Base run

This morning was a typical base run of 6.5 miles, nothing fast, nothing slow. I felt a bit draggy this morning before I ran, but I knew once I got going that I would be fine and I was.

There was one thing I did differently this morning. I have been reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougal. In his quest to figure out why his feet hurt so much (sounds like a similar journey, eh?) he discovers the amazing Tarahumara runners of Mexico and their fantastic ability to run long distances. The book turns into a discussion of barefoot running and the advantages of using the natural foot design as opposed to all of the fancy running shoes, orthotics and inserts we runners hold dear. It made a lot of sense and I would really like to try the Vibram Five Fingers shoes he recommends. I have some reservations though, I wear a half inch lift in my right shoes to compensate for a shorter leg, I wonder how that would work with these and I also wonder if running without my lift would be a bad thing. So with barefoot running on the brain, I did the absolute opposite for my run today and embraced the evil cadre of podiatrists and wore my orthotics for the first time in a couple of months. My feet feel a bit more achey after my run and I don't know if I want to go back to wearing them. But we'll see.

Nearing a peak

My running has been going really well these last 3-4 weeks. I have been getting in some great long runs which I think have been helping quite a bit. The soreness in my feet hasn't been too severe and I have been able to recover with little to no lasting affect. I feel as if my conditioning is ratcheting up to a peak point that would be optimum for doing a race. Its actually a good thing I am not as I will be taking what will amount to a two week layoff here in a few weeks to go to Europe. If I were training I would think that another 3-4 weeks of training at this level and I would be rock solid.

I have never been able to time my peak for running a race. When I was training for the Portland Marathon I peaked way early (about two months so). I was enjoying establishing my base so much that I kept wanting to push myself further. If I had been able to hold back around 30-35 miles a week instead of getting over that cusp of 40-50 I would have been fine. But I wanted to run far and I did, so I paid the price of missing my peak. Course then I just tapered off and started again but it wasn't quite right and plus I was dealing with a groin pull I got by jumping out of the way of a rushing mother and her carriage coming out of a blind entrance to a park. Really bugs me to this day that she never even said sorry and had no idea what so ever what she had caused me to do. Grrr, shouldn't drag up those old bad memories.

While watching the marathon, we watched an African runner go by who looked really impressive as a runner. John Riak was one of the most ripped individuals I have ever seen and had fantastic form even though he was finishing up a marathon (as it turns out his first and he placed fifth.) On my run this morn I visualized his legs and gained a feeling of sturdiness and strength in my own. I was IMing with my running partner and we looked him up to see where he placed and who he was. She found this great article on his struggles living in Sudan. Hefriended us both on Facebook and sent us nice notes. We both have a new favorite marathoner!

Mileage increase

Last week my mileage cranked up quite a bit. I ran five days last week and ended with a long run of about ten miles, my total for the week was 37 miles. My feet were a bit sore yesterday after the long run, but overall I feel pretty good. I did however take the day off today in favor of a rest day. I think this was a really good idea. This will negate my fast start to the week, but I think that is ok. The last couple of weeks I have run on Mon and Tues, even if it is only a psychological difference (say from running Mon and Wednes), it has made me feel like I have been off to a great start in terms of running miles and frequency (which I have!) This week I'll just have to make do.

I do think that I ran too much last week. For me I would like to keep it around 30 miles for the week. I think that is the optimum amount of running for me to do to keep the weight in check as well as a nice level of conditioning. Three base runs plus a long run on the weekend will give me those miles. I do still like going out five times though. One last thing on increasing miles, be careful! A safe increase is 10% on a weekly basis.

My run this weekend was really good. My running partner and I put in about eight miles running along the Willamette from Downtown to Sellwood and back. Our plan was to time our run to finish as the Portland marathoners were crossing the finish line. The last 30 mins or so we stewed and fretted about making it. We got there 30 seconds before the winner crossed. Great timing!

We did another slow run this time. It is funny how one might not think a slow run would work you as hard, but in actuality it is even tougher. I guess it is because you are taking more steps? The goal of the run is to keep your heart rate down so you are running in the "fat-burning zone." The pace is supposed to be about 2 minutes per mile slower than marathon pace. I have heard advice to the contrary, but I know after doing these workouts a couple of times now that they are great workouts.

Once we were done with our run it was awesome watching the runners. There were some notables, one a Japanese man who had "Tiffany" on his race number (Portland Marathon lets you put your name or apparently someone else's name on your number.) He was funny. We got some great smiles from folks who where only blocks away from finishing. Some runners looked terrible, some looked like they just started. We where about four blocks from the finish, when the first woman passed us, she was about forty feet ahead of the second. The woman is second looked a lot stronger and ended up passing the woman in first place with 200 yards to go (how disappointing for her).

Carried by the wind

Today I headed out of the house for a morning run without too much confidence it would be a good one. I was well rested, but my stomach was upset (Ruthann (who felt the same way) and I referred to it as Pizza Roma-ria). It was also a tad bit breezy out as our fall weather is blowing the summer out. Not being a wind fan, I was a little discouraged with that (though looking forward to the cooler weather and rain that comes with fall in Portland). So I got going once I passed through the park and noticed, hey, I'm cruising along! At first I attributed it to the very slow run my running partner and I did on Sunday (more on that in a bit) and it may have had something to do with it both physically and mentally. But I figured it probably had more to do with the wind (which I had thought was at my back). It felt really good to be moving so well, especially after really slowing down on my runs in general lately.

