Post 5k (by a couple weeks!) and more traction

April 3 was the 5k  April Fools event.  This is one of the funnest and best races I've participated in. First, this race director has plenty of emails and Facebook notices about an event (but not too many, you know what I mean?).  He also has a great staging area of the Start, food/tents, and Finish lines.

Let's take the Start line.  He has it set up with a nice inflatable banner, plenty of "minute" corral areas and, this is to me one of the best things, speakers all the way back down the corral area. This means, if you're a walker or a 13 minute runner, you can still hear what's being announced and hear the national anthem too!

I got out to the race site about 45 minutes early. The day was still chilly, but not near as windy as Saturday, the original event day, was.  Saturday had wind gusts up to 50mph, and I think a few may have been faster than that.  The race director was able to work with the venue (state park), food venues and portapotty people to have the event on Sunday instead. This in and of itself is a huge feat. Not many cities or race directors would be able to arrange that!  I got a parking spot about midway between the start and finish/staging area.  My main reason in getting there early was to get a good parking spot, and to be able to get a race shirt at 8:30, when those of us who registered too late could get a t-shirt.  HOT PINK :-)    There were a few hundred people I guess, who weren't able to make the race on Sunday, but there were over seven hundred people who were happy it got rescheduled!  The race director is awesome. Any other city/race probably would have resulted in a flat out cancellation.

I started walking back to the Starting area about 8:45.  I didn't want to stand out in the breeze any more than necessary, even though I had on a Mizuno thermal shirt, a loose winter Adidas over that, and my Saucony running jacket. On the bottom half I messed up and wore Athleta knee pants, with Nike winter run pants over that.  I should have worn full length tights and then the Nike over it.  My calves were ccccold!  

Not these type of calves!  

I stayed on the side of the corral until the near end and then tucked in to cross the start line.  I was sure I was going to have the same issue as I do with running--going out too fast in "turbo" fashion.  I think I was doing well for the start and then did pick it up a little to stay with a couple other walkers who were near me. My back was a little 'ick' from the twisting of the hips as I walked, but it wasn't too bad. I was walking faster than I do on the treadmill and could tell that.  About three-fourths of a mile in the right lower back was a sore spot. This had happened before, since the accident, on the treadmill and was a "knock it down" signal to me.  I tried to slow up the walking but it didn't seem to help on this day.  I took my thumb and pushed it into that area to try and loosen it up.

The course is sort of an out and back with a side loop about a mile in.  While I usually see the lead racers on the side loop, today walking this course, I saw them much earlier on the course and it freaked me out! Made me think I must be reallllllly slow and then I realized, 'yeah, I am slow today. I am a walker!'  One of the up and coming runners is a young thing, and it was great to see him out there keeping pace with the leaders. (He's 8).  Some people are shocked to see someone 'so young' out there, but it's really about finding an interest that the person like and loves and he loves running and being fast.

That side loop is almost another mile as well, so it's not a straight line out and back and there is some scenic change to enjoy as well!   On this side loop is where I slowed down and was massaging the right mid back several times.  I got to where I walked with it just barely making its presence known, so it wasn't painful, but wasn't gone either.  Just 'noticeable'.  

The rest of the event, last mile or so, I slowed down a bit more too.  I was loving the beautiful day, with the chilly breeze, even though I'd rather have been running the event. I tried not to let the need to walk get me down, but it was definitely frustrating not to go faster, and having to slow a walk.

I finished with a little over 55 minutes, so definitely faster than I have been on the treadmill, but with the low back twitching and hurting, I just don't know how I could go any faster. [I thought it was funny that we always run in races faster than in training and the same held true for walking--even though I didn't expect it to happen].  I wanted to hang out for the finish, but the cool breeze was at work cooling me down too much. I got my results sheet, chocolate milk, banana and popcorn and headed back to the car.  I was trying to remember if this is the race where the race director has a door prize drawing and I couldn't remember, then I decided it didn't matter. I wanted to get warm!


I had my second traction therapy last week on Wednesday and didn't notice any difference, unlike the first one the prior week.  I hurt going into it and I still hurt after the traction and heat + stim.

Friday I felt a lot better. I got on the treadmill and did another 5K.... at my slower pace 57 minutes.  A couple miles into walking I decided to bump the treadmill up to 5mph and try running. I did get further until the pain kicked in, and then cut it back to walking speed.  A whole 30 seconds I ran.  WOW. I **should** be impressed with myself.  

