New running expense: massage

Workout: Training run

2 mi on the treadmill

I've been dealing with foot pain for a long time now and have read study reports and articles on so many foot problems I can't keep them straight anymore (I guess I wouldn't last long as a researcher). A common treatment seems to be massage. But it wasn't until I listened to recent pop stuff pod cast on massage (one of the podcasts from howstuffworks.com) that I was interested enough to make an appointment.

I've had massages in the past and while I enjoy them it's not something I would splurge on. My husband on the other hand gets massages pretty regularly and sees the benefit of them in his back and arms. Maybe that's partly because the Swedish massage is enough to do him some good while I know it would take a deep tissue session to help me and it just doesn't seem worth the discomfort. But with all that said, thanks to Holly Frey at howstuffworks.com, I made an appointment and explained that I was looking for someone who could do a "sport-ish kind of massage for running injures". (I wasn't going to actually to ask deep tissue even though I knew that's what I probably needed.)

I went the Mellow Me Out Day Spa yesterday for my massage. My therapist, Dale, and I talked about what I wanted and my current foot and leg issues. It turns out about 40% of his clients are runners and when's I asked him questions he seemed to know his stuff. He warned me that it was going to be a little uncomfortable, as I expected, but he wanted me to know that my pain level should not get more than an eight, otherwise it could cause me injury. Basically, if in my head I'm thinking I want to kick him then things are good, if I say it out loud, that's a sign he needs to back off.

Yeah, it was an eight but later that night I noticed that I was walking normally, with full range of motion in my foot. It's been months since my foot has felt so good. Before I left the day spa I scheduled my next appointment for two weeks out. This is going to get a little pricey but if it'll allow me to run with less pain and discomfort than it's worth it.

Happy 2013

Yesterday was my fist workout of the new year. Every year on New Year's Day I go for an easy run. Usually about 3 miles and I don't worry about time or pace. I just enjoy starting another year.This year I ran in a nearby neighborhood that my kids refer to as "where the rich people live". Most of the houses are small mansions with large lots with lovely yards. I enjoy running in this area. It's pretty quiet with lots to look at and lots of trees. I love trees. My three mile run turned into three and half. I came across two little dogs running and playing all alone. They were very friendly and let me check their tag. They lived a few houses away so together we ran over to their house. I rang the bell a few times and knocked but no one was home. Then I called the phone number on their tags but there wasn't an answer there either. It was pretty obvious where they got out through the fence so I tried to coax them back into their yard but once they where at their front door they weren't going anywhere. I ended up leaving them scratching at the door. I felt a little guilty about that but I didn't know what else too do and they didn't look like they where going anywhere.

Later in the day Jeremy, the kids, our niece and I went out to the lake for some very cold SUPing. We went out there last New Year's Day so the kids wanted to do it again. I tried to explain that last year was a much warmer day than this year but they didn't think it would be that much colder. Lets just say that we all had fun but no one spent more than fifteen minutes on the boards. :)

I have five weeks and three days till my first of 13 half marathons this year! My breathing is a million times better than it has been over the last few weeks so I'm feeling nervous but optimistic. I bought two air purifiers and I think they have made a huge difference in my breathing, running and quality of life. I feel a little bit bad for Jeremy though. Now he has to put up with a humidifier and an airy purifier in the bedroom. I'm so high maintenance!


Pix:
1) my new dream house that is for sale along my course (I have a dream house on all of my neighborhood routs)

2 & 3) the shirt I designed to wear any half marathons

4) after my run I took the kids to Noah's Beagles for some yumminess.

