Good Weigh In, BAD Run

I had a horrible night last night, my feet were so sore and I had a really hard time getting to sleep and then stating asleep. I finally gave up around 4:30 a.m. and got out of bed, let the dog out and then wandered through to the living room to sit on the couch. I wish I could find out more information about neuropathy and why it becomes intolerable when laying down, yet instantly feels a little better when my feet hit the floor.

As the sky started to brighten I headed off to weight watchers for my weekly weigh in and meeting. It was quite busy there this morning which is a good thing. It makes for a more interesting conversation in the discussion. I enjoyed our meeting today and I always enjoy our leader Mare. I was very happy to be down 2 pounds today. I was a little concerned after the gain last week, so a two pound loss was a good thing.

After weight watchers I headed home and got changed into my running clothes. Although I was tired I wanted to get my run done right away. It was a beautiful dry morning and I decided that rather than doing 9K on the treadmill I would hit the road. 

I plotted out a course, started my Road I.D. app and headed out. I would have to say  that the first 2K were all right as there were sidewalks to run on but then I had to start running on the side of the road and then onto the shoulder which  consisted of dirt, stones, rocks and grass.

Finally a car that moved over a little!

It was pretty busy with traffic and it made me feel really uncomfortable. I should have stuck with my usual area which has a nice paved shoulder that just felt safer. Into km three and the run was getting harder and I started to feel a twinge in my knee again. Half way through the 4th kilometre I decided to call it done. I called my wonderful husband to tell him where I was and he headed out to pick me up. 

Long story short. It was a bad run!  I only got in 5K not the 9 that was on the  schedule so I'm going to try doing my run again tomorrow. Only I'll plot a route in which I know what the terrain is like. 

2014 Fall Races Recapped

To be perfectly honest, I didn't end the year in the stellar fashion in which I originally planned on this year.  When my husband and I came back from holidays in August, running fell to the bottom of the pile for several reasons.  Despite the fact that I was signed up for two more races.  Despite not training properly, I still participated in the Rock 'N' Roll, Cunningham Seawall 10K on the last Sunday of October.  I had signed up for this race just after doing the Run for Water and thought I would do great.  All intents and purposes were in the right places but the follow through sucked!

If I could give one word of advice to anyone it is this, if you are signed up for a race, make darned sure you train for the sucker.  The race itself was well organized for the most part, but for me it was a horrible experience, one that I will never, ever forget, live down or want to repeat.

It started shortly after crossing the starting line, some 20 minutes after the starting gun went off, they let us out in waves with about a minute between waves.  I started out running down hill, and went around the first corner and that's when I got my first cramp.  I would love to be able to say that it was my only cramp but it was just the beginning, by the 2nd kilometer, I had had cramps in both calves and in my right shin.  I was in so much pain it wasn't funny.  My thoughts of running the race slowly faded as the 5K mark came and went and I was walking more than I was running.  My calves were being kind enough to cramp in turn, one would stop and the other would start, then the cramp would spread around to my shin, down into my ankles and finally make my toes curl.  To say it wasn't fun would be putting it mildly.  My Run for Water 10K finish time came and went and I still had 3K's to go.  I was only walking at that point and I was hoping that maybe just maybe I would be able to run it in.  As I got closer to the finish line and saw the last charity cheering station I could hear the announcer's voice and I wanted to run it in so badly.  I tried to run and the calf cramps came back with a vengeance.  I almost fell it hurt so bad.  I was feeling very dejected and disappointed in myself that here I was hobbling along to the finish line barely walking as the time creeped closer and closer to the two hour mark.  It was all I could do to keep going.  When I finally crossed the finish line I was crying.  I just wanted to go home.  I was handed a bottle of Gatorade, had my picture taken and hobbled to the family meet and greet area to meet up with my wonderful husband who had been waiting patiently for me.  It was a hard race, and I was in pain, but I do have the medal hanging proudly on the medal holder as I earned it.

