7 miles on the beach

Saturday I was in Folly Beach South Carolina. I drove the 5 hours down on Friday afternoon to visit my Dad who is visiting his former work colleagues and friends. He is staying with Rick and Sherry Teerman, who graciously hosted us in their condo overlooking the beach that they live in during long Michigan winters.

Because my long runs now take place every other week, this week I only had to run 7 miles. Because South Carolina was also affected by the cold spell gripping the South, it was in the 30s. Though it was cold and windy, the view was fantastic! Also, so no one confuses me with Wonder Woman, the sand here is very packed, so it was almost like running on the road.

I ran the first 30 minutes with Rick (our host), taking no walk breaks, since this he regularly runs 30 minutes. We went against the wind (south) to start, which meant the turn-around was great. Because of my GPS, he was glad to find out the mileage of his regular route, which was 2.5 miles.

I continued on past the pier and went another 2.5 miles or so. I say “or so” because I changed my watch settings to turn on my new run/walk interval tones, which totally reset my mileage adn I was not sure how far to go before turning around. In true fashion, I turned around too early and had to make up distance at the end of the run.

Because the tide was on the way out, the beach was really long. On the way up, I had gone around a big pool of water that had a small inlet to the sea. On the way back, I was running closer to the water, just enjoying the view. Only when I got to end of this very long pool, did I realize that I was going to have to back-track a long way, or go through 10 feet of cold ocean water. I chose the water, and completely soaked my feet and shins in 50 degree water. Oh well, at least I can say I got in the ocean!

After running about a half mile in wet sloshing shoes, I decided to try out barefoot running that I’ve been reading so much about in Born to Run. If you run at all and have not read this book, proceed to purchase it and read it with haste. It is entertaining, educational, and really well written. Inspired by it, I ran the last mile with no shoes, with cold feet on the beach. It was a great feeling. I felt so blessed to be out there running, even on the cold windy beach, looking at the magnificent ocean. Mom would have loved it!

13 miles!

I joined a new Fitness List Serv at CDC and through that found a small group running at Stone Mountain on Saturday. It's 5 miles all the way around, so we went around twice with a small group of women runners. We did a 3 minute run/1 minute walk interval, and it went really well, especially since the course is pretty hilly in parts.

I learned quite a bit in my group run. First off, someone had my GPS watch, the Garmin 305 Forerunner, and she told me how to set my watch to beep at my desired run/walk intervals. This is a huge weight off my shoulders since I don't have to calculate the desired time to run and rest. If you are familiar with my math skills,  you know what a good thing that is. It also keeps me from having to look down and pay attention, which is especially nice when I'm running with the dogs, holding the leashes.

I also found about a great website podrunner.com where you can download house and techno playlists that are designed for runners, FOR FREE. Still have to figure out how it all works, but I really need some new running music for those runs indoors and when my long runs are not with groups.

Since the run around the mountain was only 10 miles, I needed 3 more to complete my goal. So I drove home and finished my run with the dogs. They had been so disappointed when I left in the morning with my running clothes, so I was happy to get to take them out around the neighborhood for 3 miles, though I was very tired that I wanted to cut it short.

My legs were pretty sore and tired after this run. I hope I haven't over done it...I hadn't done my 11-12 mile run 2 weeks ago, so 13 miles was kind of pushing it. But after taking 2 weeks off for my ankle, I was eager to get back on schedule. After having my amino vital recovery drink, a clif bar, and some chocolate milk, I stretched for about 20 minutes. After showering, I wore my Zensah compression sleeves which are supposed to help with recovery. My legs were pretty sore, and as this was the only time I've ever done 13 miles for a training run rather than a half marathon, I wasn't sure what to expect in the morning.

This morning, I woke up and my legs were kinda sore at 6 when I got up to feed the cats. I went back to bed, and when I got up at 10, I felt pretty good. I've been hungry all day though, so trying to balance a desire to lose some weight before my Hawaii trip and my need to eat to make sure I'm recovering well. I credit the run/walk intervals that kept my legs fresh even when I wanted to give up on those hills (and the pace of the group that was faster than I would have gone towards the end).

Glad next week's run is only 7 miles. Next long run is March 6, in Hawaii, and is supposed to be 15-16 miles, so we'll see how I fit that into our trip. We're going hiking on a military base which should be lots of fun, complete with kayaking that I've been wanting to do for a long time.

Injury Update: Ankle Sprain, Feb 5

So I think it's definitely a reoccurence of my old ankle sprain. They say once you sprain it, it's vulnerable to another sprain. Even though there was no new trauma (at least nothing significant that I can remember), it feels like the last time I sprained it.

I haven't had any real swelling though, so hopefully with adequate RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation), it will heal quickly so I can get back to training. The bucket of ice and water my trainer recommended is soo not happening (sorry Shaka!). Instead, I'm filling a bag with ice cubes and putting it in a sling designed for this purpose, and leaving it on for 20, and off for 20, and repeating this all night, all while elevated. Pros of this method: I've caught up a lot of TV that was DVRed; Cons: I think I gained a pound or two back this week, and my house is a disaster.

In the meantime, no 11 miler for me tomorrow. Instead I'll be cycling tonight and swimming tomorrow, trying not to lose the cardiovascular gains I've been making.

Additionally, I'm wearing my soft ankle brace whenever I have shoes on, and I'm back to using Superfeet insoles in my shoes. I'm considering the possibility that I caused this injury through carelessly forgetting to transfer my Superfeet into my new shoes, despite the fact that I've used them to run for last 5 years or so (not the same pair obviously). This thought does not make me happy, so I'm trying to forgive myself for it!