Women's Running Half Marathon St. Pete

Zoe turned 1 year old the end of August and I am pretty sure I could count on one hand how many times I had worked out since the day she was born, so I decided it was time to register for a race.  The only way I can seem to get motivated to exercise is by paying money to run a long distance race, so after doing a little research I decided I would train to run the Women's Running Half Marathon in St. Petersburg on November 23rd.  I began training in early September, but waited to register till the end of September.  Honestly, I was nervous that I would not be able to achieve the milage after not running for almost 2 years.

The training was slow.  Thankfully, I had started to attend a strengthening class at the gym 1 day a week prior to deciding to train for a half.  I had regained some strength in my core and hips which significantly decreased my pain with running (after the Disney half I ran in 2011 I had hip and knee pain that prevented me from running for months).

Here is when I should give a shout out to my husband who ran almost every run with me while pushing both kids in the double jogger.  I could not have done it without him, because I easily lose confidence and his presence encourages me to keep going.

I am not a fast runner.  My goal was to finish the race in less than 2 hours 26 minutes which was the time I ran my first half (with my sister).  I thought I could do it, but none of my long training runs were encouraging me.

Bennett was in Nashville with my parents which made going to the Expo to pick up my race packet on Saturday much easier.  I was not feeling well.   I woke up nauseous with a headache.  However, it was a beautiful Saturday, so we drove to St. Pete hoping/praying I would feel better.  We picked up my race packet and walked around a bit before enjoying lunch at Mazzaro's Italian Market.  I did feel better as the day progressed.

On race day, I woke up early, got dressed, ate a bagel and banana before heading out with my coffee to make the 7 a.m. start time.  I have been to downtown St. Pete a number of times, but Sam always drives, so I left early enough to make sure I wouldn't be late if I got lost.  Thankfully, the start line was easy to locate and there was a parking garage across the street.  I had plenty of time to stretch, drink some water, and simply enjoy the atmosphere that accompanies a long distance race.

Yes, I decided early on that I would carry my phone with me, because I knew Sam, Zoe, and the Goad's were coming a little later and I wanted to be able to tell them where I was located.

The race began on time.  It was a cool, overcast morning and the view for the first 5 miles of the race was very enjoyable.

I started out slow and had to use the restroom at mile 3.  I became discouraged, because I was not on pace to meet my goal, but after a brief text from Sam I remembered there was a time I didn't know I would be able to run more than 3 miles again.  I took a deep breath and settled in.  I felt good, just slow.  I didn't want to pick up my pace too early, because I know myself well enough to know I would struggle much more through miles 8-13 if I sped up too early.

I can't remember exactly, but I am pretty sure I saw Sam, Lindsey, Nate, and the girls around mile 7.  It is always incredibly motivating for me to see friends and family.  I get a little pep in my step.

I began to pick up my pace and really felt great miles 7-10.  I am amazed at how much the cliff bloks and power gels help me.  My legs can begin feeling very heavy and fatigued.  I can eat 2 or 3 Cliff Blocks and a few minutes later my legs are rejuvenated.  It may all be in my head, but as long as it works the placebo effect is fine with me.

At mile 10, Sam mentioned to me that Lindsey wanted to run the last 2 miles with me, but she didn't want to throw me off.  I encouraged her to do it, so they met me at mile 11 and she ran the final 2 miles with me.  At first, I got really tired, because I was talking to her and picking up my pace.  Thankfully, I noticed, pulled back, and stopped talking so much.  As usual, the last few miles were tough, but at that point it is 100% mind over matter.  You just keep putting one foot in front of the other, because you know you can make it.  About 1/2 mile from the finish I looked down at my watch and realized I was going to meet my goal.  To say I was EXCITED is an understatement.

I crossed the finish line at 2 hours 19 minutes and 9 seconds.

There are many reasons the race and time were accomplishments for me.  Here are a few:

• I had a difficult recovery following Zoe's birth, so I did not know if I would ever run more than a few miles again especially not 13.1.
• This was my 3rd half marathon, but the first one I have ran by myself.
• I ran this race at my heaviest weight outside of pregnancy.
• Each time I train for a half I think a lot about my sister.  We trained together for our 1st half in 2007.  She had heart surgery the year before, so we were training to celebrate.  While we were/are glad we did it, she had several problems the last few weeks of training and during the race which eventually put her in the hospital.  Thankfully, she recovered, but she is still unable to run distances more than a few miles.  I run for her knowing that she would be doing it with me if she could.  
• I have always wondered how much faster I could run a half if I ran it by myself.  I was pleased with the 7 minutes I shaved off, but honestly I know I could run it even faster if I trained a little differently.  Maybe, one day when they kids are a little older I will shave off 7 more minutes.