When the half way point hit, I thought ok time to turn back into the wind. I also figured I would be sort of burned out after keeping my fast pace going for three miles or so. But I turned into the wind and it wasn't there. So I happily kept on waiting for it to pick up any moment. Soon, about 3/4 through the 6.5 miles I was planning, I realized the wind was at my back. Huh? As it turns out I was running my fast pace INTO the wind and didn't even realize it. That is when I knew this was going to be a great run. I spied a flag an confirmed the direction and quickly found myself home (with a break to talk to a neighbor I see on my route all the time). I came in at under nine minute miles for my pace, which is about 35 secs faster than I have been running lately. This just might inspire me to start up the speed work again!

So my run yesterday was a "S L O W" (as we kept IMing back and forth about it beforehand) run. Our goal was to do seven miles at about an 11 minute mile pace. It was hard to hold ourselves back but we did a really good job. Either the route was longer than seven miles or we went really slow at almost a 12 minute mile pace. It was a surprisingly good workout, but it makes sense when you consider your a taking more steps and pushing off more frequently. Plus it makes the next run seem super fast!

Bicentenial!

Wow, 200 posts. That seems pretty amazing to me. Not that having enough to talk about on running for 200 occasions is that big a deal, especially for a runner. We love to talk running and many msers love to talk about ms as well. So I guess I have it pretty easy. As far as the ms goes, the only things I really have to talk about are my aching feet (umm, plight of a distance runner?) and bladder issues (plight of a 40+ year old?) so I feel like things are going pretty well for me. I could lose some weight, I'm about 15 pounds over where I would ultimately like to be. But I feel like I am in good shape if not great shape. As far as the weight goes I suspect it may be the rebif that is causing it (or we could go back to 40+ to explain it). I do feel like I should be lighter than I am with the running I am doing. Though I have found that I need to be running over 30 miles a week consistently in order to lose weight. I have altered my diet somewhat with eating more fruits and veggies and less pasta, breads and cheese (though my reductions in the last two food groups could be greater!)

Other things to think about for a 200 post review: I seem to have a bit of short term memory loss, I also seem to have a bit of short term memory loss (ok sorry, I couldn't resist the dumb joke.) I have noticed that every once in awhile I will set out to do something and it will just be gone. If I fret and stew it tens to stay gone, if I just move on to something else it tends to come back to me pretty quickly. I find myself relying on lists more and more which could just be a defensive reaction to memory loss paranoia. Throughout my life I have experienced minor bouts of insomnia. I have noticed that I have been experiencing it more regularly as well. Like last night for instance, grrr. The other oddity has been getting music stuck in my head, it seems to happen really easily and gets really stuck.

This weekend I went for a long run, 12.5 miles. I thought about adding another miles to make it a half marathon distance, but I was feeling like I had already pushed myself enough. So I ended it. But it was a good run and I didn't kill myself too much. I did some yard work after and I think that sent me over the edge in terms of exhaustion. I slept like 10 hours that night. Today's run was a base run. I felt like I was going pretty quickly, but I was doing a 9:30 pace (or plod) but I did feel pretty light on my feet, so I think I am improving (at least my cardio if not my speed.)

Base run in the rain

The rainy season isn't quite upon Portland runners, but we have been getting a taste of it recently. I really enjoy running in the rain, as long as it isn't a downpour (which is fun in it's own way). The sprinkly rain we have gotten this week is really refreshing though it does tend to make things very humid. Today when I was doing my post run workout, it felt fantastic to have the rain on my shoulders as I was doing push-ups.

Today I did an afternoon run which I rarely get to do in the summer because of the heat. Today it was pretty cool and the aforementioned rain kept things very nice. The only issue I had going on today is my feet. Running in the motion control shoes does seem to help with the pain. One of the most difficult things about my foot pain has been separating pain I feel from injury from the ms pain I feel in my feet. I can run through the ms pain, but I don't want to over do it with the injury pain. I would rather recognize that and take it as the warning it is meant to be.

Running through the ms pain is not that big of a deal at this point in my ms career. It is more of a discomfort. But sometimes it does feel like my foot is sort of cramping up and stiffening. It sounds worse than it is, but it still isn't great! I do think I can run through this with no problems. As long as I can rely on my muscle memory and awareness of my foot placement I think I will be ok. I think if that goes say from an extended break from running, that I'll be able to build it back up. I would think this would be the same for someone just starting out as well.

Fastest run this month & flip that lift

I didn't really set out to do a fast run, but that is what I ended up doing. I didn't wear my orthotics, but used my lighter Aisics Gel Kayano 12s which are also a size smaller than my Mizuno wave rider 10s. I have noticed being able to run faster in them in the past, but the two previous runs were at my normal of late pace of 9:30. Today I ran just over nine minute miles.

I also flipped my lift over. I have been wearing a lift in my right shoe since I was like 9 or 10. I remember being mortified that I would have to wear giant shoes to correct my shorter right leg. But it was only a half inch or so, all I needed was a lift in my right shoe. So they made me a leather and rubber wedge shaped thing that I have been wearing ever since. Yep the same one. Over the years I have molded it down pretty well on the inside of my foot, so that side is completely worn away. So I decided I needed a new one. I was really excited to have a new one, a thirty year wait over and done with.

