Miss Running in my Toe Shoes

As soon as I get home from work, I kick the shoes off and I put on my flip flops or just walk around barefoot. That right there must send some sort of signal to my brain, that it’s time to relax a bit. Sometimes I’ll change completely and throw on some shorts and a tank top.

During the weekend, I typically wear my flip flops. I’m not one to care about how I dress. Just ask anyone that knows me. I have a decent sized backyard. A couple of days ago I ran from one point in the backyard to the house. As I ran that short distance, it reminded me how much I miss minimalist/barefoot running. It felt good. It felt natural.

When I decided to enlist, I knew I had to give up this form of running and learn how to run again. I had to become….omg I don’t even want to say it….I had to become…a shod runner. (bows head in sadness)

It was quite a challenge. I really had to take it slow because I would trip over myself. I paid some bucks and went to a running store to purchase flat running shoes. Meaning, shoes that do not have any arch support. I know. I know. Some of you are probably cringing right now….but if you couldn’t tell, this is still a barefoot/minimalist running blog.

While at reception, they MADE us buy new shoes. We stepped on a light box and the SGT would tell us what type of shoe we needed to purchase. I knew right then and there that I was just gonna blow a hundred bucks out of my advanced pay. I put the shoes on and they hurt SO bad. I tried to break them in, but my feet would just cramp. I felt so bad for my poor footsies. They know what they like to run in.

Luckily when we finally reached actual basic, my drill sergeants let us use our own running shoes. That made the world of difference. In a place where most people referred to as Hell, I felt like I was in Heaven. I was so thankful to be able to wear my already broken in running shoes that I’ve been training in for 2 months prior.

So yep, I do. I do miss running barefoot and in minimalist shoes (Vibrams and sandals). I have yet to purchase a pair of huarachas. I’ve ran on my treadmill barefoot, but noticed that my feet got tore up pretty easily because it’s been so long since I’ve ran barefoot. So I sometimes run in socks. But I think it would be good to get out on a trail and bring the Vibrams out of hiding. When living in the suburbs I could easily run barefoot, but not here in the country. Way too many rocks and gravel….OUCH!

Right Foot Numbs During Runs

I noticed this while on a run through the 5k route I found. My goal was 2 miles that day. By about a mile and a half or so, I noticed that my right foot began to numb. Then it got worse. I didn't want to stop because I was on a mission to reach 2 miles, so I kept on truckin. It started to feel like a stump and I began to hobble on it. My left leg and foot were pretty much doing all the work as I was trying to just quickly land on my right foot. I really wanted to stop, but I told myself I'd make it to the stop sign at the intersection. I made it and stopped runmeter. Although I should have looked at my distance prior to stopping runmeter (I was only at 1.91 instead of 2 miles) I knew I would've been able to hobble the .09miles to reach my goal. Oh well.

So I walked and the numbness went away. That was SO weird and it kinda freaked me out. What the heck would cause that? I was completely boggled. I've never felt this before. I've been running my Vibrams for a good 8 months now, and have ran in them in three 5k's. Hmmm.

The location where I stopped running was about a mile from home. It was going to take forever to walk back home. After walking for about 7 minutes or so, I decided to run for a bit. I ran a half mile, got tired and stopped. No numbness during that little run. I walked the rest of the way home. I stretched a lot to avoid any other type of soreness. The rest of the the day, I was still annoyed at what had happened.

2 Days Later
My mother in law was visiting, so i took advantage of her presence and ran outside in the morning. This way someone was at home while my son was still asleep. I ran in my monkey shoes around the neighborhood this time. And once again, after a mile, my right foot started to numb. Now I was getting really annoyed. WTH?! Here I am trying to increase my distance and now I can't run further than a mile without a numb foot. This was VERY disappointing.

During the week I started looking into what might be causing this. Possibilities were:
- a pinched nerve
- slacking off on my form and pounding my foot on the ground
- tight shoelaces

I chopped it up to slacking on my form, so I went running in my neighborhood again this past weekend. Again in my Vibrams. And yes, it did it again. Are you kidding me? I even tried wiggling my toes during the run as some suggested in the forum, but it didn't prevent the numbing.

Then I thought that maybe my right foot got wider/flatter, which is quite normal for minimalist runners. I think it was only my right foot because it was already lacking an arch. And of course while running, the foot gets warm and expands even more. So I had to test this theory.