This week I missed traction.  Essentially, I got a whole two hours of sleep on Tuesday night, waking up at midnight "wide awake" for the day. I grabbed the kindle and read on the couch for a bit.  Later in the morning we had our new bed and couch delivered. I feel like a princess having to climb up into the giant bed (with memory foam padding!).  Last night I slept solidly (probably because I realllly needed the sleep) and today I got busy with closet cleaning and laundry.  My wrist pain shot up with all the activity and back pain was steady. About 11am I get a call from the car dealer that I missed my brake appointment. Thankfully I was still able to take my car in. Unfortunately, it meant I also missed my therapy (traction) appointment this morning.  I called to reschedule and they were surprised to realize they had missed me not checking in and rescheduled for the first available on Monday.  I was surprised that they hadn't called me after missing my 9am appointment.

In cleaning out the closet today, I found my bright pair of Brooks Ravenna 6 shoes that I won at last year's Marine Corps Marathon. I'm 'saving' those for when I'm able to get back to running!  I have three old pairs of running shoes I can use for walking and therapy.

Here's to a beautiful weather week ahead!  

Walk--not run, Get Me The Rack, 5k!

I usually thing of things to write about when I'm driving, or doing something else that means I can't write down what I'm thinking about.  By the time I get to paper and a writing utensil, I have forgotten what I was thinking ;-)  I hope I'm not the only one who does this!

This last week I was (still) bemoaning that I cannot run.  Someone asked me a few months ago if I've tried running. I said no, quickly, but the reality was that yes, I did try once after the accident.  My treadmill goes has three instant speed buttons of 3mph, 5mph, and 7mph.  I bumped it from 3mph to 5mph for about as long as it takes to say "NOPE", and went back to 3mph. My whole back was so sore from that 'try' that it just became more simple to say "I can't run" since 11/17/16 car accident.

Earlier this week my doc's office called to tell me the results of the MRI I had on Friday of last week. My wrist has water on it.  I wonder why it can't be aspirated. My knee was aspirated about a decade ago when I ripped my ACL and meniscus. My doc just racks everything up to my autoimmune disease.  (sigh)  It'd be even nice if insurance companies let you pick a physician based on their lifestyle. Such as, I'd like a doctor who is food/health conscious, and runs/exercises, and would look outside the box at investigating things.

The results of the wrist said I had water on it, and apparently it'll just go away in time.  The low back showed some issues and my PCP's nurse relayed that I could do injections or try traction.  Let yourself see how you'd react to those two options and being made to make a decision with that information.  I asked what type of injections, 'corticosteroid'.  Oh, so Prednisone?  She replied with yes, probably. Hmmm, well, I HATE Prednisone.

I asked what traction was about.  The nurse told me "weights on your waist".  Hmm, well that one doesn't sound as scary as Prednisone, let's go with traction.  The nurse replied, yeah not everyone wants a needle in their back.  My thought: Why would an injection/RX be anyone's first choice of recovery?  Medicine is good, but seriously, let's try some non-pharmaceutical things first!

This last time for PT, traction was "added".  (i.e. I did traction, plus the stim, but no Gym to see how I feel).   Traction is putting on a corset/waist belt system, laying on a table, having the belt system attached to a machine that slowly and gradually pulls your lower body from your upper body. Essentially, "traction" is the modern day mid-evil times RACK.  It actually didn't hurt. It felt good and I could only tell I was being moved because the Athleta pants slipped on the table as it moved under me.

rogues-cuthbert-simpson-on-the-rack-antique-print-1845-71236-p
(found via search for "The Rack")

Afterwards I felt good. Still had some pain, but I felt like I could hop and skip.  The pain came back about five hours later, but not as strongly until later that night.

There's a 5K this weekend that I've been debating on entering, so I decided I better get my butt back on the treadmill to walk a full 5k and see how I'm going to do with it.  I decided my time was doable and wouldn't keep the volunteers at the race finish extra long.  In addition, after I had two miles done, I decided to try to run.  BIG mistake.  I bumped up the treadmill to 5mph and immediate pain shot horizontally on the low back and up the back as well. I went back to walking.

Then the race was postponed from Saturday to Sunday. . . . due to strong winds forecast. By strong winds, we're talking wind gusts up to 50mph.  Some people were upset because they had Sunday commitments, but most were happy that:

1. The race director is looking out for racers and volunteers;  and 

2. That "Iowa Nice" extends to parks being flexible with something like a race.  

I cannot imagine a race on city streets being postponed one day. However, since this race takes place in a state park, and no one had the park reserved for Sunday, then the race can still go on!

I entered this 5K for Sunday, as well as one at the end of the month.   I have mixed feelings for having to walk it, but happy to get out in the beautiful Spring and get enjoy the day.  