I went to a foot store in a strip mall (yes, questionable, but I figured they would be cheaper than a podiatrist) and showed them my lift. I told them I had worn it way down on the one side (as was obvious) and that I wanted a new one, a full one. They said they could make me a new one out of hard foam and carve it to match my foot. Perfect!

Two weeks later it is ready and when I pick it up they have made me an exact replica of the old one, an almost artistic replication. I tell them no, I wanted one that isn't worn away, a full one. The person said, "Oh sorry, the guy who made it quit and he is the only person who knows how to do it." Great. Well I can always use another lift exactly like the one I had, so I took it and went home dissapointed.

So, today on my run I flipped my lift so the worn side was on the outside of my shoe giving my inner foot more support. And it worked well I thought. It was pretty comfortable, less foot pain than many of my runs. I don't know if I would recommend flipping your orthotics, since I wear my lift under a motion control insert I think it worked for me.

I am thinking about buying a pair of walking shoes to wear to Europe this fall. Time to research!

Third run in a row, twice in a row

Well, third run in a row twice with a three day break in between. I don't think this qualifies for my four runs in a row method of getting back into running. And to top it off I probably won't be running tomorrow as I will be up somewhat late tonight with band practice. Speaking of, I just joined a band - the Carroll Raumm Orchestra. Talking to the director I found out they play for the Portland Marathon every year. Seems like I remember them, but I was probably so jazzed (no pun intended) to be running that I may have forgotten. Now I will have an excuse for not running it!

So, today's run went pretty well. I wore my motion control shoes for the second day in a row. I had put these aside when I got my orthotics as I was supposed to run in a neutral shoe with them. My podiatrist said I could easily rotate them if I wanted (since I had just purchased a new pair of the MC shoes). I have noticed that I seem to run faster in them then my orthotics (though not these last two days). The orthotics are more comfortable, but are heavier. In addition since wearing them I have a reoccurring plantars wart on the bottom of my foot. My doctor says they sometimes pop up with new shoes as your foot might rub and the irritation can contribute to them. He said my orthotics were probably the culprit and told me about an over the counter medicine called Duofilm. The Doufilm worked (the wart came off eventually leaving a small crater on my foot) but it came back. I have gone through probably four bouts of applying the medicine. So in my foot book, they mention using common duct tape on the wart to cover it after you put wart remover on it. Apparently this is one of those common things that everyone knows. Well, not me. So I have been using the duct tape (just a small square) instead of a bandaid for a couple days now. Apparently the glue irritates the wart. Anything to do that!

I did notice some foot pain after my long run on Sunday, but not enough to discourage me from running a couple of base runs today and yesterday. There is a part of me that thinks I should head my body's message more and just stop running. But there is a larger part that says buck up and deal with it and use the warning as incentive not to run too much. Moderation!

Ten miles and no extra pain

Being that I didn't do my four runs in a row, I can't say I am back into it. But today I did a ten mile run that went really well. I felt pretty good through the whole thing and even picked up the pace for small portions. I didn't start out with a long run in mind, I initially set off for one of my base runs. But the 10K base run turned into a 10 miler. There is a point in my regular route when I can go left for the ten miler or right for the 10Ker (two blocks later I can go straight for an eight mile route or right for the 10K). Usually I just follow my initial plan. Running is so methodical that it is east to decide on a plan and then stick with it. But today was an exception and I went to the left to see what the three bridges path had in store for me.

Nothing too exciting. I ran into some neighbors and their kids on the trail. Later I ran by some geese and ducks that sounded just like my cell phone ring, I kept having a phantom itch to answer it (even though I didn't have it with me.)

Big news: we got a puppy. She is a cutey, but will never be a running dog. That is ok, someday I'll have a canine running pal.

Sure fire way to get back into running

I said I would write yesterday when I ran for two days in a row, but I didn't. Now today, my third day in a row I remembered my sure fire method for starting running and I figured I had better write it down.

I don't know why I struggle with getting back into running, I have a sure fire method for doing it. I learned it very early in my running days, in fact I think I probably figured it out the first time I got hooked. It's simple: run four days in a row. By the time you finish you will be hooked again. It doesn't even matter how far you go, I posit that it works for runners at all levels and distances. The routine of running those four days forces you to work it into your schedule and once it is there, once running is a part of your daily routine it stays. Unless of course one of the myriad of roadblocks gets in the way, but then it is just time to build back up and do those four days.

For me my running days have been around my base run distance of six miles. I have been taking it slow, but I have firm about not giving up. I remember doing it when I was just starting out when I did four days of running a mile or so. I even remember running up the road that led south way from my friend's farm in the summer. I'd run about a half mile up the road then turn around and run back. The run back was a reward as it was all downhill surrounded by dry golden fields.

So tomorrow will be day four, I don't plan on getting up early though. I may just have to experiment with three days in a row with a weekend kicker. But I feel good today despite the heat of my run today. I tied a new route which always seems longer. My five miles seemed like eight, mostly from the newness of the route. My estimation of the distance was about a mile or so shorter than my guess. I did run through Laurelhurst park a beautiful park that I used to live a block away from. I used to run with my friend Karen and a run around the park seemed like forever.

