Marathon, Maniac Level, Plantar Fasciitis OUCH

I kept meaning to blog and I kept getting caught up in other things. . . and then I was feeling sorry for myself with my Plantar Fasciitis, and that is how neglecting to post about marathons, plantar fasciitis, and becoming a Marathon Maniac/Double Agent happened. 
Marathon 1 of 2018: (7th Marathon)

This April I did a new marathon. I won't name it because I felt it was awful, not well marked, and more elevation change that I was expecting!  The road was open to traffic (not a big deal). We ran WITH traffic (big deal) since it meant that we were on the road and drivers were weaving in and out of us, or riding our heels).  Those are my views.  Yes, we all know that new races are hard. Yes, we all know that elevation is sometimes hard to gauge on info maps. Maybe I'm the only one that gets car sick watching some of those "we drove the course" videos. I was having some problems with my feet already. I didn't know that it was early Plantar Fasciitis. I had slipped out of my Birkenstocks as I backed up from the car earlier in April. My heel hit the ground and it felt like I had landed with the heel on the sharpest possible rock I could have found in a parking lot. I didn't realize then, but that is a classic PF sign. UGH!

Thank you litter runners, for guiding my way!

A few more aid stations, a slower pace with a hurt foot/sore heel, and I had to ****walk past my car in the parking lot*** to get to the finish line area around a couple curves. I actually stopped and stared and my car and asked myself if the last .75 miles was worth it, or if I should just throw in the towel.  I obviously chose to finish, but it was a hard choice to make.  This somehow surprised the people at the finish line when I mentioned it.

 
End of the worst race I’ve ever done. Not quite the worst on time, but the worst on emotions, morale, signage, etc. I got a golf cart ride back to my car, took off the bloody shoes from the heel blisters, stripped off the socks, re-bandaged the blisters, grabbed my Mexican Coca Cola and headed home.  I might come back to volunteer at this race, but I won't be running it again.  Everyone's opinions of a race are their own, but this is why I won't name this race. 

One on each foot, with another marathon in 7 days!

A few days later I was at the running store to buy one of those socks for PF, and to ask for help. The one guy had it last year and gave me several pointers. . . I just wasn’t going to go to the doctor before the next race, for fear of him saying “stop exercising!” No one wants to hear that when they have Marathon Maniacs on the line!  :P 

I also had to research how to cover up blisters to go again, because there was no way these were going to be healed in a week.  Enter Leuko Tape.   
I actually didn't have Leuko tape at home, and was trying to figure out how to order some (a huge roll is EXPENSIVE). I wondered who would have some, and I called on the place I did my wrist Physical Therapy at last year. They had a small roll left, and she gave me the roll for the trip. I didn't want to take the whole roll with me, so I wrapped some around an old gift card in several layers that I could peel off, cut, and use, and then returned the roll to the PT office.  This stuff worked! 

Marathon 2 of 2018 (8th Marathon):  The Flying Pig. Awesome race. I’d do this again. Okay, I would do the half again, not sure about doing another full ;-) 

The worst part of this was getting to the town/hotel room. Indiana: Drive interstate speed for one mile, slow down to fortyfive miles an hour for five miles, repeat across the entire width of the state. UGH. Hotel. High star hotel. I have my luggage, no carts available, so roller bag, food bag, purse, and small cooler. I tell the check in desk that I am checking in, my friend is already in the hotel. He verifies my name, checks my id and gives me room keys. I go up to the room, walk in and wonder when my friend got knew luggage. . .and why she has so many pink feather boas all over the room, and wonder why she has Krispy Kreme, because she flew so she won’t be able to easily take those to her husband. OH! He gave me a key to the wrong room!!!. Pick all my stuff up again, go downstairs, have another person help me—who asked “but was anyone in the room?” “No? Okay” “here’s your key”.
**reason to have your room completely locked down tight when you’re in your hotel room!**
**reason to never leave purses or wallets in a hotel room, even if you’re not in there!** 

YIKES!

Flying Pig expo was smaller than I was expecting, but it was awesome. Swag bag was awesome –this year with a picnic blanket with the logo on it, posters (with a box!) and technical shirts. If/when I come back for this race, I’ll do the ‘three way’, but this year I decided against the 1 mile Fri night, the 5k/10k on Saturday, with the half full on Sunday. When I signed up for the race I still wasn’t running much from the back pain/car collision of a couple years ago. Combined with the unexpected PF issue, I was glad I had not. However, I did go and cheer on my friend at the 5k/10k, and enjoyed the riverfront of Cincinnati. I highly recommend it! Beautiful with swings looking out to the river, a flying pig/play equipment, and a giant piano keyboard with the pipes being reclaimed/repurposed church chime bells!

The flying pig play equipment. It's wings move up and down! 

Race shirt, Swag blanket,  Purchased pig and glass, won the Route 66 neck gaiter thing,
and the Melanoma Know More magnet and suncreen

 Race day was energetic! Back up pair of shoes! Not those bloody ones from the last week, but the same style, same size, and same make. 