Project 52: Week 7, Gasparilla Jr. Run

7/52 February 12-19

This past Saturday B ran in his first race.  Okay, it was only 30 yards, but he had a lot of fun and we were very glad we did it.  

These were all quick snapshots, but a fun event that I am glad I captured.  I wish I would have video recorded, as the photos don't show his expression very well.

As you can see the parents accompanied the children.  There were various heats according to age and date of birth.  B's group consisted of 2 year olds born in March.

Plantar Fascitis? Maybe?

Do you have:

• stabbing like pain at the bottom of your heel and/or arch when you first stand up in the morning?
• pain at the bottom of your heel and/or arch with prolonged walking and standing?
• pain in your arch while running or after your run is complete?
• pain at the bottom or your heel and/or arch when you stand after you have been sitting for a prolonged period?
• one or all of these symptoms?

Then you may have PLANTAR FASCITIS.

What is plantar fascitis?

• It is a painful inflammatory process that occurs within the connective tissue that runs from the heel (bottom of the foot) along the arch of the foot (aka. plantar fascia)
• Or it may be focused at the heel, alone.

Source

Most Commonly Occurs In (but not limited to):

• Runners
• People with a recent increase in weight bearing activity (ie. change from sedentary job to ambulatory job,  switch from walking to running exercise routine) 
• People who stand or walk for prolonged periods wearing shoes with inadequate support (very common)
• People who are overweight
• Pregnant Women

Common Treatments:

• Put on shoes before you put your feet on the ground
• Gastroc and Soleus Stretch (duration varies...3x30 sec, 2x1min....each)

• Plantar Fascia Stretch
• Self Massage

• Taping (ask your Physical Therapist)
• Ice (I prefer Ice Massage)

• Heel cups in shoes or Orthotics
• Night Splints-There are several types.  I am most familiar with the Strassburg Sock, which is also less cumbersome. 

• Roll your foot back and forth over a rolling pin, can of soup, or a frozen water bottle

Prevention (the first time or reoccurrence):

• Healthy weight to reduce the load placed on the fascia
• Proper shoe wear that provides adequate support for your foot.  Most cities have a local shoe store with a staff that will assess your foot structure.  If not, Physical Therapist's can evaluate the foot and make shoe recommendations.  **Common foot issues--Are you an over pronator? Over supinator? Narrow heel?  Wide forefoot?  Pes Planus (aka. flatfooted)?  Pes Cavas (aka high arched)? 
• Frequent stretching of the calf muscles and the plantar fascia
• Avoid going barefoot if you have the slightest hint of pain in your heel or arch
• Avoid quick intensity changes in your exercise program.  Make slow changes to avoid tissue overload. 
• Proper hip and core strengthening activities

Plantar Fascitis severity and recovery can vary greatly and depends on many personal factors.  However, my advice is DON'T wait to seek treatment!!!!  I began experiencing slight heel pain while training for both of the 1/2 marathons I ran.  Once I felt the pain I began stretching, increased my hip/core strengthening exercises, icing, taking ibuprofen, wearing my orthotics, using ultrasound (I was an outpatient Physical Therapist at that time), and taping techniques for support.  That dull ache you may be feeling now could lead to severe continuous foot pain that is not easily abolished.  If you already have severe heel/foot pain, what are you waiting for.........GO TO THE DOC, SEE A P.T.  It won't just go away!

*Other Resources HERE and HERE

**Disclaimer:  This post is not intended to serve as a means to diagnose Plantar Fascitis or substitute for a proper evaluation by a Physician and/or a Physical Therapist.  This is not an extensive list of causes, treatments, or differential diagnosis of Plantar Fascitis. 

What is the "IT" band anyways?

What is the "IT" band?

• IT stands for iliotibial; named for it's origin (the ilium) and insertion (tibia)
• Iliotibial band is a thick layer of connective tissue that extends from the iliac crest (that bone you hit when you "put your hands on your hip") down to the lateral portion of the tibia (aka. outside of the knee) linking the gluteus maximus and tensor fascia latae to the knee. 
• In layman's terms it is a thick band that runs along the outside of the thigh containing a small muscle known as the tensor fascia latae.