Start line before finding my corral

Here we go!

Beautiful Sunrise on the water

Getting a little brighter

Only 3K in!!! My legs were killing me.

Almost at the 5K mark.

Never so happy to see the Lion's Gate Bridge!

The lighthouse at Brockton Point, only 3K to go!

The last charity cheer station, I can hear the announcer, only 1K to go!

A week later was the Boundary Bay 5K!  I had originally been signed up to do the 10K but the day after the Cunningham Seawall, I e-mailed to see if it would be possible to change my distance.  They gladly did, and I was relieved to be doing a 5K, but again, not running as I should have been I was ill-prepared.  I ended up having a pretty rough run, although I did manage to do my run/walk intervals but when I looked at my time this year compared to last year, I was a smidge slower this year. 

All in all I'm proud of what I accomplished in 2014, 10 races completed, 6 5K's, an 8K and two 10K's under my belt.  Hopefully I've learned enough to ensure that I do my races in 2015 properly.

6 ounces!

A couple of months ago I seemed to be playing around with 2oz, I would lose 2 oz, gain 2 oz, lose 2 oz and on and on it went.  Well....this time around it's 6 oz.  Since my weigh in June 21st to Friday's weigh in on July 26, 6 oz keep showing up, getting lost and reappearing!

I was up 6 oz this week!  I had a massive loss two weeks ago, followed by a little loss last week, so I was expecting to be either the same or a smidge down or a smidge up so I'm not too worried about the 6oz.  Add into the whole mix a lunch out at a restaurant on Thursday afternoon with some awesome volunteers, and having no ankles due to the heat and I'm actually glad that it was only 6oz.

I've always retained water easily.  Eat a pickle gain 3 pounds of water weight.  Get hot, lose my ankles and my fingers swell up.  It has been something I've been dealing with since high school when my feet swelled so much inside my boots that two of my friends had to cut the boots off of my feet for me!    A few weeks ago, the swelling in my feet got to be too much, I couldn't get a pair of shoes on to save my life and the water retention was causing pretty painful leg cramps.

My family doctor suggested compression socks as a resolution/aid in the whole thing.  I went to my local running store and picked up this snazzy pair of compression socks.

I love how they put a grey L and R at the toes so you would put them on the right foot!

I can honestly say I think it is the best money I have spent in a long time.  My feet have been so bad this past week, that I'm coming home from work and fighting to get them on, and once they are on I instantly feel relief.  The burning stinging sensation leaves and I'm actually comfortable again within an hour.  The other night in the middle of the night, my feet were swollen, my ankles were gone and my feet hurt so badly that I was in tears.  I managed to get the compression socks on at 2am in the dark and after about an hour was comfortable enough that I was able to finally go to sleep.

Today is another of those days.  I woke up this morning with sore feet and legs but I wanted to go for my walk with Angus, so on went the compression socks and I had a great walk.  We didn't break any speed records as Angus was not in the mood to do intervals today, although I did drag him along with me when I tried to run (tried being the operative word when you have a dog trotting along behind you moaning and groaning with every step).  After getting home and showering I was heading over to take my mom shopping and decided to just wear my regular old socks.  I don't mind the bright pink socks, but they didn't quite go with the blue shirt I was going to wear :)

Half way through our running around I told my mom that I had to stop by my house and pick up my socks for when I took her home.  My legs and feet were killing me and were so sensitive to the socks I was wearing that it was painful to walk. When we got back to my parents house, after hauling all the shopping in, the very next thing I did was put my compression socks on.  It was struggle as my feet were swollen but after a few minutes of grunting and tugging I finally had them on.  Within an hour, the horrendous ache in my feet and legs was gone.  I am so thankful that I finally found something to give me a little bit of relief.  I fully realize I need to go to the doctor to let him know that the socks are helping but that the swelling and the pain are getting worse.  It's been about a month since the severe pain started.  I just need to figure out what's happening with my poor tender tootsies!