Last year when I did the Marine Corps Marathon in October, someone asked me why I just didn't postpone it until the following year, and get a better time, since it'd be seven months after my acral lentiginous melanoma/ "toe cancer".  I said because I got into the race for this year and I was going to do it, and I had to get something BIG moved in order to be able to do the race, and would have to get permission to move that again in the following year.  I am now ecstatic that I ran the Marine Corps Marathon last year.  It was my slowest, marathon ever, out of five, but I did it.

In that fashion, I'm getting out there and doing this 5K.  It will be my slowest, longest 5K ever, but I am going to do it.  (I did walk this race with a friend a couple years ago, so it'll be the second 5k I've walked since 2009 when I started running).  

Now, should I do a costume, or just dress as a "walker" ;-)   It is a Foolish race to do, after all!   

2015 is in the books and 2016 is off to a slow start. Putting it out there. Keeping it real.

So long 2015. You've been an interesting year.  I had the fewest amount of races in 2015, compared to any year since 2009 when I started running. This was because of that thing called "toe melanoma" I found in January and had surgery for in April (Stage I).
  Really need to think about the longevity of photos. I'll share what I learned: 

"Get a pedicure before having a procedure on your foot/toes, as people will look at that photo for years to come".  

I've learned a lot about Melanoma this year, including that people can get it in their fingernails!  If you have a black streak suddenly appear from your cuticle in your nail, get it checked out! 

Before the surgery, I did the Marine Corps 1775K run at the end of March, as a walk with a friend who was conquering breast cancer. We were guaranteed access to the Marine Corps Marathon in October for finishing this race.  My next race didn't happen until June-- a 5K prediction run where I ran my slowest 5K, I think ever--42 minutes something--but still it was a run, a first race after foot surgery and a race in which I was able to say, "I am coming back."  I didn't do another race until September when I decided I *really* should be doing a half in order to see where I'll be for the MCM in October.  I did the Quad Cities half (Moline Illinois) and finished the second half with an 80 year old gent in PI time 3:14. My slowest half ever, but considering the training this year and that it was my first half back, it was a great time.  I did two 5Ks back to back for breast cancer in October. I actually have never done a breast cancer 5k, as I always had prior commitments that first weekend in October when the local ones are held. I did one in my town for support to a friend in her mid 30s with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. I did one the next day for so many I know who have had this cancer,  was in a city nearby, and had over 25,000 runners and walkers. I've never encountered a 5K with so many people, and so many who were "just" walkers out for the cause!  It was an amazing experience. My final race was the Marine Corps Marathon. It was my slowest marathon ever, but I improved my first half time from September, and ran a second half that was comparable to my other marathon second portions. My toes really started to hurt about mile 21. I was worried about my legs, and my feet in general getting me to the MCM finish line, but my toes were hurting so much. I started shuffle running at the end, knowing I had huge blisters under the nails.  I ended up losing both my big toe nail and index toe nail on both feet. I tried to save the nails by taking a long soak, sterilizing a pin and popping the blisters, but it didn't work.

Six.  6.  S-I-X races this year. Seems like a low number, but it was a tough year.

The middle of November is when I was thinking, "I need to get back to running, it's been two weeks since the marathon." I didn't and a couple days later I literally hit the gluten-mobile. . . . . pizza delivery driver. He ran the stop sign,  I hit his vehicle.  25 to 0 in seconds gave me a concussion, neck, mid back and low back pain, as well as pain in my right wrist because I went from 10/2 hand positions to 10/slamming on the horn.  I'm really thankful it was about 5pm and slightly sprinkling which meant that there were not any college students out walking to their cars on the street. I am amazed he didn't hit any pedestrians or cyclists.

One might not think the wrist would be much of an issue, but taking off a sports bra/top is painful. Using a mouse/laptop for more than 30 minutes is painful, makes the wrist make weird cracking/popping sounds. A highlight from the accident is the neck xrays which showed my neck was fine, no broken bones. However, from the jaw pain/neck issue I had in April/May/June, I had seen a chiropractor who did xrays.  That showed my neck was not curved as it should be. My xrays from November show my neck is curved as it should be :-)  My chiropractor is awesome and his cracking my C5 for the jaw issue really helped. . . .the car accident was causing issues with C7. As a result of the accident, I really didn't do much for the next 6 weeks.  I did fly for Thanksgiving, and had to hustle through the airport --in extreme pain--to make my connection. Popped Tylenol as soon as I got on the connecting flight (only med I can really take for pain because of my gut conditions).  I walked just over 4 miles on Thanksgiving day with one of my sisters, at a pace of about 2.2mph. While she could have walked faster, I really couldn't. Any faster and my lower back hurt from the twisting of my hips. Really, the *fun* part is asking people to slow down their walking. I really hate having to do this, especially with tore employees who show me where something is in the store. Thanks pizza delivery gluten man. :-( 