Function:

• Hip flexion, abduction, and internal rotation
• Stabilize the knee joint laterally

(for further medical explanation of IT Band click HERE)

Most Common symptoms of Iliotibial Band Syndrome (often called Runner's Knee):

• knee pain, aching, and/or burning along the outside of the knee (especially during activity, like running, biking, walking, etc.)
• tenderness along the outside of the knee
• discomfort along the outside of the thigh

**IT band syndrome is most commonly a result of overtraining, primarily in runners. In the patients I treated, I learned IT band tightness was rarely the only issue needing to be addressed.  IT band syndrome is often a result of a tight IT band, plus one or more of the following issues:  weak hip rotator muscles, sacroiliac dysfunction, abnormal gait pattern, and/or foot over pronation.

Common Treatments:

• IT band stretching- SEE VIDEO and photo below for various techniques.

The stretch seen below does not primarily focus on the IT band, but it stretches muscles that have some insertions into the IT band, so it can be beneficial.  (Make sure to sit up tall and rotate your body towards the leg being stretched, until you experience a gentle pulling sensation in your buttock/hip region).

• Stretching and Massage on Foam Roller (I don't have a foam roller at home, so I couldn't demonstrate, but here is a video I found.  It also includes two other stretches that can assist with IT band relief)

Foam Roller IT Band Stretches - kewego

• Rest-change up your training schedule.  Take a few weeks off, making sure to strengthen and stretch the IT band daily.
• Ice the painful area.  Better yet....do an ice massage.
• Anti-inflammatory medication (as prescribed on the back of an OTC bottle)
• Hip strengthening exercises (I am hoping to do a post on my favorites soon).
• Adjustments in shoe wear

It is very important to stretch your IT band 2-3 times per day CONSISTENTLY, to see the best results. DO NOT stop stretching when the pain decreases or subsides, especially if you are a runner and are training for a race.  KEEP STRETCHING........IT Band Syndrome is known to return time and time again.

If the pain is not improving, I would suggest making an appointment with a Physical Therapist.  Don't be afraid when you call the physical therapy office to ask to be scheduled with a Therapist that is either a runner or is most experienced in the area of IT Band Syndrome.  Do your research on local Therapists.  I promise it will be worth it.  You may not have IT Band Syndrome and a thorough evaluation accompanied by a few treatment sessions should unveil the underlying problem, if you are being appropriately assessed during your treatment sessions.

**Disclaimer:  This post is not intended to serve as a means to diagnose IT band syndrome or substitute for a proper evaluation by a Physician and/or a Physical Therapist.  

Disney Half Marathon Run down

Last week seemed to zoom by as we spent most of the week trying to catch up from being out of town during the holidays.  I had definitely allowed stress to raise its ugly head, which lead to a daily headache that would ease with tylenol/ibuprofen, but not subside.  Michelle, Sandy, and the kids arrived to pick Bennett and I up around 2:45 p.m. on Friday afternoon. I rushed to pack my things in the car, and up the stairs I went to wake Bennett up.  I hate doing that, but he decided to take his best nap of the week a couple of hours before departure (it seems to always happen that way).

The ride to Orlando was uneventful, overall.  Bennett became a little fussy, but thanks to my 6 year old nephew, Isaac, we were able to keep him satisfied.  Along with a billion other people, we arrived at ESPN's Wide World of Sports to pick up our race packets/goodie bag.  I was pleased with the organization of packet pick up, but not so pleased with the Expo or our goodie bags.  I feel like if you pay $140, + a few, the expo should be large, the goodie bag should be over the top, and the race should be FANTASTIC.  I was highly disappointed in Disney.  Our goodie bags had a very nice long sleeved Disney Half Marathon shirt, a sample of Shot Blocks, and two samples of analgesic creams.  THAT IS IT!!!  I couldn't believe.....Sorry, I am moving on.

We settled into the hotel, ate dinner, put the kids to bed, prepared our gear, and were off to bed for a 3:50 a.m. wake up time.  That's right...3:50 a.m.  The race began at 5:30 and we were to be in our corral by 5 a.m.  I had been in bed about 30 to 45 minutes when I began hearing the people above us walk back and forth, run back and forth, stomp, walk, run...you get the picture.  It was driving me crazy and in the process I woke Sam up, which also lead to his inability to sleep.  Things eventually settled, then Bennett decided to wake up at 2 a.m......TO PLAY!!!  He played and talked and laughed for a full HOUR.  Needless to say 3:50 came and I was very tired.

