2014 Running Thread

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  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited February 2014

    Smartwool fan club here. I have a pair that, I kid you not, I wear 7 days straight at times. Inside boots, who sees 'em? Even after a week, they do NOT smell feet-y either, but I wash them because they are covered in lint by then! I wear black smartwool merino base layer (okay, long underwear, half-zip top and leggings) daily these days too. So cold. Counting the hours till FLL.

    YoungTurkNYC, congratulations! Make us proud getting out there!

    Today, my massage therapist worked on my shoulder (node side, but much of the damage was a previous rotator cuff tear - just figured that out) and PT made me do a few 10 second reps of plank and opposite arm-leg raises from all-fours position, and I am so sore now. Clearly I am a bag of goo. I have legs and inexplicably effective cardio considering how high my HR is, but I just don't use the right muscles for anything and she seems to know exactly how to bust me! Next week, I get to start on the reformer, though. Looking forward to that.

  • LuvLuLu
    LuvLuLu Member Posts: 377
    edited February 2014

    OH princess, Lynnfield is a great town and Ipswich is beautiful . . . I'm in Medford.

    Taking off for a week in San Francisco to visit my sister.  In the 60's there and we will be doing a lot of power eating / drinking.  Hope to get a couple of runs/gym workouts in!

    Keep moving, everyone . . .

  • YoungTurkNYC
    YoungTurkNYC Member Posts: 334
    edited February 2014

    Thank you ladies.

  • RunFree16
    RunFree16 Member Posts: 856
    edited February 2014

    gold, bag of goo R us too.  Well put. What is "the reformer"?

    Thanks for the tips about socks, kayb!

  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited February 2014

    The reformer is a Pilates contraption made of pulleys and a sliding platform and so on (found a picture) that I think they use to force you to control different muscle groups and keep the core engaged, etc. I have always wanted to try it, so kind of looking forward to that. But the next appt is after my return from Florida, so equally happy to be patient and let the time move slowly for the next week!

    Stay warm, all.

  • Tammy_M43
    Tammy_M43 Member Posts: 980
    edited February 2014

    The reformer is a great device for muscle training.. ....no cheating when using it

  • RunFree16
    RunFree16 Member Posts: 856
    edited February 2014

    Wow, looks impressive.  I might like that because I really like Nautilus.  I don't know that there's such a machine within an hour of me, though.

    Also goldlining, I actually think you get the Smartwool Sister gold medal!

  • ycats70
    ycats70 Member Posts: 36
    edited February 2014

    Great job on your 5K YoungTurk!  That must have felt amazing!

    LuvLuLu, enjoy your visit out here to CA and the warmer weather.  Crazy that we are worrying about a drought here while it's madly snowing other parts of the country - wish we could level it out somehow. It was 75 degrees here yesterday - nuts!

    Goldlining, I got my new shock absorber bra in the mail yesterday - can't wait to try it out this week!

  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited February 2014

    It's 82F and humid in Ft Lauderdale. (Love it!) Saw some of my group out running this afternoon, but I can't until after my presentation. There seems to be pollen. My lungs just filled with stickiness, justlikethat.

  • princessrn
    princessrn Member Posts: 370
    edited February 2014

    Hello everyone...a good day today.  My Muga came back good at 70% for my baseline.  I am happy with that.  I got married last August and did not train as hard as it was a cross country wedding.  Had I know this was on the calendar for events 2014 I would have trained harder, I missed that memo! 

    I love that slogan..The one that says," There will come a day when you can no longer do this, today is not that day."  I am not a fast runner.  I run /walk all my long races.  I have always thought of it this way.  I got to the start.  Think of how many people we know who get injured and can't run.  I get to the finish.  I get my medal and I find someone to help along the way.

    The last marathon I ran was Chicago in 2011.  I was at about mile 21 and there was a guy moving s-l-o-w~!  I came up on him and asked how he was and he said  he wasn't sure he could finish.  We started to talk and I asked what he did and about his races and such.  He was a pharmacy student, soon to graduate with a Doctorate in Pharmacy. He was married and had two small children and he was running his first marathon and was alone.  I told him he was doing great, it was about 85 that year, tough running for us Midwesterners in the fall. He told me he had lost 100# in the year prior to the race.  His son had seen the race the year before and told his daddy he should run!!  He told me he laughed but then he got to work on dieting and started running.  Soooo...as we were running together I had my phone and I take pictures along the route.  I asked him did he have any pictures he said no, so I took one for him. It was him standing in front of that slogan!  I sent it to him.  He sent me back a picture of him, with his medal on, his sons arms wrapped around him.  I was so glad to have met him and shared those miles with him.  

