for their inaugural spin tomorrow after work.
Once I got home I took a bubble bath and had a bit of an Ariel moment. Remember in The Little Mermaid how Ariel trades her voice for legs rather than a fishtail and she sort of sits in the water and is amazed at her legs and what they can do? I had a bizarre Ariel moment in the bath. When I was younger, I never thought about my legs. Once I got to college I started to gain weight and only thought about them in a critical manner. Then I went to Guatemala and, while still thinking of them as too big, they got devoured by mosquitoes and are still scarred from that, but I'm learning not to care. Anyway, today I started to think of them differently. Yeah, I'm curvy and most of that is in my hips and thighs. Yeah, they've got dings and marks and whatever. But they're also strong and getting stronger, and will be able to take me over distances at progressively faster speeds as I improve. I consider this progress.
I still haven't decided on which Disney race to do. I've scrapped the idea of the 2013 marathon, but I'm debating whether I want to do the 1/2 during marathon weekend in January or the Disney Princess 1/2 in February. A full marathon will still come at some point, but I think it's a better goal for me to start now with the half.
That was my day - how was yours?
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Running group!
At the suggestion of a colleague, I joined the Beginning Women Runners group through MCRRC (Montgomery County Road Runners Club). It starts on Tuesday and consists of 2 weekly coached runs (Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings) with a bunch of other supportive beginner female runners. I'm excited! I think the Tuesday night ones start somewhere near the MC campus and the Saturday morning ones are at different places around the county. The coach seems really positive and enthusiastic, and she bakes! Score! My hope is that this will give me motivation to continue when I don't really feel like it, especially since I'm fully expecting to kind of hate it at the beginning, and will give me a solid foundation to continue on my own after June 16. Also, it's always good to meet new people.
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