We were out the door by 4:15 a.m. with Sam as our chauffeur.  It was a short drive to Epcot (where we would begin), but the traffic was bumper to bumper once we got inside Disney World.  Once the time ticked to 5 a.m. (I think) Michelle and I decided to jump out of the car and speed walk to the start.  Sam was headed back to the hotel to meet up with the rest of our family, so they could return to spectate, or so we thought.  On our way to the start line we stepped in a mini-swamp (wet feet=NO FUN when preparing to run 13.1 miles), we went to the bathroom a few times, we chatted, and we people-watched.  We made it to our Corral (D) in plenty of time to see/hear the the start of the race.  The first group to go was the wheelchairs.  Over the loud speaker, the hosts yelled the countdown and BOOM! a beautiful firework display started the race.  There were 27,000+ participants.  We were the fifth wave to take off.  We were cheered across the start line by Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy (I think) who were sporting their own running gear (at this point, I wish I had my camera).

We stopped at the port-a-potties during the first mile, but didn't spend more than a couple of minutes stopped.  Our plan was to run 1 mile, and walk a minute throughout the race.  I had anticipated a 11:30 minute pace according to the training runs I had done with Michelle.  This was my second half, but Michelle's first, which makes a huge difference when it comes to speed, pace, and fatigue.  We finished the first 3 miles in 36 min 20 seconds which was quite a bit slower than I had expected, but we had made a stop, so that is probably the reason for the extra minute.  We both felt good during the first 3 miles and enjoyed listening to bands, seeing a few Disney characters, and the Epcot hot air balloon.  Much to my surprise, we also saw Sam at about 1.2 miles.  He ran with us for a few minutes telling us they wouldn't let him out of the park and that my in-laws were taking care of Bennett, so not to worry.

At mile 6, we were averaging an 11:36 min/mile.  Sometime around mile 5 my left hip and knee began hurting, but not bad enough to cause me to stop.....besides that I felt great.  We ran through Magic Kingdom during this stretch which was my favorite part, besides the finish.  It was fun to see all of the spectators, to run through the castle, and to see the park without all of the patrons pushing you in every direction.  However, there were so many runners that we were in a pack the entire race, causing it to feel like we were being pushed around (especially when the course was narrow).

One of the biggest highlights of the race was passing Al Roker from the Today show between mile 7 and 8.  It put a little hop in my step....The pain in my left hip and knee continued, but at this point, our pace allowed me to keep going without much difficulty.  I stayed a little in front of Michelle, dropping back occasionally to encourage her to keep pushing on.  Mile 9 through 11.5 of the race had a very boring view.  Once we entered Epcot it got a little better, but we still spent a lot of time running through parking lots and around loading docks.  Again disappointing to spend $140+.

We saw Sam again at mile 12, which made me smile and get a little emotional.  Overall, I had felt good the whole race and I knew I could finish, but I never thought I would be back to running this distance only 9 months after Bennett was born.  When I saw Sam I felt proud that I had done it....with his and Michelle's help.

 We finished the race in 2 hours 31 minutes, which was an 11:32 minute/mile pace.  You can check out Michelle's account HERE.

Since the race, my left foot has been KILLING me.  I have been trying to rest, ice, stretch, gently massage, take meds, and stay hopeful that it will pass.  I hope it does, because I have a goal.....I want to run the Gasparilla Half Marathon with Sam on February 26th.  I just want to see how fast I can go.  I know if Sam runs with me, he will push me harder than I can push myself.  However, I must get this left leg/foot pain under control, so I can get back to training.

We had a great experience, but it was because we did it together and accomplished our goal.  I am a fan of Disney, but I would not recommend this race.  It is difficult for spectators to get around.  The traffic is horrible.  The course has a few advantages, but overall it is on the highway....and it is way too expensive for what you get.  I ran the Music City Half Marathon a few years ago and would highly recommend it.

Running Tips by Jeff Galloway

I am so excited to be running again.  I am more excited to be training for my second half marathon.  I will be running the Walt Disney World half marathon on January 8, 2011.

When I came across these videos from Jeff Galloway I knew I needed to share them with anyone who may be training for their first long distance race or anyone who may be hoping to train for a short  or long distance race.

Jeff is a Training Consultant for runDisney.  More of his tips can be found here.

I hope you find them helpful.

P.S.- I am planning to begin a physical therapy corner on my blog, so be thinking of questions you would like me to answer in regards to exercises, stretches, sports injuries, posture, etc.

Run-Walk-Run Method



Running and Walking Form



If you would like to see more go to youtube.com and search Jeff Galloway.