Last post for 2012

Happy New Years to who ever is reading this. 2012 has been a busy year. I started my running year with the Lou Gehrig 5K in January. It was during that first race that I hurt my left foot and have been dealing with arch and heel pain ever since. (It's been better since I stated wearing inserts about a month ago). In February I ran the Super Bowl 10k and in March I ran my first half marathon of the year at the Shamrock'n half. In April I ran the American River Parkway half and than, two weeks later, the River City Half. In May I went back to Fremont to run the Mermaid half again. This time Sami, my niece, Maddie, and her mom, Michelle, ran the 5K at the Mermaid Run. The Mermaid events are so much fun! In June I took a break from the halves and ran the women's fitness festival 5K. I really love this event. In 2010 I trained for the WFF 5K after taking seven years off from running (I had an injury then was too deposed to try again) and I finished feeling great without a hint of my old injury. In July I ran the Fab 40's 5K, the color run in August and the Giants Race in September. I also ran the McKinley Park 5K with my new running buddy, Tracy, in August and and a Pumpkin patch 5K in September. October brought me my fifth and final half marathon of the year, the Urban Cow. I didn't come close too my PR but I hadn't trained well for it and still beat my time for the year before. (In 2011 I got injured at mile 1 and had too hobble most of the curse-but I crossed the finish line) This year at the Urban Cow I won an iPad so I didn't really care what my time was. On Thanksgiving day in November Tracy and I participated in the run to feed the hungry. I'm proud to say that with the help and support of my friends and family I raised just over $300 for the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services! Also in November, Sami and I went I to San Francisco for the Mermaid Run 5K and then spent the day exploring Alcatraz and pier 49. That was a great day! A few weeks ago in December I ran in the CIM as part of a relay team. It was a very wet day but it was a great experience. I'm looking forward to running it again next year.

That,s my very quick recap of my 2012 running year. There are some races I left out but I wrote about most of them earlier in the year.

I wish you and your loved ones a fantastic 2013!

Anna

Post CIM... post

It's been a long time since my last blog. I haven't been able to grab on to one thought long enough to write it out and, apparently, that means I've been on a blog hiatus. But I'm back (for now) and I have lots to share.

The CIM (California International Marathon) was held this past Sunday. I participated as part of a four person relay team this time. The weather was a mess but the race was a lot of fun. If you haven't been out running in the rain I recommend you try it. Some of my favorite training runs in the past have been done in the rain and the race was even more fun. I ran a seven mile stretch of the 26.2 mile course and my team finished in 5 hours, 34 minutes. We Rocked It!

Zachary, Nancy, me, Rebecca, Janice (David had to leave) 

Organizing the relay team was more of a roller coaster ride than I was expecting. It all started after last year's CIM. I was sitting around my table chatting with my sister and my friend, David. (David ran the CIM about  four years ago and he ran part of it with me last year as a supporting cheerleader.) We decided we would run the relay. As 2012 moved along I started talking to other runners about the relay hoping to find a fourth person. My sister-in-law, Rebecca said she wanted be our fourth runner. Yay! But then more people said they wanted to run the relay too so I organized a second team. This team took a little bit longer to fill up but eventually we got four runners.

Not long after everyone was registered (and paid for) someone on team 2 needed to drop out. Then another person. Then we replaced one, but she dropped out too. Then someone got sick. Someone couldn't make it into town. Another replacement got injured. In total, there were eight people who had to drop and one of those people dropped twice. In fact, there wasn't a single original person on team 2 who ran on race day. Fortunately we were able to pull things together.

Team 2 didn't have a person for the first leg so Rebecca ran with the timing chips for both teams. My team, team 1, didn't have a person for the last leg of the relay. I was ready to run both my leg and the final leg but once my socks were fully saturated and bunching under my toes I realized that running another five miles would be harder than I anticipated Thankfully I came up with a plan. I sent a text to Zachary, the leg 4 runner for team 2, and asked (begged) if he would take both timing chips if I got to the relay exchange before his team member. He was more than willing to help out and it gave me the motivation I needed to keep my pace up. I had to beat Janice to the exchange!

Everything worked out. I got to the exchange before the team 2 runner so after my seven miles I was done. We all got our medals and had a great time! Both teams were a runner short but we made it work :o) A big THANK YOU to my teammates, Rebecca, David, Nancy, Janice and Zachary! Who's excited for next year?!?!

my running bag

Like most people I have a few addictions and one of those are bags. I love bags and the more pockets a bag has the better the chance is that I will buy it. I have four bags I use on a regular basis and I will list them here for you (any excuse to make a list, right!) 