Fast run out of nowhere...

Last night I promised myself I would go running this morning no matter what. I even cemented the deal by telling my wife (who recently asked "Have you stopped running?") I was going. So last night I slept poorly for some reason (probably lack of running!) and when the alarm went off I hit the snooze three times. But my mind and body got the best of me and I got out of bed before I could hit it a fourth time. I was sleepy, but I was going to go running and that was that.

Right off the bat I found myself running a pretty good pace. There was a lot of smoke in the air (I swear, fireplace fires in August? I guess it was a little chilly...) and my lungs burned a bit. Still, I pressed on and figured I would be out of it soon. And I was. I don't know if it was the five days of rest or what but I was cruising. Well, having watch the world championships in track this weekend I am not so sure "cruising" would describe my pace, nut I was moving faster than I have recently. When all was said and done my pace as about 25 seconds faster per mile.

There is a runner I see all the time who runs very fast. Today when I ran into him I matched his pace. OK, confession time. I was going down a pretty good hill and he was on his way up! Still I felt good!

My plan is to go tomorrow as well. See you then.

Still struggling

I have been having the hardest time lately getting up for my runs. I have all sorts of excuses: too hot, sore feet, visiting relatives, not enough sleep, and more. But really it comes down to just not pushing myself to get out and run. Laziness is contagious, or I should sat it builds upon itself. I can easily get into a pattern of running 4 or 5 times a week. The runs will come easily, the motivation is there, everything seems perfect. Then I will break that pattern for whatever reason and I have the hardest time getting back into it. There always seems to be something getting in the way. I think I need to pick up a running book. Reading even a little about running always gets me back into the running mindset. I have an interesting book that is sitting on my shelf as well that I could start reading again. I forget the title but it has to do with training the brain for running. And that is just what I need!

Rain!

After a summer of dry heat it was a welcome change to have a wet run in the rain. The downside was it was still pretty warm and the combination made for a muggy energy sapping run. Still it was really nice and I totally enjoyed myself. It's funny, my shirt felt so heavy being soaked. I felt like I was carrying around a ton of bricks with me. The light was really cool looking, I forget how much I like the light on cloudy days especially in the morning.

My feet are feeling the effects of running too quickly after injury. They don't feel so bad before and during my runs, which is probably one of the reasons I have been pushing it. But after they have been really achy. Nothing aspirin doesn't cure, but it is definitely a reminder that I need to take it easy on these runs. My feet are probably saying don't run at all, but the rest of my body says ahhh go for it.

The first rains of the summer usually have a crushing effect on our yard making everything sag under the weight of the water. It also made the trails I run on a little treacherous with fallen branches. I had to stop several times and toss branches off to the side and out of the way of the next runner. I feel an obligation to the trails I run on to make it better for the next runner both in terms of a clear path and picking up garbage (especially in the canyon). I draw the line at dog poop though. I just can't see carrying plastic baggies with me on my run and stopping to pick up crap, that's taking responsibility a little too far. Especially when it isn't being reciprocated.

Hobble-Along Cassidy

Against my better judgment I went for a run today. To make it a worse decision I went for a long run. While I will admit this is a dumb idea for the most part, I actually felt pretty good. While I totally advocate and practice rest when injured, I also feel there can be some benefit in stressing an injury. This might be the dumbest idea ever, but I think it can help build you back up stronger than ever because while you are stressing it you are aware of it and focused on it. Like I said, maybe this is bad advice, but it seems to work for me. The other aspect of this is that it is so hard to get back to exercising after an injury. You get in the pattern of not working out and resting yourself and it is really hard to get away from the luxury! As you heal it is often hard to know when you are healed enough to return. The slightest twinge will keep you from returning for fear of re-injury. I don't think I would apply this to things like a broken bone or anything, but soft tissue damage (as long as it isn't too severe) seems to be ok in moderation (the key!)

So my recently rolled ankle feels ok so far after I went for 7.5 miles today. The one sore area is the outer part of my right foot which I rolled in my stupid flip flops (the devil's shoe!) It started to get sore with about a mile and a half to go. I focused on proper and balanced foot-strike and was careful not to hit any uneven spots (actually did through the entire run.) I did have to put up with a couple people passing me which I hate! But I guess I should get used to that, I'm getting older and slower or at least I am getting no younger and no faster (that sounds better.) One person came up to me in the canyon and touched my shoulder to let me know he was there, I have a feeling my radio (though it wasn't that loud) was keeping me from hearing him. He was nice about it and I apologized for my lack of proper attention, I need to watch that. Scared the crap out of me thoguh when he did it.

Hot weather and twisted foot

It has been two weeks since I ran last. The weather here has been too darn hot. Even in the early mornings it hasn't been cool enough to get out for a run. I think a lot of it is that it is so hot during the day (107 was out high point) that I just get sapped of all energy, even after a night's sleep (which also hasn't been good) I just didn't feel like getting up and hitting the roads. To top it off and seal the deal, it hasn't really cooled down at night. Ok, enough heat excuses for now, besides I have another.