    Here's to us ALL being able to be there again...running a race, sharing the day, running because we can.

  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 952
    edited June 2014

    what a great story to share princess...TY!

  • RunFree16
    RunFree16 Member Posts: 856
    edited February 2014

    princess, that is one of the best marathon stories I've ever read!  You made such a difference to that guy, to his son, to his self-concept, to his future, to his whole family!  Of course a DNF is not the end of the world, but that guy on that day needed to finish that race, and you made it possible!  And that slogan, yes, it's a winner.  My favorite running slogan has long been "I run because they can't"--same idea--I run for people who can't run, people I love who are gone, people who are ill or unable, and also including myself, some other day.  I am all tingly about your story.  It makes me wish I didn't care about my times so I could help someone else without self-serving reservations.  I hope I get to run enough races to get to that point.

  • sweetandspecial
    sweetandspecial Member Posts: 1,707
    edited February 2014

    I run for my 32 year old niece who was diagnosed at around 20 years old with serious Rheumatoid arthritis.  She lives in Kentucky with her husband and daughter so I don't see much of her, but she has such incredible physical difficulties at such a young age it's heartbreaking.

  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 952
    edited June 2014

    I am so happy to read what I, myself have done. I had 2 coworkers who passed, 1 from BC and 1 from Pancreatic cancer. Bothe with young children and in their early to mid 40's. When I felt I couldn't go another step, I kept saying (sometimes out loud) They wish they could be here running, walking, playing with their children. This is the least I can do to honer their spirits and lives. 

    You ladies are awesome. 

    *and Firstcall-miss seeing you around the board. If you read at all. Thinking of you and many thanks for all of your encouragement last year!

    XOXOXO to all

    Happy early hearts day

    Piper

  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited February 2014

    I loved that Chicago marathon story princessrn. So true runfree16 - he needed to finish -- I felt the same reading about our forum fellows who were stopped at the Boston marathon before the end. "Civilians" mock the runners feeling of being deprived of the finish, and "isn't it more important about the bombing?" but finishing, and not being defeated by the enormity of the challenge and everything it was symbolizing in their individual realities, boy, that is a real thing.

    So sorry, sweetandspecial, about your niece. My daughter (18 now) was diagnosed with systemic juvenile ideopathic arthritis ( i.e., rheumatoid) when she was 13 or 14 (I've lost track of what year it was then). We had a hard couple of years especially when it was acute and she had all the high fever and swelling, but she's run two half marathons with me since. (Of course, she says "I am never doing that again!" but she's 18, so... Someday, she will look back and say "I did it then, and I can do it again.") She was a competitive synchro swimmer and that was outstanding therapy once her pain and fever were manageable. No weight bearing required, but phenomenal cardio and strength training. Her rheumatologist was very impressed with how much it helped. She did the half marathons with no running training at all, just her swim training.

  • princessrn
    princessrn Member Posts: 370
    edited February 2014

    Hello ladies....

    I wanted to share the story of my running with you.  I was not born a runner.  I am short and not thin.  I was married for 18 years and the last several were not too happy unfortunately.  I was watching the Olympics in 2008 and I happened to see the marathon.  I hadn't run since HS.  The guy who won, he was a jerk, very arrogant. But this guy, the one who won the Bronze medal, he was SUPER excited.  He was running around and jumping up and down. You couldn't help but be excited for him. I found myself smiling. And clapping for him. He was so genuinely thrilled.  He said he had began running after watching the Athens Olympics. And I thought, if he could start and he got  A BRONZE MEDAL for crap sakes, I could get off the couch!

    So I started running.  Promptly injured myself and then went and got a book and read how to run!  LOL.  Well, I did and it worked.  I remember the next book I read at the time , the main character, he ran 5 miles a day.  I thought, wow, if I could do that, that would just be something. So I kept running.  Then I was in bed watching some crappy cartoon with the littlest of my indians, I have 3 sons, at night and I was flipping channels and I came across this movie, Running the Sahara.  It was an expedition/ documentary.  Amazing!  Three men, ran 4400+ miles in 140 degrees.  They ran 5 hours in the morning, 25 miles, a marathon essentially and slept in the heart of day and then ran 5 hours at night, another 25 miles.  I was mesmerized, in awe.