The Test
I ran barefoot the following day. It had been so long since I ran barefoot. Probably since last year before the weather started to cool. I ran over a mile and my foot did not numb on me. Ok, that confirms it, my foot got wider. But now what do I do? I can't just order one Vibram.

Hubby told me to run in my Vibrams one more time before I go out and purchase something else. So that's the plan this weekend.

Today I did some research and read up on reviews of different variations of huaraches. I wanted my feet to be free so they're able to expand if needed. I thought about the Luna Sandals or the Invisible Shoe, but honestly, I am too lazy to deal with the tying methods. I have my eyes set on either the Unshoe, Bedrock or Branca. I'm a bit low on funds, so it's going to be at least another week before I can order a pair.

Besides Vibrams and running barefoot, what other minimalistic shoes have you tried?

Almost a Year

It's been almost a year since I started on this running path. I absolutely HATED running with a passion prior to this. But I thought I would try it to see if that was still the case. I think the whole minimal/barefoot running concept won me over. And using a program like C25k totally helped.

But who knew that I'd be starting over several times after completing the program? That was quite disappointing since I worked so hard on the program NOT to repeat a week. I was successful at that, but slacked on keeping up the time and distance after the program. I didn't do the C25K program over again, but kept having to work at getting up to where I was when I finished the program. My distance as well as speed just went downhill due to obstacles.

FIRST it was stubbing my toe and that prevented me from running for about 2 months. Man, that one really hurt. I was SO annoyed because it took SO long to heal. I would stay active in other ways, but felt I lost all the hardwork I put into the C25K program.

AND THEN I got caught up again on distance, BUT got into a funk a few more times. Now, I'm slowly trying to up my distance, and eventually work on increasing my speed again.

This morning I ran outside again and it felt AWESOME. I wish I can say goodbye to my treadmill, but I do need it. My goal today was 2 miles. I just ran in my neighborhood and when I made it back close to home I stopped. I looked at my phone and runmeter said I only ran 1.76 miles. Oh darn, I was shy a quarter of a mile. I looked at the map and now have a new game plan to accomplish that distance in my neighborhood. And my time was alright at 20:49min. I'll take a 12min mile right now. Much better than my runs on the treadmill, that's for sure.

But nonetheless, I had a great time on my run. I started off slow and just went at a speed that was comfortable. I let my body decided on the speed (unlike the treadmill) and it was GREAT! I stayed at that speed for a while and didn't tire as easily. It was definitely a good run for me today. If I had more time I would have done a quick walk break and continued for at least another mile or so, but unfortunately I had to get ready for work.

I'm going to try and get that 2mile run done this weekend. I am loving this sunny weather!

The Sun Came Out to Play

It was windy, but the sun was out this weekend. This year's weather has been SO unpredictable lately. When you think it will be nice, the rain starts pouring. But on Saturday when I saw blue sky, I took advantage of it and ran outside. Man, did it feel good to off that treadmill.

I ran on the 5k route I found several months ago. Took it easy and ran 1.44miles (18:59min) before taking a 5min walk break. Then I ran .97miles (12:15min) and walked the rest of the way home. A total of almost 2.5miles.
(I know, it's slow. But I did say I took it easy.)

Next Saturday's goal is to make it to 2miles before my walk break. I'll continue this until I can run the whole 5k distance without a walk break.

Did I mention how much it SUCKS to start all over again?

On the plus side, cross training has been going quite well. I'm only at 34 push-ups, but I'll get that up pretty soon. Ever since I started doing supersets, I can't see doing the exercises in any other method. It gets the heart pumping and you can easily cover a whole body workout in half the time.

Lately I focus on:

• arms and weights
• squats
• push-ups
• planks (regular and side)

- I pair up 2 exercises to create 1 superset.
- Then I pair up another 2 exercises to create another superset.
- And if I'm feeling sassy, I'll pair up another 2 exercises to create a 3rd superset.

I do each superset 3 times, and it really gets the body going. If I ever get bored with that, I pick out a Turbulence Training workout, and those never fail me.

I miss using my stability ball, so next week I plan to include that into my workouts again. I never knew it would be such a great tool.

I also like to fit in calf raises, jumping jacks and end it all with yoga stretches and poses. I definitely feel good after a workout, but I need to wake up earlier.

Today, I went for a 1mile run on the treadmill. Just a mile as it was on an incline and I still tire easily. Then I did some planks, then push-ups, and that was supposed to be it. But I wanted MORE, so I did some bicep curls. I didn't want to stop, but had to get ready for work. Grrrrr......