I have a pair of flip flops that I wear in the yard and office. They are moderately comfortable, but they have gotten really stretched out. Occasionally I have rolled my foot inside them. Nothing to do with the ankle, but actually rolling the foot. So I was climbing over our goose fence in our garden and was greeted by a flock of lettuce crazed geese. In trying to avoid them and their madness I rolled my foot. My small toe actually rolled under my foot. At first I thought I had broken something, it was really sore. But I didn't have a black and blueness and putting pressure on the bones didn't cause any pain. I think it was pretty much soft tissue damage. So heat and outside of my foot pain kept me preoccupied for the last two weeks. A couple of days a go I stubbed my little toe on my other foot so bad that it has turned black and blue. If anything is broken it is that toe. Gads.

So despite the foot issues I hit the roads today. It is so hard to get back into things after a layoff. You get used to being lazy. But it felt pretty good. My cardio fitness took a hit, but it will come back. The run went slow which was fine with me. There were a lot of people out running today. It looks like I wasn't the only one to be inspired by the recently cooler weather. A little over half way I rolled my ankle (not my foot this time) and it still hurts. I probably should have headed home right there, but it still would have been a long walk. So after a couple of minutes I felt it was ok to continue. The rest of my run went pretty gingerly and I was really careful of any jumps off curbs or uneven trails. Now ice is in order as well as some ibuprofen.

Smelling good

I finally broke down and purchased some special sports detergent, I couldn't take the stink any longer. I am not sure what happens when you exercise as far as sweating goes, but apparently I excrete death. So, Sports Suds to the rescue. I am so far pretty impressed with the job this stuff does, my duds smell pretty much like new after one wash. I say pretty much as there was still a bit of a lingering odor, but for the most part the mildewyness is gone. Next up, my shoes.

I don't wash my running shoes ever. I prefer the look of the grubby dirty shoe to the clean new shoe any day. It says I am a runner, not someone who just jumped into a pair of new shoes out for a doctor recommended run for the first time. New shoes look especially bad at the first of the year as now you take on the persona of the new year's resolution runner destined to do it for a week and then retire the shoes to the back of the closet. So, give me the dirty shoes any day of the week. However, mine have reached the point where I want to do something. Its as if I am strapping on big smelly blocks of mud to my feet. Plus I want to try the Sports Suds on them and see how it works, especially when it comes to the odor elimination part. While I don't keep my shoes inside the house, I do keep them in my office so smelling nice would be, well, nice.

Today I took my clean clothes out for the second 8+ mile run this week. If I can manage a couple more moderate runs I will be well over 30 miles for the week which is pretty much my goal mileage at the moment. I don't want to go too far over that right now, but five runs a week of 6+ miles would be great, or three 6+ runs and a long run. Today felt pretty good, I was getting a bit tired near the end, but I finished strong with a faster than usual pace.

I just found a couple pieces of the wooden spoon I chipped up in the blender making my green drink. Gotta be more careful of that. Today's recipe is not that good: apple, strawberries, two carrots, two kiwis and the requisite head of lettuce. It's not sweet enough, and I think having a banana would have helped it a lot. I am also not sure if I really like the carrot, makes it a little too crunchy. The one I made before it wasn't very good either, the mango I put in didn't work very well and gave it sort of a yucky aftertaste. I want to try pineapple, I think that would be good. Another piece of advice that I took from Montel Williams is try different things in your drinks. He says the variety of ingredients not only provides interesting flavors but gives the body a bevy of vitamins and goodness. Maes sense, but then again a friend just told me a story about studies of people who don't move from area to area and have consistent diets of only local fruits, veggies and meats all showed to have improved longevity and better health. Hmm.

Seizure meds and today's run

In my quest to cut down and stop taking on my seizure medication (Dilantin) I am now down to taking one dose a day (down from 5 a day). Before I was diagnosed with ms, the symptom that really slapped me across the head and forced me (and those around me) to realize something was wrong was the periodic seizures (or spells as I liked to call them, it sounded so Victorian to call them that which somehow lessened my fear). These "spells" would come on randomly sometimes every 15 minutes, sometimes every two hours or so. They seemed to worsen when my body heat would pick up. With running I would have them every 10-15 minutes at first and I would have to slow down to a walk (or attempt to walk, I actually dragged my one foot along in an uncoordinated manner). These instances of uncoordinated walking were paired with slurred speech which was all sorts of humorous and annoying at the same time. I was a periodic drunk without the fun of being drunk.

After being diagnosed with ms, this was the first symptom we attacked. I started out with 3 100mg doses of dilantin (actually the generic phenytoin). This initially helped quite a bit but didn't completely eradicate the issue of my spells. When I got a second opinion I asked a lot of questions about the spells as my main neurologist had told me they were a symptom she hadn't often seen. The docs at OHSU said the seizures (they liked the more doctorly term) were a rare symptom, but a documented one, The good news they told me was that these often go away over time and I may no longer need the medication. The way to decide whether or not I needed it anymore was to gradually taper off and see how it went.

At first I wasn't too concerned as the dilantin was working and my spells at first lessened adn then eventual stopped all together. I didn't like taking the dilantin for a number of reasons. One, I was removing the gelatin based capsules and taking the pill inside and it tasted terrible. Two, it sometimes gave me heartburn for which I could not take an antacid for fear of weakening the absorption. Three, it made my pee smell terrible (oddly, throughout the process of coming to a balance my dilatin levels were always low in my body, but it seemed to me I was peeing out a large amount of it.)