    About that time, a friend called and we caught up and we ended asking what we were doing for training and we both were now "running". I mentioned a local running place that had opened up had some training thingie and would she like to sigh up together.  ( I am a big "let's do it together" girl)  So we did.  She calls and says she signed up, I say great for the 5K training right? She says no for the 10 mile!  I said, "WHAT???"  She said," yeah, it doesn't start until April"  I said, "NO, the race is in April, we start training next week".  She said, "but it is January, there is snow, it is freezing!"  So there we were both freaking out for different reasons.  It was hysterical.  We ran that race. Both are first race, 10 miles! On February 1, the registration for the Chicago Marathon opened and I signed up.  Committed.

    Then I got the bright idea to run a half marathon after the 10 Miler..drug her along for that too..And then I went on to start a marathon program for my first Chicago Marathon, she refused. (Took her a couple more years but she gave in!) I ran one year.  God is a funny guy, you know what I mean?  I found out in July 2009 I had melanoma.  I was 42, unhappily married, over weight and I had cancer.  I freaked.  I'm a nurse.  I understood the ramifications.  I had some serious soul searching runs.  I kept running, ran with stitches in my ass for goodness sakes!  LOL.  I ran and ran and ran.  A marathon program, well the one I use,is 18 weeks.  Funnily enough, that is the length of my chemo regimen.  That God!  

    When I crossed the line that first time, beat up, in tears but so proud of myself.  I knew I was hooked.  I ran several more marathons and marathon 18 week programs.  Someone asked my why?  Why run marathons?  I said, " It taught me that I have strength I had forgotten about and courage I did not know I had". I still feel the same way. 

    Running taught me that I can do what I set my mind too.  I can run through pain, angry, sadness, so many things and when I stop I raise my fist and say yes, I did it.

    So today, all of us that are here, run when we can what we can, but each time we need to remember what it took to get to that start and we need to remember to pump our fist and say, yes I did it!  EACH time!!  EVERY time is a victory for us whether it be one mile or 4400.

    Here is a picture of my friend Sean from his first Chicago Marathon

    image

    And here we are with that great sign

    image

  • FairyDogMother
    FairyDogMother Member Posts: 253
    edited February 2014

    You gals are just great. Love the Chicago Marthon Story.  Thank you. 

  • Tammy_M43
    Tammy_M43 Member Posts: 980
    edited February 2014

    Princessrn, wonderful stories....I only started running after my diagnosis...it makes me feel alive 

  • RunFree16
    RunFree16 Member Posts: 856
    edited February 2014

    princessrn, thank you for the fuller story and the wonderful pictures.  Is your 18-week program written up online anywhere?  I often wish I lived in a populated area that I could join a formal marathon training group, on a schedule.  I used the plan in Marathoning for Mortals, but I'm always interested in looking at other versions.

  • princessrn
    princessrn Member Posts: 370
    edited February 2014

    Hello Ladies,  

    RunFree16 ...I'm a Hal Higdon girl. Go to Halhigdon.com and you can pick your poison!  I run the Novice 2 I think it is called.  3 20 milers.  But there are a huge amount of options and it is a sound program.  If you do the miles you will finish, I believe that.  I signed up but I ran all my regular runs alone.  On occasion I got to run the long runs with the group.  Of course I was always last since I did the run/walk.  Slow  and steady wins the race...LOL.  

    I gave my friend the Novice Supreme, 30 week marathon program.  She was not a runner but wanted to try.  I know she needs this. She needs to run  and feel that peace.  She needs to work for all that time.  But mostly she needs to cross that line and know she did that because she believed in herself and that no one can ever take that away from her.  So she asks me what to do and I tell her to do what it says and don't worry about it.  So my non-runner friend, is running 7 miles for her long run tomorrow! Woo Hoo for her! 

    Tammy_M43...  That is just awesome!  Looking at what you are doing for yourself!  Could you have imagined yourself running a year ago? 5 years ago?  Kudos to you!

    Goldlining...  My husband lives in Boston. We met online through running incidentally.  We had three friends running that day.  All survived.  Two were finished and one was far enough back.  I arrived on Wednesday following the bombing and it was so surreal to walk around and see the destruction.  My heart broke that day.  People work there whole running lives to get to that race and to have life and limb losses, such a tragedy.

    sandpiper1... When I worked at the infusion center I was running pretty hard. 30-35 miles a week.  Most of my patients had wounds that needed IV antibiotics and were barely walking.  I often said the same to myself, I run for them.  They hurt every day, buck up sister. They might not know it, but they were always with me and got me across the line many times.