[1] my backpack 

I use this for the lake, river, beach and overnight trips

[2] my swim bag 

this is a small tote that has a waxy lining on the outside. This works well for my wet swimsuit and towel because the water doesn't leak through

[3] my gym bag 

I take this bag to the gym when I'm planning on doing more than one class or cardio and swimming. I also use this bag for trips

[4] my running bag 

I take this bag to all of my races and to my long runs and trail runs.

I'm writing about my running bag because I keep it stocked with anythings I might need before, after or during a run. Most of the things in this bag I found out I needed after I needed it and didn't have it. I'm hoping this little blog will will help someone stock their own bag before an item is needed and not after. Like me.

Here is my bag

It's just a small duffle with three pockets.

[1] a big main compartment pocket

[2] a smaller pocket between he big pocket and the front

[3] a small mesh pocket on the front of the bag

What I keep in the biggest, main pocket:

- an assortment of hydration packs and fanny packs
- a towel
- hand wipes, mine are "natural" and eco friendly
- an arm band for my phone
- a hat
- a first aid bag

In the first aid bag:

- muscle relief gel

- pain revilers (I pack Tylenol & Advil)

- tissue

- band aids

-vitamin E gel capsules (for blisters)

- ace bandages and/or knee brace

- athletic tape

- feminine products

- chap stick

- cream/lotion

Middle pocket:

- road I.D. anklet

- reflective vest

- snacks

- hair ties

- race belts

- more tissue

- a handkerchief (a good friend gave this to me for 

Christmas one year and I carry it with me during cold weather runs and races)

- headband/ear warmer

- gloves

Front pocket:

- inhaler

- baggy of safety pins

- ipod

- more hair ties

- parking passes for the bike trail and state parks

- clip on light (I run before dawn a lot)

- pens

- gu gel pack

- life savers (my quick sugar of choice)

- a luggage tag w/ my business card 

There you go, that's what I keep in my running bag. 

   Thanks for reading and if you don't already follow my blog then click that thing 

over there <--------- and follow me! 

   

Let the Games Begin!

I am a huge fan of the Olympic games and always have been. I become obsessed with sports I normally don't take the time to watch or read about. No matter where the athletes place in their events, or what country they are from, they all inspire me.

I am not an athlete but I have always dreamed of what being an Olympic athlete would feel like. Here are a few of the athletes I'm keeping my eyes on during the 2012 Olympic games.



Kara Goucher
Kara Goucher is a middle and long distance runner from Portland, OR. She ran the 5,000m and 10,000m in the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing but this year, in London, she will competing in the marathon. Her debut marathon was the 2008 New York City Marathon where she came in 3rd with a time of 2:25:35 (that's 5:33 minute/mile pace). That race won her the prestige of becoming the first American woman to be on the podium since 1994 and she set the record for the fastest marathon debut ever by an American woman.  

Lolo Jones

Lolo Jones grew up very poor and was homeless for a period of time as a child. Today she's a favorite to medal in the 100m hurdles. She went to Beijing four years ago and finished in 7th place. This was a bit of surprise considering she was named the Olympic trials champion and came in first during the game's semi finals. Following the games she struggled with a string of injuries and ended up having surgery in her spinal cord in 2011, a year from the Olympic games in London. She came in 3rd place at the Olympic trials this year and will compete in the 100m hurdles on Sunday. She's been getting some heat over a tweet she wrote:

Lolo Jones ‏@lolojones: USA Men's Archery lost the gold medal to Italy but that's ok, we are Americans... When's da Gun shooting competition?

Okay, so yes there was a horrible shooting in our country not long before she tweeted  this but... I never thought she was relating this to violence. I think some people took this the wrong way. Afterwards she responded to her critics with:

 "sorry u guys only think of violence but I think of all the hunting I do w southerners in da south. Its impressive."

Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh

These women need no introduction. If this is the first time you have heard of their awesomeness, even if you're not a volleyball fan, you've either lived a very sheltered life or under a soundproof rock. In any case, these women are truly amazing. They won the beach volleyball gold medal in both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic games. Misty has won more tournaments than any other woman with 107 career wins. Kerri played on USA team volleyball team in 2000 where they finished in 4th place. After the 2000 games, Kerri turned to beach volleyball and teamed up with Misty and quickly made their way to #1 ranking in the FIVB world tour. So far they have won both preliminary matches and I think they are playing in the finals today. I'm very excited!