My first effort was to go from taking 5 a day to taking 4 one day then 5 then next. I'd do that for a week and then go to 4 and 4 and so on. I made it all the way down to 3 and 2 when I noticed the seizures coming back all be it very slightly. Still I didn't want a return to them so I went back to taking 4 and 4 which seemed to be a fine balance.

My second effort started about a month ago, but I decided to not do the complicated odd/even dose thing and instead did a full dose jump. As I dropped to 3 and 3 I started to feel very mild seizures at the end of my runs, but that soon dissipated. I stayed at 3 a day for a few weeks before dropping to 2 daily doses. A similar thing happened at this jump. I felt a bit seizuery (yes, not a word) after a few days as my levels settled. This only lasted for a couple days then went away for the most part. I still felt a little weird, hard to put my finger on just what I was experiencing. Just sort of fuzzy, but not that bad.

I have now dropped to one 100mg dose a day and experienced the same effects as my levels changed. I feel a little woozy, but nothing horrible. The heat has also been really bad these last couple of weeks, so I am sure that had an effect. I am going to stick with the one a day routine for awhile and see where it takes me. But I am really looking forward to stopping all together.

So running. I woe today with a slight hangover, nothing bad as I only had a few drinks last night with a friend. I was a bit sluggish at first, but about midway through I picked up my pace and kept it up. I really wanted to to to the track today, but it didn't seem like the best time to take up speed workouts. Soon!

Hot and fast run

And not only that, but a hot fast run without water. I started out at 6:30 and the temperature was already in the mid 60's. Maybe that doesn't sound too hot, but it is for me and Portland! Plus running in any sun makes it seem hotter. Ok, enough justification for my designation of "hot".

I wore my Asics Gel Kayanos this morn which are a lighter shoe than my Mizunos with the inserts. Despite being a bit more uncomfortable in the fore foot, they do seem to allow me to run faster (or maybe it is all psychological?). I didn't intend to run fast especially since I didn't have water with me but I found myself comfortably keeping up a fast pace. About 2/3s of the way through my six miles I seemed to have forgotten all about the fast pace and I slowed down to a plod for a mile or so, but I kicked it into gear at the end. In the end I broke a 9 minute mile pace for the 6.3 miles. not too bad.

I am thinking I want to start doing some speed work, more out of enjoying the workouts than a need to increase my speed (but a good side benefit). I'll probably head to the track and do some straight and curves here soon (sprint the straights and rest job the curves for a couple miles).

Today I tried a new recipe for my newly found green drink. I call this one Green Chocolate. Two oranges, one banana, one peach, 2 scoops of chocolate whey protein powder and a head of lettuce. It was really good. I bought some yogurt to try mixing into my drinks in the future. I am really like these.

Green drink

I think I mentioned that I was reading one of Montel Williams' books. The book was a little too much for me, a bit too rah-rah for my taste and need. But the fellow mser had some good things to say in it. The one thing in particular that I took from it was his goal of incorporating more fruits and veggies into my diet, something I have been trying to do myself. He makes these fruit and veggie smoothies every day which he claims actually give him an energy boost after he drinks one. And he is right! I totally notice the difference after downing one. Here is his basic recipe: an apple, an orange, a banana and a head of lettuce all blended together. It is thick, green and gooey, but totally good. I added a peach and strawberries to mine. A full blender makes 2-3 drinks that you can keep refrigerated for a couple of days. This morning I had my first second round after mt run and it was awesome.

Today's run went well, 6.5 miles. Nothing too exciting.

Speaking of running

Today I am trying out the speech recognition that comes with Vista. I took the tutorial and was really excited to speak my blog post today. Apparently I can't type into firefox, but I can speak and have it type into wordpad. So then I guess I would need to copy and paste it into the browser. It is still pretty cool, I wish you were better in firefox.

Today I went on my normal run and I decided to go on the Springwater Corridor. There is a neighborhood in the area that I've always wanted to go to but I don't know where it is. I have been there before and gone running there. But it has always been a mystery to me as to where it is. I knew the general area but not exactly. I love the neighborhood there are lots of trees perfect for running. It's very small maybe a square mile. The house is a very nice, very expensive, lots of ranch homes. There is not very much traffic which is obviously perfect. And of course I love the shade.

So I went down the three bridges trail and after the end where I normally turn right into East Moreland. But instead I kept going straight thinking that eventually I would find it. After a block the road turn left and if I were to go straight out would be running on railroad tracks. I don't like running on railroad tracks as they use large course rocks, I guess to offer stability for the tracks. Not the best running surface. Sometimes I have found a trail along the tracks so I continued with high hopes. As I got closer to the tracks lo and behold there was the entrance to the neighborhood of mystery. So I headed in to the shaded blocks. It was just as I had remembered. The people must like living there as there were not very many for sale signs. The entire south side is abut a golf course. As the road swung around to the north I followed it until I reached the north west corner. There was an entrance or I should say exit that let out to the neighborhood of sellwood. I found an Italian restaurant that I want to go to, they appear to have a number of vegetarian options. I also ran by a music shall that does repairs. I think I will bring my sax there.

