Team JKL Rides Again

Team JKL
Originally uploaded by jahansell

Only instead of Kate, her husband Rick did the ride; Lynn swam, and I ran in the second annual Sharon Sprint Triathlon. Lynn and I were a few minutes slower than last year, but Rick was quite a bit faster than Kate had been, so we improved our overall time by nearly 10 minutes. But it may be my swan song for running - the plantar fasciitis and achilles tendinitis are just too bad. I'm going to a new physical therapist and doing lots of home exercises, but meanwhile, it's the pool for me.


The youngest tri - team - Annika, Simon and Paris.


Awesome volunteers.







I guess after the swim I forgot to take any more pictures!

Selective memory loss

Or is it just complete memory loss?

I ran a almost 4 1/2 miles yesterday, feeling good and strong - I only walked a minute after each mile. I told my husband it was the longest and fastest I'd run in over a year. But looking back at last year's entries, I've clearly forgotten almost everything. I did the Sharon Classic - 5 miles - in a faster time than I ran yesterday. I am, maybe, a little ahead of where I was at this time last year or the year before, but only marginally.
I've also apparently forgotten how many times I started a diet over the past year - various workout programs, South Beach or Weight Watchers, every few months. The truth is, I've probably woken up every day of my life vowing to lost weight starting now.

But so far, this time has been different that at least the last few efforts. I've lost almost 10 pounds, and I THINK I weigh less than I did at any time in 2009. (Never got below about 202 - now I've scraped under 200. But my attitude is different - Welbutrin and therapy are helping with that. About which, more anon.

Well Played, Asics!

Asics just got a fan for life. I bought a pair of Asics Gel-Kayanos at my local megamall recently, to replace my worn-out New Balances. I'm very picky about fit (after too many bad experiences) and liked these a LOT. But when my foot doc told me to wear custom orthotics I took out the factory insoles and put the orthotics in.

Turns out I HATE the orthotics and want to try the shoes again with their original insoles, but couldn't find them anywhere. I emailed Asics to find out how to get replacements, and they sent me some immediately, along with: a mesh backpack, reflective armbands, and armwarmers! I don't actually get the armwarmers - why wouldn't you just wear a long-sleeved shirt? At least when you get too warm you can peel it off and tie it around your waist. Under what circumstances would you need arm-warmers, exactly? The other items seem much more useful.

But thanks, Asics!

5K in 40 minutes and I feel proud!

I haven't run a race since June - I've been sitting on the couch, metaphorically speaking. My internet and Facebook addiction has seriously affected my workout schedule and I've overindulged my injuries. So yesterday I just did it - entered a small local race on the rail trail (thus almost flat) It was a perfect re-entry. Turns out I knew a bunch of people there so it felt very friendly and supportive. The course is a very slight downhill slope out, and thus very slightly uphill all the way back.

In preparing for the race, my biggest dilemma was shoes: I brought my old, soft, well-worn New Balances, and my new Asics with the orthotics. I warmed up with both and decided to go soft and comfy rather than heavy and stiff, and was very glad of it. I managed to run the whole course, except for a few very brief walk breaks in the last quarter mile (mostly due to anxiety - when I'm in view of the finish line I often have an anxiety attack, thinking I'm going to pass out or puke from the effort in front of all those people!)

I crossed the line in about 40 minutes - a 13 minute mile. I'm comfortable with that and felt GREAT for the rest of the day.

I think I may give upon the orthotics altogether and just put the regular insoles back in the Asics for a while. (If I can find them - wonder if I can order new ones?) I'll still wear my very supportive chaco's and keep the dress orthotics too. But the running ones have always felt awful. Maybe I can get my money back!