A few years ago a friend told me that she puts a dollar in a jar for every day she runs/exercises. I thought this was a fabulous idea. I did it last year with the proviso that I'd put a $1 coin in for any exercise I did in which I had to change clothes. So if I ran and then did yoga it was $1, but if I ran in the morning and biked or did yoga in the afternoon, then that was two changes of clothes and that meant two dollars into the jar.  I basically figured it was one long workout if it didn't involve a change of clothes.  This year I stuck with that same thought, but with the changes this year brought I didn't put as much in the jar as I had hoped.  $134 was in the jar on 31 December 2015.  I thought it was good, considering that many times I wasn't able to exercise. Except, I realized after the 4 weeks of "sit on the couch and do nothing" orders from the general surgeon that I could have probably laid down on the floor and done the Pilates 100 stomach exercises and such. At the time I had been struggling with "I'm sitting here and what can I do other than arm curls". 

Reward money jar

What did I do with the money?  From the 2014 reward jar I had a sterling silver ring made with an amethyst stone, which is The Mike's birthstone.  From the 2015 jar, I took in some pearls I had from The Mike's and my 2009 trip to Hawai'i, plus a couple freshwater pearls I had from which I had to restring a necklace. The jeweler made drop earrings with the three sets of pearls (two round whites, two round chocolate and the two white freshwater).  They're pretty. While they did cost more than the money jar had, I felt it was worth it to make something I will wear instead of having sit in a drawer :-) 

I'm putting it out there, and keeping it real. 

Most of the time in the past I haven't posted my times from workouts. I feel it's not about the times of a workout, but about the workout itself, as everyone is different and has different goals and times. I should only push myself against myself, and not push myself against someone who has a much faster pace and is unrealistic and unattainable for me. I think that pretty much just sets a person up to get knocked down. I want to be about building UP!  Therefore, I'm putting this out there:  

My workout for 1 January 2016. 

2 mile walk. 

2.7mph (I did walk a little slower at the start)

48 minutes. 

My lower back hurt, but not as much as I thought it would. 

 I had to change how I occasionally held onto the treadmill bar because of the wrist. 

I watched the Rose Bowl Parade at the time. 

The Mike was tinkering in the basement, so we kept each other company. 

I could put out there in the Quirky world that, "I walked today" or "I did two miles today". Instead, I'm putting it out there in the universe, to keep this recovery real, that I walked at a 24minute mile pace. ARGH. I use to run double that. I use to walk at 3.7mph (I could walk over 4mph in high school, but that was a while ago).  

This is about where I am NOW and I want, *need* to get back to where I was and more.

Afterwards I did some stretching. Open leg stretching side to side which pulled the lower back area. I did dolphin pose (modified downward dog on forearms) to protect the wrist which hurts. 

Happy new year 2016. Where the only resolution is a "simple" resolution to improve.

Here is to all of US for a better 2016!

Travel and Expo fun!

In prepping for the marathon I started to pack just the day before because 'hey, why not' right?   The Mike had some extra tyvek like wrap around the house and so I made a sign to wear on my back while running the marathon. The front side of my shirt said "This is my cancer fighting shirt" which I got originally for mom's pancreatic cancer but it has grown to so much more than that.  

Heading to the airport was pretty calm. I headed out early, then had to drive home to get my fitletic hydration waist belt, which I then left in the car at the airport.  

I love this sculpture at the airport and try to take a pic of it every time I'm there.  The big statues of people look so happy :-)  

At the Detroit airport I found my gate and then waited. I loved this end of the terminal with the modern furniture and green wall (fresh plants).  

I got into DC around 7 and headed to my lodging (aka sister's).  She had dinner waiting for me (YEAH!), good conversation and a comfortable bed.

The next day she dropped me at the Metro and told me to find my own way to the expo. Fine, the only true part there is she kindly dropped me at the Metro on her way to work.  I kept thinking it was Thursday, which didn't help things.  I sort of wished I'd be early enough to get one of the "Banner Bags" the Marine Corps Marathon people had been talking about on FB and twitter, but I realistically knew that wasn't really going to happen. I was probably 120 in line. The first 40 got one of the bags. Then I chatted it up with some people around me, and they'd run this race multiple times. I get wanting to run a race you like a lot, but I also know there are SO many races on my list that unless it's a local one to where I live it's a one and done for me.  Plus, there are so many people who want to get into this race that I wouldn't want to take someone else's opportunity to run it. While waiting for the race to start some official person handed out the race coins. Only so many are handed out and I was able to get one thanks to the folks I'd been talking to around me. They got them and distributed them.