At this point I decided to head east toward home. I crossed the bridge into east Moreland. That neighborhood was having a neighborhood wide garage sale or I should say sales. They think their junk is worth more than others. I didn't find anything, but I didn't really look. I did scout out some free boxes but found nothing I wanted to carry with me. I was getting pretty tired at this point but I still wanted to run in the canyon. So I get back to my normal route and headed for the canyon. As usual it was wonderful down there. Out of the canyon I was really pooped. I thought about walking home but I wanted to push myself. So I continued running. I actually felt pretty good for the full run despite being a little tired. All in all I ran 11 1/4 miles. It was a great run my feet hurt a little bit but not to that bad. I was telling myself to make sure that may be landed properly, a focused on a heel strike and tried to minimize my impact on the balls of my feet. It seemed to help quite a bit.

So this experiment would speech recognition has been kind of interesting for the blog. I wish I could've just type it right into firefox, but that's OK. I wonder if I could use this for my class, I hope I don't have the same problems that I had with firefox. I wonder if Internet explorer would make any difference.

My shade moved

Today I got out for a morning run after taking four days off. I am not really sure why I took so much time off, I didn't really have an excuse until yesterday when my upper left thigh was feeling some pain. I think this comes from doing to much gardening of which I did my fair share this weekend. I had been icing it and after a couple of days of ice and rest it went away. This is the second time in the last month or so that I felt this. The pain occurs when I try to lift my leg and is more of a weakness than a pain. Could be ms related, more than likely overuse of muscles I don't often use (gardener's thigh). I had no issues with it on my run at all and now after I notice nothing.

My run today went really well, slow pace (9:30) but I didn't feel fatigued or that I was straining at any point. It was actually a bit chilly today and I wore my new gloves, Manzella Windstoppers. They were a bit much for today. When I bought them from Amazon I though they were like the fleece pair that I have, but they are almost more of a shell(even though the review says you could wear them in a shell.) I'll reserve judgment for now, but my hands did sweat a lot in them.

Today's run was the first one in two weeks or so that wasn't cloudy. Usually I find myself seeking shade on my runs. Today as I was on the final stretch eastbound past 52nd I noticed the shade was on the other side of the street! This was the first time I ever noticed that around the solstice, pretty dramatic change. I actually had a lot more shade on that stretch than I usually do (which is hardly any).

Fraternity of the Regular Regulars and sweat, sweat, sweat

Over the years of running in my neighborhood on the same routes during the same hours day after day I have gotten to see the same people over and over again. I have started referring to us as the Fraternity of the Regular Regulars. We see each other so often that I feel like I know them, or at least know what I think they must be like. I wonder if they feel the same and what they think of what I must be? Several of the runners are much much faster than I am. Today I met one of the faster members at a corner, we waved at each other and he took off ahead of me. Later we met again as he was stopped for a rest. I chided him "No Stopping!" as I slowly crawled by him. I always get the feeling he wants to stop and chat, but that's against the golden unwritten rule of the fraternity "Thou shall never stop running for socializing." Later I ran into another favorite, a woman who I often meet in the canyon. We also met at a corner (theme?) she ahead of me. When she saw me on the thin trail, she turned around and went back to a place where she could more easily move aside for me. Usually it is me getting out of the way for other runners, so I was glad to see her facilitate our run. Courteous or not, she is a favorite member for other reasons...

Ok this is going to sound like a "no duh" statement, but I notice a significant increase in the amount I sweat in the summer. It seems weird to me cause even though this morning was very cool, I still end my run drenched in sweat. I am not sure if it is a humidity thing or what. Perhaps it is much warmer and I am just more used to that warmth so in comparison the runs seem cooler. Related, I notice that I lose weight much quicker during this time of year. Even if I am putting good miles in during the winter, I don't seem to lose weight, but gain it instead. Like I said, no duh.

Foot issues

Recently I have been noticing more issues with my feet, well I shouldn't say "more" as in additional I guess a better word might be heightened. I have experienced numb feet at some level for 2-3 years. It sort of comes and goes. At its worst during the height of my last relapse a year and a half ago I couldn't even feel my feet. I remember going into work at an agency and being really worried about getting off the bus. I just had to hang on as I got off and trust that my feet had hit the ground, very disconcerting. I had two desperate incidents like this about a year apart, since getting on the rebif these seem to have stopped for the most part or I should say it's been a year and a half since it has happened again.

As I said the numbness has been sort of off and on and mostly in the background, there but not quite there. And that is still how it is. It definitely isn't at the level it has been. But I have noticed and increase in the discomfort recently. This morning when I went out for a run my feet felt the numbness pretty strongly (again, not nearly like before, just increased). As I ran (say after 15-20 mins) it did appear to lessen. My shoes felt a bit tight in the front part of the shoe today (even though they aren't) as they have for the last two runs. My version of the ms hug apparently, I call it the ms shoe too small.

I think this is something I will just need to live with. The good thing is I can convince my brain that even though it doesn't feel my feet like normal that my feet are there and that they are doing their job. It is that confidence that keeps me going just fine. I concentrate on my foot strike and everything seems to be ok. I actually think the repetitive nature of running is training my brain to operate normally when it comes to my feet. More reason to keep running!