Leuko Tape with 2Toms SportShield over it, to prevent the sock from sticking. 

The first part of the race was exciting, and fun. Running across the bridge to Kentucky, and back to the Ohio:   The only reference I saw to the tv show WKRP in Cincinnati. 

It definitely kept one moving along, as well as the many other runners on the course as well! Then we made it up to the conservatory area, with a **Beautiful** look out over the Ohio River, if you went from the road to the sidewalk (obviously I did). 

Overlook, worth the run!

The next half of the race was okay. I was feeling okay, but then energy started to drain, and the Plantar Fasciitis was aching. I can remember the area perfectly where my run attempt was rejected with a “hell no” from my right foot!

I actually got to see a pig on the race course. He was heading home from his walk

Music on the corner. Beautiful music

It was also getting very hot, with no clouds for coverage. I was glad I had a package of sliced pickles with me, and the little bit of juice, but wished I had a couple of them! As I was on the highway, they were taking down the aid stations and I was shocked. I can’t remember how many miles we still had, but I was shocked they’d take down the tents while there were competitors still on the course! Maybe the people I was with were at the cut off point? Then I started worrying about race cutoffs! I walked past the wet towel station. I rejected one of those because I didn’t want to wash off my sunblock! There were a couple sunblock stations on this course, towards the last ten miles or so—this Melanoma Warrior was happy to see that! 

I was walking the course well, and met up with a woman whom I ended up finishing the race with. Either I came upon, or she came upon me, I do not recall. We were on the roadway, and directed to the sidewalk, and then the fire dept in a little golf cart came around with bags of ice for us because it was SO hot. They ran out for the people right behind us, so I took some and put it in my water bottle, and passed on half a bag of ice. A couple people told me not to do that, but I didn’t need a quart of ice! We picked up our pace and kept powerwalking, she told me that her husband finishes ahead of her, always, and that she knows he’s at the finish line for her. We actually saw him, as he came back along part of the way to find her. He directed us to turn at one point, where we would have gone straight because we saw barricades that way.

After finishing, I hobbled to the bus to get my checked bag, and stripped off those shoes and socks! I was DONE with this brand of shoe. They changed their sizing last year and these two pairs of shoes were my shoes after that size change. They were out! I put on my birkenstocks and hobbled back past the finish line to the “finish jacket line”. I chatted with the woman I finished with, and her husband. I was still there when I got a phone call from my friend, who was at the table behind me, having finished shortly after I did.  

My friend's story on the course is that the aid stations were taken down, but they weren’t directed off the course or anything. She took the money she always carries, gave it to a guy on the street, and asked him to go buy some water at the local corner store for other racers to make their day.

Since I finished both marathons in less than 16 days, I am qualified to become a Marathon Maniac, and thereby a Double Agent! 

WOO HOO!

We went back to the hotel to go to the pool and hot tub. .. ohhh, a hot tub feels great against sore muscles.  Imagine our shock when we arrived and it was a pool only. . .  and you could see the hot tub had recently been removed and another seating area was placed there with new tile/grout/ and placement that just didn't flow. 

With the race in the books, I headed home. Driving with flaring Plantar Fasciitis is hard as the flexing of the foot annoys the PF area. It was time, I took myself to the doctor and asked for help on my plantar fasciitis. 

The doctor gave me Ibuprofen cream, as I have contraindications for ingesting it, and exercises. I went to the running store and tried on SO many shoes, and fell in love with a Saucony style, and I have proceeded to rest my foot since then.

No extreme walking/ no competitive events, no running. Just resting, just doing my exercises, and just doing yoga.  In June I went to DC for Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Advocacy Day and I limited the walking I did because of my foot!  I had graduation for a family member to attend, and I were "sensible shoes". 

Medicine--do you worry?

When we are healthy, it is easier to take time to find something that is gluten free for us. It is not easy, it is just easier than when we are sick.

Thankfully, a pharmacist has stepped in where Congress and the FDA has not. This mystery person created www.glutenfreedrugs.com with a link within for lists: http://www.glutenfreedrugs.com/list.html .

The pharmacist's contact info/email is on there as well, so if you're prescribed something you're not seeing on the list, you can email the person and get a call back.

I know that most --not all--but most prescription drugs in the USA are made with corn starch as a filler. This is helpful unless you have a corn allergy!

For short term prescriptions I have stressed over it, not worried about it, and also found out ahead of time. My most memorable is when I verified an antibiotic post acral lentiginous melanoma toe surgery was gluten free only to have a reaction to it/hives within days and have to go off it instead. I've not worried about some medicines that are short term (like Diflucan) since I figure it's going to mess with the digestive tract anyway :-P

This is the only place I've found for verifying prescriptions ahead of time. I have also called the drug companies from the pharmacy which can be done during the day, but not after hours. It can be frustrating, but the pharmacists don't know this information any more than others. Sometimes they'll hand you the long, small print, package insert. Sometimes I've been handed the bottle, other times I have requested the information so I can call. Information needed to call: Prescription name, strength of dose, type of medicine (liquid, tablets, capsules, etc), NDC number, Lot and Expiration dates from the bottle, as well as the name of the manufacturer, and the phone number of the manufacturer. When I've called, it's taken no more than maybe five minutes to get the information. I worked at a pharmacy in college and recall people asking then about ingredients (before 'everyone' having a cell phone) and the pharmacist would hand the customer the patient insert. Pharmacists don't know what is gluten free and what is not. I appreciated the Target pharmacist who was always wanting to learn. She appreciated hearing about the gluten free drugs list created above and liked having that as a source of information, but not all pharmacists or pharmacies are open to this. I miss Target having a pharmacy.

