Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a common overuse injury that runners often get involving pain and inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot.

It sucks.

I have been barely running at all for almost a month now and it still won't go away. I want to get back to my regular running so badly but I know that will just make it worse.

So I have been riding my bike a lot and going to spinning class instead of running, but it just isn't the same.

Maybe I'll just do one mile this morning. That can't hurt, right?

Overtrained

I. Am. So. Frustrated.

I had a rough couple of runs this week. Especially Thursday's tempo run. I was supposed to run 4-5 miles at race pace to race pace minus 30. I made 2.

It is just feeling like I am running harder and I should be getting faster but I am getting slower instead. My foot hurts, my knee hurts, and my whole body is just achy and tired all the freakin' time.

So I did a little reading on the internet and consulted my running coach friend at work. The reading and the coach confirmed what I already knew.

I am overtraining and I need to take more recovery time. It's not like I'm 18 anymore, ya know?

Problem is, running is how I manage stress. It makes me feel good and it makes me a pleasant person to be around. I have found no other workouts that work quite as well. So, what do I do?

Option #1: Take a few days off and see how I feel. Let go of my 2 hour goal because I am apparently pushing myself too hard to get there.

Option #2: Go ahead and go hard for one more week and then start my taper for the race a little early and really take it easy. Again, I am probably going to have to let go of the 2 hour goal because continuing to push it clearly isn't working.

I guess it doesn't matter much which one I pick because either way the odds of a sub-2 hour half are pretty slim at this point.

So, what am I learning from this?

1. Take a week off after a long race. I didn't let my body recover enough after Pike's before I got into this 1/2 training, which I pretty much already knew.

2. Take even longer off before resuming speed work after a race. At least one day per mile. That means I should have waited at least 13 days before speed training after Pike's, probably more because of the nature of that race and I didn't even come close to that.

3. Take a rest day at the first signs of overtraining. I have been struggling with aches and pains and fatigue that I have been denying for at least 3 weeks, maybe a month. If I had taken a little more time then I might not be in this situation so close to race day.

I Have a Butt Problem

But probably not the kind you are thinking.

Basically, I am pretty sure I jacked up a muscle (either my glute or my high left hamstring) by picking up running again too quickly after Pikes Peak. I probably should have waited longer than 3 days to resume running. The pain started last weekend when I bent down to pick up one of Noah's ridiculously large array of toys and I felt a twinge. That's when I told Dan that my butt hurt. Hence the title of this blog post.

Then I did intervals on Tuesday because I am trying to get speedier for the Denver Half Marathon. While running a 46 second 200M (a 200M PR for me), I felt the twinge again but this time it really hurt.

Yesterday I didn't run at all, which I think probably helped. But this morning I attempted a 3 mile tempo run and it went from bad to worse. As I was going up my first uphill, I saw that a dude running with his dog was gaining on me. Pride goeth before a fall. I know that is true because I really picked up the pace because I didn't want him to pass me. Big mistake. By the time I got to the top of the hill, the guy was passing me anyway and my legs were wasted. Now everything hurts and I am relegated to taking a week off of running.

The good news is that Dan fixed my mountain bike today. So I will be biking and maybe swimming for the next week instead of running. I am also due for new running shoes, so I am going to get those tomorrow. Hopefully by this time next week, my legs will feel better and I'll be back on track to my next 1/2 Marathon PR.

Strength Training is Boring

As part of my training plan for Pikes (and because I am getting old and I know I need to do this anyway to stay healthy and strong), I have added strength training to my exercise routine. I am shooting for 30 minutes 3 times per week, but let's be honest, I am lucky to get in 2 of the workouts. If I get in today's workout, it will be the first time that I've actually done all three in one week. It is just so boring, even though I do the exercises right in front of the TV. I would really rather be sitting on the couch. I can see the difference though, especially in my arms. And underneath the layer of fat on my belly, there is definitely the hint of a six-pack. Wow, someday if I lay off the cheetos and candy, I could actually have a six-pack (yeah, right, like that's going to happen).

Work? In the Summer?

Yes, I had to work today. It's ok though because it is extra money. And Noah is in school on Tuesdays so it worked out great. The only part that sucked was that I had to go be part of a pre-due process meeting. Basically that means that parents are threatening to sue the district and I was one of the service providers for the kid. I think all my bases are covered, but some other people are kinda hanging out there. Scary! Two hours in a room full of lawyers, special education directors, and coordinators! I don't recommend it.

