Move with a (BEEP) purpose soldiers!

I did a lot of running before leaving for basic combat training (BCT). I mean A LOT. If I only had time for one workout, it was to run. I ran in a hoodie on each time. I ran outdoors 3 times a week, in gravel, asphalt, cement. I ran uphill, downhill and on flat surfaces. I just ran. I still use Runmeter to keep track of my run times. Afterwards, I would run back to In-Shape Concord and do interval training on the elliptical for about 20 minutes. Then I would run again on the treadmill. I would do interval training on the treadmill with sprints and jogging for maybe another 20 minutes. Plus I used the incline feature for resistance. After, I might end with some weights or push-ups, but always completed with lots of stretching. That was my regimen after work, 3 days a week. I stayed focus and left for basic running 2 miles in about 21 minutes or less (outdoors that is). I can only improve from here right?

The first run at basic was for the drill sergeants, so they could properly place each one of us in the appropriate running group. Alpha, Bravo or Charlie, with Alpha being the group with the fastest runners. We ran on what they called the “pork chop” track. It was a gravel track with slight inclines and declines in the shape of a pork chop. I ran the 2 miles in 18 minutes. WOW! Right off the bat I was already excelling.  I guess all that torcher training was paying off.

As you probably would have guessed, I ended up in Charlie group. I didn’t mind that at all. I was already minutes away from the 50% score required to pass BCT. I was also minutes away from the 60% score. But I didn’t stop there. Throughout BCT, I continued to force myself to improve. I had to. I had to be able to keep up with all the faster runners. We had a couple company runs. It was a shame if you fell back. And you probably would get a good yelling, or even get smoked for it. We also had ruck marches (many started out in the dark), and you had to keep pace. We marched everywhere and ran everywhere. You always had to move with a purpose.

“Move with a f@cking purpose soldiers!” 

is what my drill sergeant would say. (Is it crazy that I miss DS Johnson?)

We did PT (physical training) every morning except for Sunday. We ran every other day. Some were group runs, while other times we did sprints. And sometimes after the sprints we would run in the sand. OMG that was brutal. Talk about having a heart attack. We formed about 30 lines with about 7 soldiers in each line. We each had to run back and forth 6 times in the sand. I have no idea how far it was, but it was far. Often times you would run towards another line because it was practically impossible to run a straight line. You just had to run towards the buddies in your line. We would cheer each other on, wave and yell to the runners to guide them in the right direction.

I remember going for a nice run on the beach in Oceanside. But running in the sand in boot camp is insane. There is a lot of resistance and you feel like you're constantly sinking. They would have drill sergeants at the other end to make sure you were going far enough down before turning back. One drill sergeant asked me if I was dying. Of course you would never admit it, but I was dying. It was all I could do to keep going. Legs weighed a ton. It felt like someone strapped cinder blocks to my feet.

But would you know that after doing these run drills in the sand, I actually got better at it. Of course I was still tired, but I wasn’t completely dying. I realized this during the 3^rd or 4^th iteration. Once you get passed half way, you feel like you’re home free. Six times back and forth is a lot, but it felt more achievable.

By the 3^rd APFT, I ran my fastest 2 miles ever…. 17 minutes and 14 seconds. I was FREAKING STOKED! You don't understand. I was SO happy I wanted to cry. Til this day I have yet to beat that time. The closest was 17:19, but I’ll get there. I just have to remember those famous words that will always stay with me....“Move with a f@cking purpose soldiers!”

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!

A Rainy 5k

I totally crammed for this run. After being sick for about 2 weeks, I wanted to make sure that I'd be able to finish. It's about an hour drive my house to Oakland. I went to my friend Sherry's house, and then we both headed to Lake Merritt. A few minutes after we parked it started to rain hard.

Geez Louise!

Really?!

Come on!

We sat in her car for a bit and then the rain did lighten up just a tad. We started walking to the sailboat house, and we made it just in time. With 10 minutes to spare, we got our race bibs, and tech shirts. The other 2 races I've ran, they held the shirts for us until after the race. That way, we didn't have to hold them when we ran. But not this time. Sherry asked one of the voluneteers if she could pick up her shirt after the race, and she basically asked her if it was a risk she was willing to take. She went ahead and left the shirt there.

It continued to rain. It never really let up. Then a volunteer held a flag and announced that all 5k runners follow her. Alright! Let's get this show on the road. (so I thought) She led us out from under our shelter of a tree and into the parking lot. The rain was really coming down hard. We were all getting drenched. Our monkey shoes were pretty darn soaked before the race began.

We waited and waited for the race to start. In the mean time, we were getting even more drenched. There was one guy who wore nothing but his shoes and a pair of running shorts. Brrrr. To kill time, the volunteer was telling us that the route was marked really well. We all responded with a....

Ok, let's just start.

Can we just run now?

Great, I'm sure we'll figure it out.

Let's go!

And then we were off. (finally!) After a few minutes Sherry said that she was going to go ahead and go a little faster. I told her in an email several days before, that she should go at her own pace and not hang with me. Especially since she just ran around the lake twice 2 days prior to the race. She totally could have done the 10k.

The first mile was tough. As with any run for me, it takes a bit to get into the rhythm. Plus, I've been running on the treadmill because it has been raining outside. Adjusting to running outside isn't always easy. The rain did not help at all. My hands were cold for the first mile and they almost felt numb. It got quite slippery in a few areas. I'm surprised I didn't fall down, but slipped a tiny bit due to hopping around the puddles and mud. I couldn't tell if my nose was running or if it was just water running down my entire face. It definitely was not a pleasant time.

I had stuffed my tech shirt in my hoodie. It probably looked funny, but what else was I going to do with it? I kept adjusting it throughout the race since it felt like it was going to slip out, which it finally did before the 1 mile marker. After picking it up, I walked some. I actually walked quite a bit. It was a bit frustrating seeing that I've been running straight for 30 minutes on the treadmill and I couldn't do it during the 5k. So the rest of the run I did the run/walk thing. I would pick an object and run to it, then walk to another object, then run to another object - you get the picture.

The hard rain turned into a sprinkle after the first mile. My hands weren't as cold by that time. And the closer I got to the sailboat house, the less I was walking. I was tired and just wanted to finish. I got to a turn and heard Sherry's cheer, and then there was the last stretch. That last stretch gives me that last needed boost.

There were quite a few of us getting in at the same time. Right after crossing the finish line, I started walking. Then I remembered I needed to stop my runmeter app. By the time I stopped it, it read 41:37, so I am hoping that my official time is a few seconds faster than that. I guess we just wait and see. Funny thing is that that's my official time from last year's Oktobrewfest in Davis.

Sherry finished in 27 minutes! My time was the usual 'right under 42 minutes' . I am actually surprised due to all the walking I did. But hey, I ran it. I didn't bail out due to the rain, and I finished it.

Are races for me? I don't know. I don't seem to do well in them. I am consistent with my time, but I don't seem to be progressing. So that's three 5k's under my belt now. I think for now, I'll just continue to run and increase my distance, or duration of my runs. Maybe I'll run another 5k when I hit the 4 mile distance during my training.

But this week's training wasn't bad at all. Ran 5 days and covered 9.68 miles according to my dailymile log. That's probably the most I've ever ran in a week. Hey, don't laugh. That's a lot for me. Ok, go ahead and chuckle.
Just as long as I'm running, I'll continue to have a smile on my face.

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.