What? ANOTHER giveaway?

There are some generous bloggers right now. I am ready to win something! So go check out Nikes and Ponytails at http://nikesandponytails.blogspot.com/2009/07/ginormous-july-giveaway.html.

Oh... if you are in a generous mood, mention my name in your post. :-)

A nice giveaway...

I blogger I just discovered is giving away a goodie pack to celebrate her 500th post and change in her life. Her transformation is amazing.

http://marleneontherun.blogspot.com/2009/07/giveaway.html

Seven miles from Mexico

Sound hot? It was. I ran near our friend's house in Chula Vista, which is seven miles (as the crow flies*) from the Mexican border,** which was the distance of my run***. I ran at 1:30 in the afternoon. It sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it wasn't.

I was thrilled to get out and run. My chest is not hurting nearly as much and I discovered that chasing around a three- and a five-year-old bothers it as much as running does. I have found that running is my "me" time; my solace. It is time alone when I don't feel guilty for not doing something. If I take some time for myself at home by reading a book or watching a movie, I end up feeling like I should be doing something more productive. When I am running, I don't feel that way. If I tell my kids or my husband that I am going out for a run, they say, "have a nice run." If I were to say I was going to go shopping or go for a walk or hang by myself for a while, someone would want something or want to come along. Three-year-olds don't really understand the concept of "mommy time," but they do understand "going for a run."

I was prepared for a warm run. I brought my hydration belt (or "tool" belt as marathonman calls it). I think I am definitely going to get the twenty ounce handheld bottle because I went through two ten ounce bottles on my run today. Not only did I have plenty of fluids, but there was a little bit of a breeze that helped cool me off. I think I am acclimating to the heat pretty well. I sweat way more than I used to. By the end of the summer, I should be able to give Terri a run for her money. I had a bit of my own puddle in my wake today.

I didn't feel super speedy or strong, but I felt fine. I did a couple short fartleks just to see if my feet could move faster. They can. I am looking forward to my sharpening phase of this training coming up in a few weeks, when I can do a few miles at race pace or faster. I think for a seven mile run after taking an entire week off, I didn't do half bad.

After my run, I joined my family at our friend's house to swim. I feel a little bad for not showering before getting in the pool. Sweat isn't bad for pools is it? I figure that my husband and his buddies use that hot tub every week after basketball, so one little runner girl isn't going to make a difference.

Happy Running, everyone!

*according to Google Earth.
** actually, I write this for dramatic effect. Where I live is right around eleven miles from the border and I can see Mexico from my house. However, even those few miles further south seem to make a difference of a few degrees.
***no, I didn't run to Mexico. I ran around a nice little lake and some neighborhoods.

Diagnosis

After a brief visit with my doctor who did an EKG to rule out any cardiac issues, I have been cleared for running. **insert happy dancing Lisa here** That is the good news. I have what the doctor referred to as chondrochondritis. It is not an easy thing to find on Google, but it is basically the inflammation of the tissue between the ribs. The bad news is that it takes four to six weeks to heal.

Running won't exacerbate the injury*, but if the movement hurts, I should just slow down or walk. The only treatment for this is rest, anti-inflammatories, heating pad etc. It hurts as much as a broken rib and is treated nearly the same way-- with time. She did tell me to hug myself before coughing or sneezing to minimize pain.

I'm glad I went in and ruled out anything serious. I was pretty sure what it was, but I am happy with myself that I played it smart. So I am back to running tomorrow. I think I'll wait a week or two before I start adding in my hill repeats and speed work. Nice and easy is the motto of the week.

Thanks for all your support and well-wishes.

*For those of you who missed it, I went water skiing last week and through either a fall or twisting or overexerting, I injured my chest.

Being smart SUCKS

Today is the Coronado 15K. It wasn't going to be a key race for me, but I was looking forward to it. It is a great distance, it is a fun Independence Day event, and several of my friends are running it (their longest race yet for some of them).