Webinars are Dumb

Ok, so my boss's secretary called me on Tuesday and said that there is a mandatory webinar Thursday morning for anyone who wants to do summer enrollments for extra money at 9:00 am. I am scheduled to do summer enrollments so "Could I possibly participate in the webinar?" I say, "Well, I have a doctor's appointment at 9:50 that day, but I can be online from 9-9:20 and then do the rest via conference call." Fine and good.

Except that I committed to that thinking the webinar would have ACTUAL information we needed for enrollment.

It was boring and full of information we already knew. No, I take that back. There were 2 pieces of info I didn't know. But the conference was an hour and those two pieces of info took MAYBE a minute and 18 seconds to share.

Thanks for cutting into my nice summer day for NO GOOD REASON!

Poor Boo-Boo Fish

Guess who is going to the pet store tomorrow! Dan. Guess why! He killed poor Boo-Boo Fish and we don't want Noah to know. Luckily he is a Betta so he won't be hard to duplicate. Poor Dan, he was trying to do a good thing by cleaning Boo-Boo Fish's fishbowl. But oops, he put water that was too hot back in the bowl. Boo-Boo Fish cooked to death. I feel so bad for the fish, but I feel almost worse for Dan.

Jay Cutler is a Whiny Little Turdsack...

...and Josh McDaniel is no better. And I think Pat Bowlen has lost his mind. Let's step through this for a second. My reactions are in this color.

1. In January, Pat Bowlen (owner of the Broncos) fired Mike Shanahan, a two time Super Bowl Coach. Oh crap!
2. Then, Bowlen hired rookie (untested) head coach Josh McDaniel from New England. What the...???
3. In February, McDaniel tried to trade Pro Bowl QB Cutler for Matt Cassel, backup for the Patriots. Are you freakin' serious?
4. Cutler proceeded to pout about that for the next 6 weeks and act like a whiny little turdsack (hence the title of this post). Grow the f___ up!
5. McDaniel acted like a little punk who was trying to start his own "inner circle" even though he doesn't really know how because he was never in the "inner circle" in New England. Who the hell does he think he is?
6. Over the last 10 days or so, the Broncos say they tried to contact Jay and he wouldn't talk to them. Jay says they never called. As the Broncos Turn...
7. Yesterday, Bowlen traded Jay to Chicago probably because he just couldn't stand the whining. Good riddance of the whiny little turdsack! But Kyle Orton now??? Really???

I have a feeling the Broncos are screwed!

Sickie

Noah was up crying for a lot of the night last night. I mean, it was like he was hysterical and we couldn't get him to tell us what was wrong. We finally got him to take some Tylenol at about 3:00. He had been refusing to let us give it to him which is weird because he loves the stuff. After we got the medicine in him, he sadi something about his ear and put his hand over his right ear, so I'm wondering if he has an ear infection. He is usually a trooper when he is sick, so I am really worried about the fact that he was that upset. Anyway, I am staying home with him today and taking him to the doctor as soon as they open.

Oh, no!!!

Selfish A-Holes

The voters in my county are selfish a-holes. If you are the one person who reads this blog regularly, you probably remember that I posted back in November about how voters rejected the school bond. Well, start feeling the effects people because a whole bunch of people were notified yesterday that their jobs will no longer exist as of the end of this school year. And my friend Kate's job is one of them. This sucks.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Check this news story out from ESPN. So now the Jets players are bad-mouthing Favre?

Really?

You have got to be kidding me.

They were 4-12 last year and they want to lay their suckage this season at the feet of a Hall of Fame QB?

Really?

They were obviously much improved over last year as they finished 9-7.

Why don't they take a look at the defense?

And why does Thomas Jones think he had such a good season?

Maybe because teams had to worry about Favre? And now Jones is one of the assholes saying bad things about Favre in the media. Really? What a jerk! What an ingrate! Favre is one of the toughest players in the NFL and was playing with a torn biceps tendon for the last few games of the season. Let's see Jones do something that courageous.

Speaking of courage...what about the coward on the Jets team who is saying negative things about Favre in the media and wants to remain anonymous? Really? Supposedly the coward is a "veteran" Jets player. Must mean he sucks since the Jets were so horrible before they got Favre.

If Favre retires this year (which he shouldn't), I will blame it on the Jets players. And if he retires, I hope Thomas Jones and the Jets never win another game.