30 by 44

13. October 2017 · 7 comments · Categories: injury, running, Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , ,

Hi there

Happy Friday. I’m trying to get my butt out the door for a 22 minute run today but have this annoying cold/congestion thing going on and I’m not as energetic as I’d like to be. But of course after not being able to run for so long I know i’ll have a hard time skipping a run because of the sniffles. I just need to blow my nose a few more times and then get out the door. 🙂

Last Sunday I ran 18 minutes and felt really great. It was drizzly but there was still a little crunch to the autumn leaves that have started to fall.

 

 

It made me a little weepy to know that after 10 consecutive years, I wasn’t able to run the Staten Island Half. Last year it poured but i was prepared for the inclement weather and finished with a smile on my face.

IMG_6676I remember running it in 2011 and made it a 20 miler in preparation for my very first marathon a month later. I ran 7 miles before the race began and when I crossed the finish line I was definitely hurting….

Gasping for air? LOL! Oh back in 2011 when I carried a water bottle. I loved that thing.

Gasping for air? LOL! Oh back in 2011 when I carried a water bottle. I loved that thing.

And in 2009 and 2010 I was just so darn happy

2009 Staten Island Half

2009 Staten Island Half

2010 Staten Island Half

2010 Staten Island Half

Good memories! Meanwhile I just looked at my race recaps page. Wow, no recaps for 2017? Cray Cray. I sure hope 2018 will be filled with recaps for all my favorite races. Maybe even some new ones. But I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

On Tuesday I ran for 20 minutes. Still increasing the time 2 minutes per run with success.torin-30I tried out a new pair of Altra Running sneakers for this run. Having enjoyed walking in the Altra Escalante for a few months, and then transitioning to running in them with success, I wanted to try a more cushioned pair. I bought the Torin 3.0. They felt AWESOME! But I’m actually going to exchange them for a half size up. The Escalante’s are an 8 but I think these felt a bit snug so I’m going to try and 8.5. Interestingly I read online (after I bought them) they actually suggest you get a half size up in this style. I’m now obsessed with this whole foot shaped toe box thing that Altra provides with their kicks. Altra also makes trail/hiking shoes that I’ve got my eye on. Gee, you’d think I was sponsored by them. Comfy feet has become more important to me than anything lately. The Altra sneakers also are a zero drop shoe, and while I wasn’t seeking out a zero drop when I got my first pair, I really like them. I’ll probably have to run a lot more miles in them to decide whether or not I think the zero drop helps or hinders my running stride.

And so I’ll continue adding 2 minutes per run and according to the calendar I’ll hit a solid 30 minutes on October 25th, my 44th birthday!!!! I remember when a 20 miler was a milestone….and now i’m excited to  reach 30 minutes. Injuries are humbling.

He's so tired of hearing me talk about my injuries

He’s so tired of hearing me talk about my injuries

Anyone with a birthday coming up?

Any zero drop shoe runners?

Favorite Season?

 

Related posts:

  1. Walked the High Line and Blogaversary Number 3
  2. Temporarily sipping and shopping out the small stuff
  3. aches and pains and I skipped the gym

update on my return to running

06. October 2017 · 6 comments · Categories: injury, running · Tags: ,

Hi there.

Happy FriYAY! I figured I should let you guys know how my slow return to running has been going.

But first I wanted to just share a happier Las Vegas moment. After waking up earlier this week to the news of the horrific event that happened at the Rt. 91 music festival I was very sad as the rest of the country was too. It’s just so scary to think that we are just living in a world where things like this can happen. Anyway, I hate when we start to associate a specific place to a terrible event. Boston marathon bombings were a prime example. You literally can’t even Google “Boston Marathon” without seeing images from that bombings. While with all of history, we must not forget, I truly believe it’s helpful to re-associate with fonder times. So here’s my Las Vegas happy moment story…

Back in the fall of 1998, my boyfriend at the time, who was in the later stages of Melanoma, and I decided to get married. We opted to go to Las Vegas and get married in Red Rock Canyon which is right outside of the city/strip area. On 11.7.98 we sort of eloped but we did have about 6 guests. We stayed at the Mirage hotel. It was all sorts of awesome.

