Adding in Yoga for my running

While I am taking a break from my running, trying to heal my plantar fasciitis, I am focusing on getting stronger. As I continue my research in ways to heal, everything I read from my go-to running sources talk about yoga, and stretching seems to be the biggest "first way" to heal up and prevent plantar fasciitis (pf). The podiatrist I see states that stretching will be the best way to help with plantar fasciitis and that runners by nature have tight hamstrings and calves which increases the chances of PF and getting hurt. So...I'm adding in yoga to my weekly routine. Some moves I found helpful today... 

 The forward bend. It stretched everything. It stretched things that I didn't even realize were tight.

 Downward Dog. We do this pose a lot. It is a good overall stretch too. This one actually stretches out my feet more to. In all reality, it is a good upper body strength pose too. To takes some arm and shoulder strength to hold this pose well.

 Triangle pose. This one felt super good on my hips and the side of my waist. This one also stretched out my ankle on the back foot.

 Warrior 1 pose. This one takes balance and strength which is very good for runners to have.

Warrior 2. Also a balance and strength move. Doing lunges are great for runners...if done right. I think that these warrior poses are great because you get isometric strength in the lunge as opposed to awkward walking lunges that easily hurt your knees.
    Best part....yoga is a bare foot exercise class. You get to stretch and strengthen your feet without looking like the wierdo in the gym!

A weekend full of thanks!

I hosted thanksgiving this year. We baked a 10 pound turkey, fried a 10 Pound turkey, and made all the fixins! This year we also made all organic stuffing and organic sweet potato casserole. We feasted! We put a lot of turkey in the freezer too. I am looking forward to finding some good soup recipes this winter!

On Friday I left with my parents to visit my extended family. I haven't seen my paternal grandmother since my wedding over 5 years ago. She is 91, diabetic, and pretty frail. This weekend was the first time she met my son. Wes kept calling her "my oldest grandma" which is true. Wes got to see all of his great grandparents this weekend. I am so lucky to have 3 grandparents still alive, and still doing well. We really had a great trip! Wes did a phenomenal job! He was so good on the road trip, listened well, and was on his best behavior the whole weekend. I am thankful to have such a wonderful little boy!

My Vibrams Arrived...and now I'm sad.

I found a deal on amazon for a pair of classic vibrams. Since I am entering the bare foot world I figured these would be a great idea, especially at the price I found them on amazon. LOVE ONE CLICK SHOPPING!! So I waited...and waited...and FINALLY they arrived. A cute pink little slipper. After I figured out how to get the damn things on...I happily pranced around the house. To my dismay....they are too small. Now I have to reorder and send the ones I have back. I'm super bummed. It's like waking up on Christmas morning...seeing all the new toys...and then remembering all the toys are for you evil step-sister. OK...maybe that's a stretch, but I firmly believe that deep down inside...I just might be a princess. :)

Spinning Saturday

I subbed for a spin class on Saturday. I am always nervous subbing for someone else's class. I'm never sure how they run their class, the terms the uses, how hard they push, and especially the type of music they play. The play list I used on Saturday had everything from Outkast Hey Ya to Hansen's MmmmBop. There were also people of upper teen years to probably close to 60. My class, which is smaller, is mostly people my age....and the regulars happen to be my friends so I usually don't worry about the choice of music for my own class. At the end of Saturday's class, one gentleman told me it was a good class and I got a few "thank yous" at the end too.  A sigh of relief.

Bare Feet Recovery Day

So today I intended on taking a power Pilate's course. My feet were a little tender from my first bare foot exercises yesterday, so I was not up for any sort of pounding. When I got to class we had a sub who decided to teach yoga, something that's done in bare feet. I am soooo glad I did!! I got to stretch out in all different ways, including getting my feet all stretched out. It was awesome!

When I went to look up pictures of yoga for the blog, I can across a picture of this guy. I have to say...his banana hammock ROCKS!  Freakin awesome. I mean...really....are you looking at that thing....

The beginner barefooter

So after much consideration....I am decided to try some barefoot exercises and work my way up to barefoot running. I have been dealing with plantar fasciitis and am in the process of getting custom orthodics made. As I do my research about dealing with plantar fasciitis I consistently keep coming across info on bare foot running. I have a friend who is a bare foot marathon runner, doing all his races in vibrams. He started bare foot running after dealing with plantar fasciitis for 18 months and using custom orthodics. He reports being pain free and is a running maniac. So...I'll give it a whirl.

http://www.barefootted.com/index.php?q=/2010/04/so-you-wanna-start-running-barefoot.html

Today I hit the elliptical for 25 minutes and then took off my shoes. I jumped from side to side over a gym towel and then forwards and backwards over the towel. I then hopped on a bosu ball an did some squats...barefoot. Everything I read also says to start slow, so I left it at that. I ordered a pair of vibram five fingers and then should be here soon. My goal is to strengthen my feet pre- TEAM season so I have a smooth 2011 running year.

More time in the Pool

 I hit the pool again today. I swam 500 yards and then took on 25 minutes of water running. Above is a picture of the belt that I use at the YMCA. I was cruising along, feeling pretty ridiculous when I noticed the guy next to me. I recognized him from one of my spin classes and knew he had just done an Ironman 70.3. http://www.ironmankansas.com/.  He is probably in his upper 50s, age wise, and in AMAZING shape. He had been swimming laps for a while...but then he stopped, grabbed an aqua-belt, and started water running! So either one of two things has occurred......1. I found someone as crazy as me or 2. I have just unlocked a Running Zen Master secret known as water running. We both finished at the same time and started chatting. Our conversation quickly turned to our distaste for swimming. He too had dealt with plantar fasciitis and was able to overcome it! He also said he trained for A YEAR AND A HALF for the iron man 70.3. Now that is dedication. It is also inspiration. I'm glad I chatted with him this morning.