    Sweetandspecial...  that is so great! Sometimes any miles are tough and you can barely do them for yourself.  I am sure she is with you in spirit for each mile you run!

    I meant to tell you all I got my first post surgical miles in, 2.5! I have a seroma, swelling and fluid collection, yet to my breast but it is much improved. Each day a bit less.  The cording thing to my arm is creepy, ok I said it!  I put my arm up and stretched it and pressed a bit with the other hand and it cracked. Yes, inside my arm popped and sounded like I cracked my knuckles or crunched rice crispies!  Super gross!  LOL  ( yes, that is the technical medical description!) So I am looking forward to seeing the LE PT on Thursday.

    I am going to bike today and hope for a nice run again tomorrow.  The worst part was that my bra was rubbing on my port, ouch!  I will go to the running store and look for a new one.

    I met with the Chemo NP today and got all the good news on my meds and got my scripts filled.  I start on Thursday.  Still working my head around it.

    Much love to you all

  • LuvLuLu
    LuvLuLu Member Posts: 377
    edited February 2014

    Hi All,

    Had a wonderful time in San Francisco with my sisters.  One of them lives there.  I got a couple of runs in and it sure felt good to sweat.  Now I'm back to temps in the teens and snow.

    Well, check out my new Avatar - that's me running along the Golden Gate Bridge.  Had a blast.

  • RunFree16
    RunFree16 Member Posts: 856
    edited February 2014

    Love the avatar!  That's inspiring, as I sit here in the howling snows of central NH in February.  Nice to see it's sunny and pleasant somewhere....

  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 952
    edited June 2014

    Awesome LuLu. Glad you had a nice trip and what a great avatar! 

    I am slowly making progress on my treadmill. I am baiting myself with re-watching the first season of 'House of Cards' so I can reward myself with watching the recently released second season.

    Oh Runfree, I hear you!!! The snow keeps falling and the temps never rise. This has been a rough winter for many of us. I cannot wait to get outside, I don't think I have ever gone this long without at least walking outside. It's been since the beginning of Dec. since I have exercised outdoors. Mostly I am so looking forward to my alone time in the trails in the woods.....

    sigh

    happy trails all

    xoxoxo

    Piper

  • goldlining
    goldlining Member Posts: 1,178
    edited February 2014

    80F in Orlando today! Bluuuuuuue skies. And oak pollen up to your ankles. No running for me. Playing it by ear for later.

  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 952
    edited June 2014

    I was happy to see the temp until you said pollen. Not good!

    :( Have a nice trip anyhow and safe travels gold

  • lovestorun
    lovestorun Member Posts: 167
    edited February 2014

    Good luck this weekend Sandlake!


  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 952
    edited June 2014

    enjoy your half SL!

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2014

    I entered the lottery to run Grandma's Half Marathon on June 21!  I've barely been running because I seem to have developed cording in my right arm post-ALND, but I finally got a referral to start physical therapy next week, so I hope to get going on easy training! I did downhill ski this week, which was a blast!  Proud of all of you and your physical activities!

  • Donnabelle
    Donnabelle Member Posts: 198
    edited February 2014

    Somehow this thread got deleted from my favorites so I just got caught up. So sorry for all you cold weather girls not being able to get outdoors. I spent my first 28 years in New England and I do remember running in the cold weather, but it sounds like this winter has been impossible. Meanwhile, here in CA we are experiencing the worst drought in decades......but at least we can get out and run.

    I have a half coming up in a few weeks and thought I was doing well, but this last week has been super hard with fatigue and cramps and joint pain - hello tamoxifen, sigh. I am hoping to get a long, slow run this weekend, but we will see!

    Lulu, love your new avatar! One of my favorite cities, I will be there in May for Bay to Breakers. Can't wait!

    Princess, thanks for your wonderful stories!

    And everyone here, thanks for keeping me inspired! Have a great weekend of running!

  • LuvLuLu
    LuvLuLu Member Posts: 377
    edited February 2014

    Hi lovesto - are you doing the race posting?  If so, please put me down for Boston's Run to Remember Half-Marathon, May 25, 2014.  Thanks!

    Happy Running, everyone . . .

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