Welcome to the jungle... of the Mirage hotel lobby

Welcome to the jungle… of the Mirage hotel lobby

I went back on 11.7.99 for what would have been our 1st wedding anniversary (he passed away in April of 99). And sent a note attached to some balloons up in the air from the exact spot we were married at.

11.7.98 in the front photo and 11.7.99 in the back photo

11.7.98 in the front photo and 11.7.99 in the back photo

The note asked him to send me a rainbow. I know….corny right? But on the flight back to New York the next day I saw a rainbow! From the sky! It gave me this comfort that has stayed with me. It made me realize that we are always connected to our loved ones who’ve passed. It’s the hope I have for each and every person who has lost someone.

OK….now to awkwardly transition to my petty return to running update.

A few overall thoughts.

  1. It’s scary and i constantly worry about getting re-injured again
  2. I’m still not convinced that I’m “healed”
  3. I’m loving these short runs in that they don’t take much of a commitment to get done

OK, last Thursday I dropped Duncan off at the groomer and went to a soccer field 5 minutes up the road where they have super soft and cushy astroturf.

The final product. Poofy cuteness

The final product. Poofy cuteness

 

 

I figured what better way to re-introduce my body to running than with a flat/soft surface with easy access to my car in case anything went wrong. I don’t have to tell you how happy I was to be running. 10 minutes of finally feeling like myself.

IMG_3254

 

It ended before I even got into my groove though. Overall I’ll say it was a success. I had no pain while running but as I did last time I got back to running I do feel the toe and the entire forefoot just feels “weird” sometimes a bit achy or tingly usually before and after the run. This has been the case for all 3 runs. (I bumped it up to 12 minutes on run #2 which was 3 days later and 14 minutes 3 days after that. I’m toying with the idea of backing down to 12 minutes today. I’m just so scared! I’ve been doing all my PT stuff too and I guess I’ll just keep taking it slow this month.

IMG_3306

 

I literally just registered for the Trenton 5K on 10/28.

trenton-5k-confirm

 

I’m guessing I’ll be running about 30 minutes straight by then so a 5k seems fairly doable. I’ve officially switched to my Altra Escalante shoes for running as they are the most comfortable for my feet although I’m worried that I don’t have much arch support. I’m going to the running store this weekend to poke around and see what other shoe options there are. I DEFINITELY need wide toe box but I also need arch support AND cushioning.

If I can keep my running short and easy for the next 3 months maybe my body will complete the final stages of healing and maybe, just maybe I can start 2018 fresh. I have to keep reminding myself that I MUST run in order for my body to get back to adapting to impact. Stress and rest….mantra city!

So that’s the scoop. I’m cautiously running and feeling foot “weirdness” and achy but no pain.

How are you? What’s on your weekend agenda?

Anything fun? Anyone have a return to running story to share?

Related posts:

  1. What if
  2. Bring on the Rain and a Hamstrain
  3. Hey hey hey today was the Queens 10k

On this day Sweat Out The Small Stuff turns four

13. June 2017 · 7 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , ,

On this day Sweat Out The Small Stuff turns four

I can’t remember the last time I posted twice in one day but after I shared this morning’s post about my toe setback and yoga and mental health progress I realized that it was 4 years ago today that I shared my very first post here on Sweat Out the Small Stuff so it’s my 4 year blogaversary!

4-year blogaversary!

Also, Facebook’s “On this day” feature let me know that a friend shared this article about returning to running after soft tissue injury that was shared with me via Facebook on this day back in 2014 when I had my ankle injury. Basically it says start with a 10 minute run. Then if all feels good add 2 minutes to the next run and so on and so forth. But if there is pain, reduce by 2 minutes. So even though I started out running about 12 minutes my first run back, I increased mileage (and overall time) much quicker.

 

When did you start reading my blog? Have you been around a short while? Since the beginning or did you just discover it today?

What other blogs do you read?

Related posts:

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