Check out this link....it's a video of water running

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1078


 Fun Stuff....Can you just picture me in the local YMCA. Hee Hee.

Brewer turns 3!

My nephew, Brewer, turned 3 this past week and had a batman themed b-day party on Sunday. It was fun! Brewer did a good job sharing his new toys with his party guests, minimal crying, and minimal hitting. There were a lot of boys there too!
  Since I got in a workout everyday during the week, I took the weekend off! It was nice....wierd but nice. I've noticed that since training for a marathon I have a hard time sitting still. I get antsy if I don't get a workout in. It has been particularly bad since I've been taking a break from running while getting my foot healed up. Tomorrow is a swim day, so I plan to do laps and then some deep water running. Maybe that will help....but honestly there is nothing better than hitting up Lake Zorinsky on a clear crisp cool day. Deep breath....long sigh.

Feeling pumped!

I made it to the gym before work every day this week!! I have been focusing on getting stronger. On Monday I did body pump, cardio weight lifting; Tuesday hit the pool, Wednesday (no spin :( ) I stair stepped 100 flights, Thursday I hit the elliptical, and today I went to Power Pilates Sculpt.  I might not be getting as ripped as Arnold, but I am feeling pretty strong!
  I went to the foot doc on Thursday. We decided to get some custom orthopedics made for my running shoes. I had to have my feet pressed into foam. Weird sensation! The Doc believes this will totally cure my foot pain while I run. Since I only have foot pain post run, I don't have to wear granny shoes....I still get to wear my pretty heels. This makes me happy.

Water Running

As I start training for my triathlon, I have to hit the pool more. So far I have dedicated one of my weekly workouts purely to swimming. Personally, I hate swimming...I love the workout it gives and the cardio endurance you get from it. But unlike running or biking, you can't just zone out while you work out....you'll drown. Trust me, several of my YMCA comrades have had to hear me cough and gag as I remember this fact. So today as I was swimming laps, I decided to strap on a water belt so I could just focus on my arms. Then I flashed back to high school days and remembered running in the pool. So I tried it. Loved it. And now I think I will add it in to my weekly pool routines.  Check out the link below....
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0%2C7120%2Cs6-238-263--5536-2-1-2%2C00.html

First run post race!!

 We took Wes to see Go Dog Go at the Rose theater on Sunday. It was somone's intrepretation of the book since the book really doesn't have a storyline. Ummmm....well....it kept Wes' interest. Ok, Ok...it was absolutely brutal for Dave and myself. I'm willing to give the Rose another chance, but next time I will select a play with an actual storyline.

I went out on Sunday and got in my first run post race. It felt amazing! It was a perfect day too, a slight breeze, upper 60s, beautiful scenery! I did 3.5 miles and felt wonderful. About an hour after I got home....my foot/heel started to ache. Plantar Fasciitis pain is no joke. So I made an appt. with a podiatrist recommended by my TEAM coach. I have about 6 weeks until training resumes and I want to be in good form so I can be a good mentor. I think I will solely cross train and work on strength for the next 6 weeks and work on strengthening my feet and calves. There are some exercises specifically for plantar fasciitis as well as some stretching that I am going to have to start being more stern about doing on a daily basis. I am going to talk to the Podiatrist about better exercises and night splints to see what her thoughts are.....keep your fingers crossed! I really want to have a good 2011 event year! I have lots planned!!!

Friday!!!!

We had a Wii bowling tourney at work today! It was super fun! I have a pretty good group of co-workers!

 I'm still trying to get used to waking up early for workouts. Still not as successful as I would like to be. I'm going to sneak in a run this weekend. My first since the marathon. We start training in a couple weeks for the Lincoln Half Marathon! I am really looking forward to getting out with the TEAM again....not looking forward to running in Nebraska Winters though!

Excited!!

I got a super awesome email today...one that contained my paperwork to become a mentor for TEAM In Training!! Needless to say, it is filled out and ready to roll! I am going to be a "non-fundraising mentor" for the Lincoln Half Marathon in May 2011. I am then going to be a "fundraising mentor" for the Nike Women's Marathon in October 2011! So beginning in February I will being raising funds for the Nike Marathon! I hope I can count on everyone again! I had such a great time and it is such a great cause!!

I also decided I am going to do the Omaha Women's Triathlon in spring and the Papio Mayor's triathlon again this summer! They are both sprint distances and if they both go well I think I might venture out and try an Olympic distance!  The Omaha Women's Tri is beginning of May so I will start training for that now! I am having a much easier time planning my schedule now that I actually have something to train for!!

Rocking Weekend!

 Wes did his first race!!! He did Vala's pumpkin patch Lil' Goblins Dash. We was in the 3 and under category and was one of 10 kids, one of 2 who didn't run with parents....he's such a big boy! He was super excited and giggled the whole (approx.75 meter) race! He was very proud of his medal!

 He wore his medal and his full costume the remainder of the time at Vala's. We watched the adult race (2.75 off road) and got to see some very cool costumes! He picked out a big pumpkin to take home that day too. BUT when it came time to carve it into a jack-o-lantern....he wanted nothing to do with pulling out pumpkin brains! He refused and kept yelling "eeeewwweee...mommy you do it!"

We joined my sister and her family for trick or treating Sunday night. Dave and I put on our costumes and joined in the fun. Dave and I won a costume contest the night before. I must admit, I didn't wear my black under armor with my costume for the party....much more scandalous...I think that is why we won (hee hee)