South Beach diet

It's the only diet that's worked for me, long-term, in the last many years. With little fanfare (a week's throat-clearing and ingredient-preparation) I started last Monday, for REAL - i.e. no exceptions. (The last dozen times I supposedly went on it, I didn't stop drinking or really cut out fruit and all bread. So it wasn't South Beach at all.) I've been hungry a lot this week, especially towards the end, but I lost 5 pounds. I know that 5 pounds that disappear in a week can also come back in a week, so I'm not dancing a jig or buying new clothes, but I AM refocusing and doing it again this week. My hope is to lose the 15 pounds I gained over the last year, and another 10 beyond. That would get me to 185 or so - well over what is supposed to be the max for my height - but I think I'd feel and look fine. (Besides, I'm following the zsa zsa gabor theory : at my age, it's better to keep a little more in my fanny than lose to much in my face!)

Plantar Fasciitis still bothering me, so I've asked for a bike trainer for my birthday (this Friday.)

Back on the road

After about six weeks off for physical therapy, rest, and lots of drugs (Mobic, a strong anti-inflammatory) I ran yesterday. I took it easy - ran 2, walk one, for not quite three miles. I felt GREAT. Legs a little heavy, but not terrible, and I didn't feel like I'd lost too much endurance despite the fact that my swim and elliptical workouts have averaged only about 20-30 minutes, 3- 4 times a week. It was just nice to be outdoors, on a not-too-hot late summer evening, feeling myself work.

After, I stretched well, iced for 20 minutes, took my mobic, and woke up feeling pretty good this morning - very little tenderness. I'm still going to ease my way back in, trying make sure I alternate with bike, elliptical and swimming as much as possible.

I'm not sure what goal to shoot for now as far as races - I wasn't going to do the Dutchess County Classic (half-marathon, one month from now) anyway, but the Harvest Heart 10k is in about 6 or 7 weeks - that could be doable. I don't see Philly in my future either - a half-marathon in 3 months? Or I could just try for a fall 5k (maybe Falls Village) and then work my way back to longer distances for spring. I guess I'll see how training goes in the next few weeks and decide by late September.

Second Opinion

After feeling so frustrated and angry at the way the "sports medicine" orthopedist dismissed my desire to keep running (and after a record thirty comments in response to a post about it on Facebook, roughly half in favor of giving it up and half in favor of sticking it to the obnoxious doc) I went to a podiatrist yesterday.

He was almost as obnoxious and abrupt as the other guy, but with a dx I liked better. I do have plantar fasciitis and a heel spur, and I do have some arthritis developing in my big toe, but neither should stop me from running in the future if I so desire. He said, contrary to Dr. #1, that yes I do pronate and yes I do need orthotics. (2 sets, one for walking, one for running. Total cost, about $700, no insurance coverage. And no I can't afford that. But I'll deal with that later.)

He didn't think physical therapy would solve the problem but might make me feel better in the short term - but he prefers drugs for that and prescribed a very strong NSAID. We made an appointment to come back and get cast for the orthoses (I think that's the plural of orthotic?) and that was that.

So I've decided to do all of the above. I started taking the NSAID, and it made me feel sorta queasy and weird today. (Maybe compounded by painting the kids' room, and breathing the fumes, in the hot humid afternoon, after very little sleep for two nights running.)

And I went to PT this afternoon, at a place I've not tried before. And Loved it: this woman spent 10 times as much time really trying to understand me, my feet, my legs, my bones, muscles, tendons, fascia, as both those guys put together. She did all kinds of manipulations and put me through a lot of different excercises and test to find out my precise strengths and weaknesses.

I so don't have time to go through this, but think if anything is going to get me back on the road again it's my new best friend, Kim the physical therapist. She asked so many questions about ankle injuries I had when I was 12, the dance training I had as a teenager - it was all important to the big picture.

The doctors made quick decisions based on their preconcieved ideas: the podiatrist knew before he started that people who pronate need orthotics. The orthopedist had already made up his mind that orthotics don't do anyone any good. The physical therapist based her judgements on what she actually observed as she got to know me. Why does she get paid so much less, when the care she gives is so much greater?