The cat's medicine. The bottles are great to reuse for storage.
In this case, the pins from men's dress shirts!

I currently use Walgreens and have had them switch a long time maintenance drug from brand to generic without my knowledge --and which I refused--that my prescribing doctor had no clue had even been released (the patent isn't up for a couple more years, so go figure on that FDA!) I was upset that the law allows them to sub out a generic on a prescription that is already being filled (I know they can fill generic from a brand new script), that they essentially canceled my actual brand prescription, and they didn't contact my doctor to get a new prescription right away--I had to do that the next week when I found out. I have had a couple friendly pharmacists at this location but I think they aren't there any longer. For over the counter medicine I have called the companies from the aisle at Target and asked. I called on Mucinex a couple years ago. They don't add gluten, but don't test for gluten. Some say on them. I can't give any recommendations on here, since I have to avoid soy oil and sucralose as well. I ended up ordering my throat lozenges from Amazon earlier this month as Target no longer was carrying the brand I had gotten (Zarbees). My throat was so raw, I just kept drinking hot tea all day long and added honey. I went through a whole 'bear' of honey in one week.

Be well! Stay hydrated. Wash your hands well. Wash your gloves and scarves, or use Purell or Clorox wipes on your leather or vinyl gloves that can't be washed. I keep a container of purell in the car that I use after being in public places and before driving away in the car. Sometimes I forget, and I start the car and touch the steering wheel, so I slather the purell on the hands and wipe the wheel down and the the start button.

Piggies in a blanket

Welcome to 2018!  We have a whole new year in front of us! 

I, unfortunately, started off the new year with a really bad chest cold.  I was out of the loop for a good ten days, and still had coughing and poor energy for another week.  The Mike even made me go to the doctor!   I haven't been this sick since January 2015, and I ended up finding my Melanoma then. So of course, now I am worrying! 

Road salt crystals building off of slush in the garage

I finally counted up my exercise jar ($1 per exercise day/event) and got my bibs together for 2017.  I didn't even have a hundred dollars, but that is more than in 2016.  My goal for 2018 is to have over $100, but I  am off to slow start.  Yoga, treadmill walking, and weights at the gym have already been done. I lost so much energy being sick that I am being sure to start off slow. 

Exercise jar for me = $1 per exercise per day. If I change clothes/change gear and do another workout, then I add another.  Running/walking is $1, if I do weights that same day it's another $1 and so on.  

Starting off the year with beautify from my Christmas Cactus 

Once I was feeling better, I decided I needed another pair of shoes. Switching from the other brand, due to blisters/rubs, back to Asics again meant that I only had one good pair. Since i want that for the treadmill/indoor stuff, I needed a pair for outside.  Hence, I went to the running store and got a new pair for indoor work :-)  Aren't they preeettttttyyyy? 

 
Other stuff has happened ;)  but tonight I gave The Mike the option of pork chop and left over sweet potato and butternut squash, or pigs in a blanket which I have not made in a long time, maybe in a couple of years. 

Chebe and Teton Waters Ranch mini hot dogs!   

I cleaned out the freezer and found two very little partial bags of potato items!  Alexia are gluten free, soy free, and tasteful! 

When I mixed up the Chebe for these, I used my food processor to get it nice and mixed up/smooth. I added about half again as much cheese, after all I wouldn't be able to add in a slice of cheese for these.

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The parchment paper i had on hand happened to have grid work on it. Turned out this was a good thing today. I made gentle marks through with the pizza roller, and then did the actual cutting after removing the top layer. 

I did roll the dough fairly thin, knowing the Chebe dough would 'poof' up a bit. 

I drained the package of mini hot dog by Teton Waters Ranch, then patted them dry. 

It was VERY easy to make these.  Place the mini dog on a square, fold over one corner, and continue to roll the dog to the other side.  Push down when it's upside down to help set the seam. 

Put upright on the baking pan or parchment paper. 

Beautiful!   

With the leftover dough, I made regular rolls. 

 While the fries were on the pizza stone, I put the pigs in a blanket on the cast iron griddle I'd preheated in the oven. 

 Even baking on parchment paper on the cast iron, they got nicely browned on the bottom. 

Pigs in a blanket, served up with some potatoes and peas :)  um, does the ketchup count as tomatoes?
We had Clementine Cuties as an appetizer, so we did have fruit too!  

Piggies in a blanket aren't for every day, but they are occasional meals. :-)