I woke up at 4 a.m. (yuck) in order to get there early for good parking and registration. The first thing I noticed was my chest was STILL hurting. It isn't enough to keep me from my daily activities, but it is definitely there. The last few days I have taken some Ibuprofen and it has really helped- the pain goes almost completely away. I know I could have popped 600mg of Ibuprofen and run with no problem.

But then I heard my son's voice from last night, "Mom, I hope your heart is ok for your race."* He is so sweet. I suddenly realized that I needed to stay healthy... not just for me, but even more for those amazing kids. What if running a race made my pain get worse (like it did on Tuesday)? What if, God forbid, running causes something really bad to happen-- I still don't even know what is wrong (I know that I am being a bit dramatic here). I remembered my training and articles I have read, that said how dangerous it is to run after taking Ibuprofen.**

Then I tried to think about what I would say to someone who I was coaching. If a friend called, described these symptoms and asked if she should run this race, what would I say. I know that I would say,

"It just isn't worth it. You have taken three days off running and it hasn't improved much. If you run, it is likely you will lose another week. Running after taking 2 or 3 Ibuprofen is just not worth the risk of kidney damage or even failure. Plus, masking pain is not what you want to do... you won't know if your injury is getting worse."

So I e-mailed and texted my friends and wished them good luck. Since I was up, I thought about going with them and cheering them on. But I know myself. I was SO close to running ("just take it easy"*** I told myself) that I knew that if I got down there, I would do it. I would justify, like I was all day yesterday. It wasn't worth testing my weak resolve.

So I am sad. I didn't think I would be. But I am. It is just a silly 15K. My big race in in six weeks. Right now, my chest feels a bit better, so it makes it that much more difficult. I'm sure I'll feel fine as I celebrate the holiday with my kids.

My whine fest is now over.


*My pain is not my heart, but it is in that part of my body.
**http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-286-289-13116-0,00.html
***I am not sure how well I would do "taking it easy" during a race. Heck I couldn't hold back in a marathon, why would I think I would hold back in a 15k?

A very nice giveaway...

I really want to win this one. I'm torn... linking to the giveaway might get more people to enter her contest (lowering my odds). However, linking to the giveaway gives me more entries. Honestly, it is a great blog and everyone should check it out anyway.

Tall Mom on the Run is giving away a great necklace from a wonderful Etsy store (that I have already bookmarked).

Ragnar Del Sol Relay here I come!!

I have officially committed to being part of a relay team running from Prescott to Mesa, Arizona in February. I have heard only good things from people who have run a relay like this. This is something I have wanted to do for years, ever since my dad told me about the Hood to Coast ("the Mother of all relays") many years ago.

For those of you unfamiliar with these kinds of relay races, let me explain exactly what we'll be doing. Our team of twelve runners will be running 202 miles through the Arizona mountains and desert. Each runner will run three legs varying between three and eight miles. Our team will have two vans to get runners from one hand-off point to the next. We will run continuously until we reach the finish line! Yep...that means running through the night. This is going to be a new kind of "marathon." Some of us will be running close to (over even over for one person) twenty miles during the entire race.

Our team is going to consist of runners from all over the country-- from New York City to San Diego. Most of the team have never met in real life, only online through blogs, Facebook, Twitter etc. I know that there is a great team name somewhere in there... any suggestions? I'm pretty sure there are prizes (not to mention bragging rights) for great team names and theme-decorated vans.

I am really excited. I have become friends with these people by reading their blogs and now I get to bond with them in a once-in-a-lifetime sort of way. I am sure that there is nothing quite like spending hours with a group in a van-- sharing energy bars, sponge bathing with baby wipes and getting punchy from lack of sleep. I can't wait.

I have to give credit to Chris for getting this going. It is one of those things that people talk about. Chris not only talked about it, he followed up and closed the deal. I bet he is a really good salesman.