Natalie Coughlin

Natalie is a 11-time Olympic medalist! She swam in both the 2004 and 2008 games and was the most decorated female athlete at both games. She also holds the title of the most decorated female swimmer in world championship history. To top it off, look how cute she is! In this year's games she swam in the 4x100m freestyle relay but was pulled in the final. The team finished in 3rd place to earn the bronze. I can't find her anywhere else on the Olympic schedule but I have a hard time believing that the relay is her only event. I hope I'm just reading the schedule wrong.    

Shalane Flanagan

Shalane Flanagan is my favorite Olympian this year. She currently holds the American record for the 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m and won the bronze at the 2008 Olympic games for her 10,000m event. In 2010 she competed in her first marathon and finished in 2nd place with a time of 2:28:40 (that's a 5:40 minute/mile pace). This year she will be competing in the marathon on Sunday along with her team mate and training partner, Kara Goucher. She won her spot on the American marathon team in January when she won the Olympic Trials Marathon and set the event record at 2:25:38 (a 5:34 minute/mile pace). Sunday will be a very exciting day.     

You may have noticed that these are all woman athletes. There are men competing in the 2012 Olympic games that I'm watching and routing for as well as other woman athletes. I wanted to keep this blog short so I limited myself to five athletes or teams to write about. It took me longer than expected to get this done. I started before the opening ceremonies but life got in the way of my ramblings. I hope you are enjoying the events as much as I am. Feel free to comment below and tell me who your favorite athletes are and what events you enjoy the most.

   

Aurora

Ever since I saw Sleeping Beauty as a child I have loved the name Aurora. When I was in high school there was a girl in my gym class named Aurora and every time I saw her I told her she had the prettiest name of anyone I knew. In those days, I was sure I would name my first daughter Aurora. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure how Sami got the name Samantha. 

However, today the name Aurora has a different ring to it. I will forever think of the events of last Friday first instead of the beautiful princess I pretended to be as a child when hearing the name, Aurora.  The facts make me so sad. The image in my head of everyday Americans, like me and my family, going to a movie and instead of enjoying the heroics of Batman are faced with as real life bad guy frighten me. Not just a bad guy trying to get rich or steal but a terrorist. I know the investigators have said that this man had no ties to any terrorist organization but he filled the hearts of his victims with terror so to me, he is a terrorist. 

What scares me the most about this man is he is one of "us". He has grown in up here in the good o' USA and has grown up living with the rights and freedoms that this country has to offer. He's educated and intelligent. Why did he feel that this act was a good idea? What was going through his head? What happened to turn his mother's son into the mass murder he is today? Can that happen to one of my kids? I have tears in my eyes as I write this because that idea is a nightmare. What can I do as a parent to give my kids the morals, ethics and tools to become good, hard working and life loving citizens. I'm sure this man's parent's gave them all the love they had to offer so what happened? 

I pray that the victims of Friday's shooting find peace. I know four women where there with their boyfriends and those men gave the ultimate sacrifice and covered those women with their own bodies and died. I Pray that those four women learn to live everyday to the fullest and seek help for the survivor's guilt they may be going through. In fact, I hope all of the survivor's seek help. They all may be feeling that guilt. 

I pray for the the family and friends of the fallen, Alex Sullivan, Micayla Medek, Jessica Ghawi, Petty Officer John Larimer, Rebecca Wingo, Matthew McQuinn, Veronica Moser-Sullivan (6 years old), Staff Sgt. Jesse Childress, Alexander Boik, Alexander Teves, Jonathan Blunk, Gordon Cowden and for the victims who survived. I also pray for Arlene and Robert Holmes, the mother and father of the "accused" gunman. 


To save my faith in humanity, I'm choosing to associate the name of Aurora with strength and bravery in honor of the survives and the fallen heroes instead of sadness.