Between running and cross training, my goal is to perform some sort of activity at least 5 days out of the week. Some weeks I will work out every day, but I don't want to feel guilty on days that I take a rest day.

So far things are going pretty well.

Signed Up For My First 5k in 2011

Ok, so I signed up for my first 5k this year. It's on March 19th, which is about 2 months away. I liked running Lake Merritt so much I decided I would run a real race there. It's called the Greek Independence Day Run. Once around the lake is a 5k, another lap around the lake is a 10k. Seeing that I've only been back to running for a little over a month now, I'll be running the 5k. Next month I am hoping to run around the lake again to see where I'm at on my training.

Have you signed up for races yet?

I started running outside on the weekends. This passed weekend was the second time. I really enjoy running outside. Sorry for being a broken record, but it's true. I only ran 1.02 miles on Saturday. Much shorter than I wanted. But there was a good reason. My sweats kept falling off. And they seemed to start falling off the further I ran. It got to the point where I was literally holding my sweats on with my hand. It got too annoying and distracting that I just had to stop running. Very cool that my sweats were loose enough to fall off, but it didn't help my training at all.

On Sunday I decided to wear my biker shorts under a more snug fitting pair of sweats. Ah, that worked out better. I wanted to increase my distance another half mile. I just wanted to run a mile and a half. That was my goal this weekend. And well, I did it! When I pushed the stop button on the Runmeter app it read 1.57 miles. Woo hoo! Unfortunately the weekends are the only time I get to run outside. We'll see how I do on the treadmill tomorrow morning.

Do you run outside?

What time of day are you able to fit in a run outside?

Back to pants falling off, the jeans I wore today were quite loose. I haven't worn this pair in months. Since I didn't get to finish laundry this weekend, I wore these jeans. And...whoa baby! They were super loose. Are you kidding me? I couldn't believe it. I think it's time to donate this pair.

With my pants falling off I will really need to think about what I'm going to wear during my first race of the year. I really don't want my pants on the ground.

What do you think I should wear? 

Biker shorts? Spandex?

Runmeter Wins Because My Treadmill Lies

Back in October I got a treadmill. Last month the foot was feeling better so I began running again. The weather hasn't been great so I continued running on the treadmill. For the last two weeks or so, I've been running for 17 minutes. Not sure why, but I can't seem to run longer than that at this moment. 17 minutes seems to equal running 1.2 miles. That's the distance I've been seeing at the end of my runs. Wow, that is super slow. I even cover up the distance display with my iPhone so I'm not distracted (or disappointed) by it.

I can either run at a constant speed, or increase the speed for a few minutes, and my distance is always the same in 17 minutes, 1.2 miles. I don't understand why this is happening, and I began to wonder if my treadmill was broken. 

Does it just stop working once it reaches 1.2 miles on the display? 

Was my new tool lying to me?

I needed answers.

I realized that I don't like speed controlled runs. Yes you can press a button and change the speed, but that's too distracting for me. When I run outside, I speed up and slow down when my body feels the need to. There are no buttons. This passed weekend I ran outside for the first time in months. Wow, it felt SO different because I've been running on the treadmill. But it also felt wonderful. I was happy to use Runmeter again and something shocked me.

Saturday's run

According to my treadmill, if I were to run 8min and 44sec then I'd only be at about 1/2 a mile. But Runmeter says otherwise.

Sunday's run

And lookie here. I ran a mile in right under 12 minutes. According to my treadmill I should have only ran a distance of about 3/4 of a mile.

Interesting, don'cha think? So which is more accurate?
I will have to agree with Runmeter. I have used Runmeter during my 5k runs. My Runmeter results and my official race time results are within seconds of each other. Runmeter FTW! (FTW = for the win)


But this knowledge is quite disappointing. Once again I am glad that I didn't pay $1300 for my treadmill. Sheesh.

The Perfect 5k Route

Last month I told you that I had planned to go running with my Vibram buddy Sherry. Well yesterday we met up. It was cool because another friend joined us. Kimmy brought her daughter Kally, so she was pushing a jogging stroller. That definitely created some resistance. Sherry wore her injini socks in her KSO's since it was quite cold.