Expo starts with the Marine Corps Band playing and then the mascots helping to officially open the festivities. I thought the expo location was a great one this year. I only wish there was a giant screen hanging from the top so we could see what was going on at the expo start line. I actually asked a tall guy in front of me to take this picture. :-) 

After making my way through the Brooks Running items, to get a beer glass, pin, stickers, and christmas ornament I waited about forty minutes in line and then headed into the expo.  I was following the Marine Corps Marathon on twitter so I could try to win a Banner Bag in there.  I missed out on the first tweet which happened about two minutes after the expo opened. The next came about forty minutes later and I had just missed it, so I decided "I have nothing else to do today except shop, return something to Athleta, so let's hangout here".  I was really thinking another chance would only be half an hour away.

In the meantime, I had fun at the expo.

Some people tease that they need the 0.0 sticker for their cars. I think the 0.1 beer ones are funnier. 

Went To the Fridge To Get a Beer

I got to see the GEICO gecko. . . 

                             as we were told in Hawai'i, one must be careful of the green geckos-->

they talk.  :-)  

Could I possibly get any more bags to hold?  What was I thinking!? 

Walking around the expo, I saw a woman with a bib sack/race shirt with two walking boots and crutches and another with a single walking boot.  I enjoyed the Marine Corps Band as well.elt I had to buy because mine was in the car at the airport!  

 I enjoyed listening to them here (I recorded this and have that on my FB page), and then sat down to reorganize the items I had purchased and picked up at the expo.  Including the new Fitletic hydration.

After I organized my bag and purchases, I saw the band go by to the left. A little after that my phone buzzed and I saw the tweet from Marine Marathon---

---first three to dance with the band got a banner bag!!!

I was #3  :-)  

The guy in red was a Marine and said he's going into the Air Force shortly.  I sat down to go through my goodie bag (and organize it) and he and his wife came over to do the same. I'm not sure why she didn't go up to be #3!   

All sorts of freebies in the banner bag. 

I was SO excited. My sister even more so, since she ended up with a lot of the stuff!  

I kept the free photo collage, Cliff coupon (which The Mike will enjoy), Dunkin' Donuts (one *just* opened in my town and I love their hot chocolate), a bottle of some sort of body scrub, and the free Brooks shoes. There's also a seat cover (but hey, we have leather seats as they're easy to clean), Cliff socks that hubby will enjoy, and the Runner's World Runner's Field Manual which I've been wanting to acquire!  

My sister got:  The sport towel, Silver Diner  and Wegman's gift cards, and the football tickets.  She really wanted the Dunkin' Donuts one too. MINE!   

Part of my schwag :-) 

After I won the bag I headed out to run my other 'to do' list.

At this point it was 1. Get Food; 2. Athleta.

I took the metro alllll the way to Tysons Corner mall area and enjoyed seeing a Maserati in the mall on display.  I shopped until I was sure I'd drop, relaxed in the chairs by the firepit outdoors and read my Kindle, then shopped some more when my sister (ride) arrived.  

17,206, not bad for a day at the expo and shopping!   

The next day we headed out to shop again, looking for a great dress to wear to a Gala fundraiser for Indian Girls' education.

For lunch we stopped at Bobby's Burger Palace, owned by Bobby Flay. It reminded me of a Whataburger in movies.  I guess I was expecting a little more Burger Bar.  Great food though and that's what counts!  While I wanted the blue cheese burger my sister got, I decided I better order something different and went with the "brunch" burger: Bacon, egg, and beef.  

Their fries are cooked in Canola oil in a dedicated fryer, per the manager on the last part, the cashier pulled out the allergy guide so I could see they use the canola oil. French fries it is!!!!  

This was a small order of fries. It was probably 3 cups and definitely good for sharing with someone!  The sauce it comes with is mayo based (also known as soy), so I abstained from that.  

Good for the Gala and for wearing later!
(Purple of course, for Pancreatic Cancer awareness :-) )  

We had henna done at the Gala, as well as enjoyed learning more about the school, and saw some dancing too.  

Easy day today:  Less than 8100 steps!  

Early to bed (ha ha) and up at 4 for the marathon.