We went for a jog/walk around Lake Merritt. The lake is 3 miles around. It's the perfect place to practice for a 5k race. But because of it's perfect 3 mile route, they hold many races there as well. Check out the East Bay's oldest running club for more info. There were SO many other runners there toughing out the cold, and boy was it cold. I've never been all the way around the lake, but now I know why people enjoy running there. It's so nice there. It's mostly flat, with a couple of tiny slopes depending on which path you take. There are 2 different types of terrain; gravel and paved. That was pretty cool since I've never ran on anything except for asphalt and the treadmill. The scenery was nice too. Of course you have the lake, lots of grass, birds, play structures for kids and more. Unfortunately I don't live close enough to run around the lake often.

Afterwards we headed nearby to grub on some yum yum dim sum. It was a pretty nice low carb meal paired with some tea. Yeah, we definitely needed to warm up. The run around the lake was my second workout of the day, since I started off with cross training in the morning. I didn't feel too guilty eating out for lunch yesterday.

Have you gone for a run around Lake Merritt before?
What did you think of it?

So You Wanna Run, eh?

Ah, it's the start of a new year. I think many new year resolutions focus on getting into shape. The gyms are packed because everyone is gung ho on their new adventure. Some will change their diet, while others will weight train, some will take yoga classes, and some will start running. This is a running blog, so let's talk about running. So you wanna start running huh?

How do you start running?

Whether you're a newbie runner, or an ex-runner trying to get back into the game, you will need to take it slow. I used to HATE running with the passion. I was never good at it. I was never able to run more than 2 minutes at a time. And by the time those 2 minutes were up I would be huffing and puffing like crazy. You see, no one ever taught me how to run. I was under the impression that you just went out and did it. I assumed that some were just born to run. But boy was I wrong.

A friend told me about this running program for newbies. It's called Couch to 5k, and I HIGHLY recommend it. HIGHLY. I witnessed how much weight he was losing, and how long he was able to run. Being overweight myself, I finally gave it a whirl. I started running back in July of 2010. It starts off slow so you get used to the activity. After completing the program, you will be amazed at how far and how long you are able to run. I'd love to hear how the program worked for you.

When do you run?

This depends on your schedule. Are you a morning person, or an evening person? I decided that what worked out for me was running in the morning. For me, that sets the rest of my day. By the time I get home from work I am MUCH too busy and tired to do anything else. In the morning, I literally roll out of bed, change into some old shorts and a t-shirt, and go on my run.

Where do you run?

Are you a gym rat or a homebody? Do you prefer to run inside or outside? This also depends on when you schedule your runs. I used to be a gym rat, but the gyms aren't open when I run. And I realized that I enjoy running outside, so outside it is. Now, I do have a treadmill at home. I purchased it because I knew I wouldn't be able to run outside in the rain. Well, I prefer not to. But if you're into that, by all means, GO FOR IT!

Do I need to buy special running shoes?

This is a tough one for me because I am a minimalist shoe runner. I also run barefoot in my neighborhood. I know! It sounds crazy. But I'm not the only one doing this. I had a friend who ran for years. Well, until the pain was too much to handle. Many shod runners (runners who wear running shoes) experience lower back pain, aching knees and shin splints. I thought running was supposed to be fun, so I didn't want to experience those symptoms. From the beginning I decided that I was not going to wear running shoes, and it's been a blast for me.

Now there are some shod runners who do not experience these aches and pains. They have learned to run in shoes without doing a heel strike. One form is called The Pose Method. Another one is called Chi Running. I have not read either of these books yet, but have read blogs about those who have used these techniques. I did read the book Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. It does not focus on technique, but is an interesting book about running.

So if you're going to be a shod runner, I suggest you to go to a running specialty store such as Road Runner Sports or Fleet Feet and get properly fitted for shoes. Here's a post from Coyote Running in southern California regarding getting fitted for shoes.

What other gear do I need?

You'll have to play with this one. Some just go out and run without any gear. Running is a pretty minimalist activity. Me? Well I enjoy listening to music, so I went to WalMart and bought an arm band to hold my iPhone, and a set of headphones that wrapped around my ears. I also downloaded Robert Ullrey's podcasts. He tells you when to walk and when to run. It's like having a running coach right there with you.

What if I feel like quitting?

Think of why you started running in the first place. What was your motivation?

• To lose those donut rolls off your waist. 
• To improve your health. 
• Increase activity in your life.
• To build endurance.
• To run a marathon.

We invest so much time in other aspects of our lives that we forget to take care of the most important thing we own, our own bodies. What helped me was writing a blog to journal my progress. I told my friends and family about it. I signed up for twitter and dailymile to connect with others. And I read blogs from other runners. I put myself out there so I would be held accountable for my actions. There is a lot of support in the running world. It does get easier as you incorporate running into your life as a daily activity such as brushing your teeth, taking a shower, eating breakfast and so forth.

Running is FUN! It's liberating! It's addicting! Our bodies are awesome machines. And when you run that first race, you'll finally understand what I mean. I still consider myself a newbie runner, but if you have any questions I'll try my best to assist.

For more motivation and tips, visit RunAddicts.

Happy running!

My First Trip To Yosemite Totally Rocked!

Last month, the boys and I met up with my cousins in Yosemite National Park. I have always wanted to go. During the last couple of summers I kept hearing of more and more family and friends heading to Yosemite. I was a bit jealous. Once my cousin invited me and the boys, I accepted with the quickness. 

  
As we approached, the drive was full of awesome sights. Please excuse my pictures as they do not do them justice. It didn't take much to get me and lil man excited. I couldn't believe I was finally in Yosemite. My toe still ached so I couldn't run, (sniff-sniff). But I did enjoy all the walks. And we did A LOT of walking.

We rented a spot near Curry Village. (just the sound of the name makes me hungry) A nice little spot for our tiny tent. It really is tiny at 7ft x 8ft. But it fits a full size air mattress and 3 duffel bags nicely. We were near 5000 ft in November, so we expected some rain. To help shelter us we put our easy up above our tent. We went to bed early that night. It was right before 7:30pm. It was getting chilly and we snuggled under 5 layers of blankets. In the morning, I woke up to a snowy morning. I had such a huge smile on my face. It was SO beautiful. None of us expected that it would snow at our elevation. It was such a pleasant surprise which enhanced the beauty of the area. We enjoyed every minute of play time in the snow.

But look at what I found? 

What type of animal has a ginormous footprint like this? 

I really do want to know. 

Our camper neighbor across the way said that he saw a bear walk through our campsite around 7:30pm the night before. We had just gotten into our tent to go to sleep. I knew I heard something, and now I know that what I heard was the bear. Yes, Yosemite is full of bears. We have to store all food and anything with a scent (lotion, toothpaste, etc) in these bear lockers. None of these items can be stored in cars or campers either.

Well as it got colder, my cousin decided to rent a tent cabin in Curry Village. And well, we thank him for that because it did get quite cold. I believe it snowed another few inches. The tent cabins were cool. They literally are little cabins with a heater. There is no bathroom or sink, just beds, a chair and a set of shelves. And the bear lockers were right outside.

outside

inside

The one thing that the snow does not allow you to experience in Yosemite is hiking. So we'll have to return during warmer weather to do some hiking. It will be a different experience without the snow. But I think it will be just as fun.

I love living in California. We have the beach, desert, mountains, lakes, and snow all within hours of each other. I am blessed.

My Feet Tell Me What Shoes They Like

As I mentioned before, I've always enjoyed walking around barefoot at home. But I would also wear all sorts of different shoes and sandals outside. Some with more cushion than others. Like most people, I really didn't know that less cushion is better for your feet. Many would still disagree with this, but I'm not here to convince you - just to inform you of what I've learned.

It's been about 3 months since I began re-training my foot muscles. When I started the c25k program I knew I didn't want to wear running shoes and it really worked out for me. It was not until I got my Vibrams when I really started to think about minimalist shoes and going barefoot. Since then I've noticed quite a change on which type of footwear my feet prefer. It's as if my feet are talking to me.

If I'm not walking barefoot in the house or outside, then I wear shoes that have thin soles. My favorite pair to wear now are my old Airwalks. They look exactly like chucks, but they're by Airwalk. 

Earlier this month I had to get gussied up to attend my brother in law's graduation. It was a pretty formal event, so I had to wear fancy shoes to go with my dress. It had about a 1.5 - 2 inch heel and my feet were screaming. The toes were getting squished. I couldn't wait to get to the table so I could take the shoes off. We had to stand up and sit down throughout the night's ceremony. And of course each time I had to leave the table I had to put my shoes back on. There was a time when my foot wouldn't slip into the shoe anymore. It's as if it told me that it had had it with those darn shoes. Just look at them!

 my poor toes were cramped, sorry guys

 I feel pain just looking at this heel

I had to force it in. As soon as we got to our hotel at the end of the night, I kicked those darn shoes off and walked around barefoot. My feet thanked me. So yeah, I'm still no Carrie Bradshaw.

The other day I dressed up all in white to participate in my company's Spirit Week. I have a pair of white Easy Spirits that went well with my attire. Unfortunately my foot, the one that had the injured toe, did not like that shoe at all. I'd step a certain way or what not, and it would ache. I felt it several times that day. I couldn't wait to go home to take off my shoes. The next few days I wore my Airwalks and my foot was fine.

my easy spirits

I looked at my inventory of shoes and realized that my feet are only happy wearing 4 particular pairs of shoes.

My Vibram KSO's. My toe shoes. My monkey feet shoes. Whatever you want to call them, they are comfortable.

My Airwalks.

My sandals.

And these Cayden Sport Casual shoes by Predictions. They have quite a thin sole and my feet love 'em. Hop over to your Payless Shoe Source and try them on.

So I think it's time for me to donate my other shoes and get more chucks/Airwalks and Predictions shoes. See you at Payless Shoe Source.

Arctic Ease Review

Shortly after receiving the samples, I had injured my foot. In the dark, I kicked my son's step stool with my 2nd toe. OUCH! It hurt so bad. And why couldn't it have been the big toe? Well the pain spread to TOFP after attempting to run on it. I was sidelined from running for over a month. I tell ya, it was quite convenient to get those samples when I did.

Opening The Package

I actually found it a bit difficult. The perforations did not seem very pronounced. I grabbed a scissor to cut it open.

Appearance

It has a bit of a slimy feeling. It looked like rolled up gauze made from haupia. It was a bit cool to the touch, as it should be. Finding the beginning to unwrap from was not so clear, it looked seamless. I turned and felt for it a few times and finally found a spot. Upon unrolling, both sides looked very similar. But the further you unroll, eventually you see the logo which is not the sticky side. Cut what you need and put the rest back in the resealable bag.

How To Use It
Per the directions, you 1) must make sure the area you want to cover is clean. Placing a piece on the area to be iced does not always work the best. But that depends on what area you need to ice. 2) Wrap it around so it fits nicely and is held together. I took both hands and cupped the area I wrapped. I put pressure and held it there for about 45 seconds. It will still feel loose, but after about 5 minutes or so, it will begin to dry.

How It Felt
It's not freezing cold, but does feel good and provides enough of a chill to get the job done. I kept my foot as still as possible. To move I either hopped on the other foot, or took a few soft steps on my heel. And then it hit me why this was a great product. It allows you to be mobile! I've read it on the website time and time again, but actually experiencing it made a world of difference.

Other times I had to ice, I had to sit and fiddle around with the ice pack until I found the perfect placement for it. In addition to that, I had to wrap the ice pack in a towel to avoid freezing my skin. With Arctic Ease, you just wrap it, put pressure on it and then you're free to move around. 

I am thoroughly impressed and will be telling my friends and family about this product. If you haven't tried it yet, I suggest you should. You can find them in several retailers. Or you can visit their website for more info.

www.ArcticEase.com

If you have tried this product, I'd love to hear about your experience with it. Please comment.

 

My Vibram Buddy

Status On My Foot
So it's been a week since I started walking on the treadmill. I'd push it a bit doing a faster walk with a form that's similar to how I run. I actually jogged for a few minutes this last go round. The foot itself feels fine, but the toe feels a tab bit weird as I lift it off the ground (treadmill). Still has a bit of soreness which is frustrating. But still, I'm walking barefoot as much as possible and doing barefoot activities to keep my foot muscles strong. While in the parking garage in my Airwalks, or even barefoot at home, I'll do a bit of sprint here and there. My body is still aching to run. I'll continue to walk on the treadmill and evaluate the foot again this week. Stay tuned!

Vibram Buddies!
Next month, I plan to visit my good friend Sherry who has returned to running thanks to her new Vibrams. She stopped running because she was experiencing all those awful aches and pains that shod runners face. To stay active she would walk. But walking was boring for her, and she would end up running. And of course, the cycle continues and she would be in pain again. Sherry started doing more hikes locally and during her travels abroad.

I am hoping that during my visit, our Vibrams can meet. LOL Do you have a Vibram buddy? I am hoping to go for a run with her. That is yet to be determined. Stay tuned!

My First Race Next Year?
I haven't really thought about next year's races. I have been reading that many are getting excited and signing up for them. But with somewhat of a bum toe, I didn't want to depress myself. There are several races around Lake Merritt, and I asked Sherry if she wanted to one of the 5k's with me. She gladly agreed, and that's the only race I've really thought about so far.

It will be fun to run with a friend. I won't be going for PR, but for fun. I've never ran with anyone before. I do all my runs solo. I think it's because I'm slow. That's one reason why I haven't checked into any running groups in my area. Heck, I have no idea if I'd be able to talk when I run. (another reason) I guess I'll be finding out in a few months. Stay tuned!

Do you prefer to run with others, or alone?
Do you try to break your PR with every race? Or just run for the heck of running?

Foot Test Went Well

On Saturday as I rolled out of bed I noticed that there was no pain in my foot. Normally I'd feel a bit of pain as I put some pressure on it. But not on Saturday. That was a good sign and lifted my spirits. Yay!

On Sunday, the same thing happened - no pain. Yay!

Come Monday, again no pain. Yay!

So today I decided to walk on the treadmill and see how the foot felt. I've been walking around barefoot in the house, walking in my chucks and sandals outside, so I hope I maintained some of my foot muscles during this recovery period.

I just walked slow and it felt alright. After a few minutes I could feel a tiny bit of soreness so I didn't push it. I continued to walk. Then I started to lift my feet to simulate my running form. Gosh, it was hard to hold back and not run.

Got off the treadmill and did some arm workouts with weights. I'll continue with the 10min walks for the rest of the week to evaluate my foot. Then maybe speed up the walking and get into running. But the rule that keeps kicking me in the 'B' double-O 'T' 'Y' is something I must listen to now.

Start s-l-o-w-l-y.

Oh man, it's been a long time. What? 3 weeks now? Yikes! Yeah, I DO NOT want to go through that again.

At night I am super cautious about walking slow. Many times I do turn on the light because I have this fear of stubbing my toe again. I miss running and I want to get back into the groove. While on the treadmill I can tell that my calves missed their workout too.

I did do a tiny run in my chucks this morning as I was dropping my son off at school. Hey, he made me chase him. What's a mom to do? It felt alright. I considered the act as a baby step.

My Weekend

I had a crazy busy weekend. But then again, most of my weekends are pretty crazy busy even if they're just filled with chores.

Saturday
Went out for a nice and easy bike ride in my neighborhood. It was pretty chilly. I was in shorts and a shirt and my Vibrams. It was nice to get out of the house for some activity. Foot is feeling better. It actually feels like it did last Saturday before I ran on it. Yeah, um, I'm not running on it now. I'll let it continue to heal.
Cleaned like crazy. Shopped for some stuff for Thanksgiving and our Yosemite trip. Got us an 18.31lb turkey at Safeway for $9. Turkey Day is at my place this year again. My brother in law is in town doing some training at the USCG station in Petaluma.

Sunday
Rode the recumbent bike for a bit. Yeah, I focused on legs this weekend.

Headed out to Petaluma to visit with my brother in law. Went out to eat at Black Bear Diner and went to a couple of sports stores. And look who I found at Sports Authority?

I had to take a pic because I was with both of my sister in law's men that day. Paulie and her hubby. She got a kick out of it. I also bought a stability ball....finally.

Then we headed to the beach near Bodega Bay. Hiked down a muddy path to the beach. It was super nice out. It didn't feel like November. Even the fog decided to take a break and let us enjoy the day. We hiked back up and realized there was an easier path which wasn't muddy. Oh well.  My foot was feeling pretty good. I have been putting more weight on it and it hasn't complained....at least not yet.

After dropping off my brother in law we went to Big-5 to buy some gloves. Apparently it's going to snow in Yosemite this weekend. Yeah, it's going to be rainy/snowy and cold for just the 4 days we're going to be there. What can I say? We're just lucky like that I suppose. While we were there, I saw this ginormous camping chair. It was so funny that I had to take a pic.

I also bought my pull up bar. YES! I can't wait until I can actually do a pull up. My gym is coming together nicely.

I'd say this was a pretty productive weekend. But I've been so tired lately and not getting my 8hrs of sleep. (I know, so bad. And I really enjoy my sleep.) I went to bed at 7:15pm. I got a good 10hrs of sleep that was well needed. I wish I could've stayed in bed longer, but duty calls.