Mt. Tabor small

This morning I went for a run to my favorite volcano Mt. Tabor. I was up late and forgot to do my rebif in the early eve, so I did it just after midnight and stayed up till 1:30. So I was tired when I got up at 7:00 to run. I went out without water but turned around and wisely got my hydration. The first two miles to the crater is a slightly uphill but relatively flat two miles. As I started making my way around the west side I started to wear out a bit, should have brought a gel. I walked more than I usually do on one of the trails to the top. Halfway up I started running and finished without walking again. As I got to the top I normally do this 3/4 mile circular road at the very top, but I decided to pass and headed down. The remainder of the run went pretty well though somewhat slow. My total mileage was just under eight. I think I kept my form pretty tight through the entire 80 mins, no slouching despite being tired and I was really conscious of my foot placement.

The last couple of days I have been down to two doses of the dilantin daily. I have noticed a couple of minor seizures when I was really hot after running and cleaning the house and yard today. I am going to stick with that dose and see what happens.

Humidity and running

These last couple of days our hot temperatures have cooled a few degrees only to be replaced with humidity. Not much of an improvement in running weather especially when the cool down is only a few degrees. My runs these last couple of days have been really tough. In fact yesterday I had to stop before the park and walk for a bit. Usually I have been able to push through that final mile, but not yesterday, so I cut my run short and walked for a bit (I did end up running the last little bit though.) The amount I sweat when it is this humid amazes me, my shirt looked like I had been squeezed dry. Good thing I have been carrying water, I think it has really saved me. Wait let me re-state that so it is not quite so dramatic: really allowed me to complete my runs.

I do think it is a matter of getting used to running in this, especially the hotter weather (not sure if I can get used to humidity). Already it feels a bit easier, less daunting.

Wammo-Slammo Field Day and today's run

Yesterday I did not run, well actually I did, just not around the neighborhood. I thought I would take in a little cross-training and attended Wammo-Slammo a neighborhood Field Day to bring attention to and gather feedback on what to do with an old school and the surrounding grounds that the city has donated to the neighborhood system to do with what they see fit. There were interesting ideas from making the grounds a place for homeless people to express themselves through art to housing and construction of a community pool. Me, I voted to build a track but I doubt that will happen.

So I can't count my lip flapping about a track as exercise, and the neighborhood associations couldn't get people to just show up on a hot day to talk about an abandoned school. This where the Field Day came in. The organizers had a bunch of different "recess" type games for people to play. I got to play a little volleyball, dodgeball, kickball, silly relay races (I dropped my egg in a furious attempt to bring my team from behind) and a sack race (fell flat on my face right out of the gate.) It was a blast and the heat was pretty bearable until the end when we all pooped out. I wish the organizers had gotten more attendees (and filled out surveys) but it was great fun and good exercise as well.

I was tired and a bit sore from yesterday's fun but I decided to get up and get a jump on my week's running. I didn't have a whole lot of energy this morning and I forgot my water, but I had a really nice relaxing run even though now I feel a bit burned out. I don't think I will go out tomorrow. Then again you never know.

Its almost 80

Wow, my first hot (and humid) run of the year. I knew it was going to be tough, but I wanted to get it in before the day ended. I was going on two days in a row of not running and looking like three. Plus I was all fired up from finally writing my diatribe against healthnet and their lack of individual coverage of rebif for people with ms. It almost appears as if the disease is not recognized. I wonder what other fake diseases are out there? Ok, sorry, back to running.

The run went well for the first part. I managed to find some shade for most of it. Still I felt pooped pretty quickly despite eating a great vegan energy bar from Organic Food Bar. I'm gonna have to get more of these. I did bring water and I forced myself to go with the sipping routine to keep hydrated. The problem was I sipped too much and my water was gone before I was half-way through with the run. At about four miles I still hadn't stopped running to walk, but when I hit the canyon the humidity of the rain forest was in full gear. I decided a walk through the canyon would be about all I could do, and barely that. It was oppressive but once I got out of the canyon the humidity tapered back a bit.

Once I was back up on our plateau and only facing a flat run, I decided to run the rest of the way home which worked out just fine. I actually had a little bit of water left, just enough to see me through. Phew! What a run. Now I need to mow the lawn.

Cold run

Today i got up early and headed outside, only to return to put on tights as it was cold. I don't mind running in the cold even though I am ready for some warm weather for sure. Even now (in teh afternoon) my hands are cold out in my office, of course I could shut the door and put on the heat, but I don't want to admit that the warm weather isn't here. Even so (back to the run) my cold weather shirt didn't stay on for long and neither did the gloves, so something warm must be happening.

Today I ran pretty sluggish, I still feel somewhat tired. My time was pretty slow today, well back to where it was when I first started recently. But overall the run went pretty well. I wasn't struggling or anything and managed to keep a consistent pace an rhythm going. I might have been somewhat dehydrated too, I have been guzzling water all day.

I guess there isn't too much else to report at this point today which can be a good thing. No news is good news? Not if you a reader reading a boring blog...

Oh, now I remember what I was going to write about. I ended up watching a track meet down in Eugene on TV last night. It was pretty interesting, a lot of the female runners were not what you would expect from female runners (maybe I watch to many marathons) and many of them were pretty big. Not fat by any means but large and muscular especially the steeplechasers. The OR women kicked butt, but the men's was really close. Right at the very end (they were using a Euopean scoring system) the OR men and Kansas men were real close. It was down to the relay. If OR won and KU came in third it would be a tie and then the discuss would determine the winner. And that is what happened! So on to the discuss! That was when the announcer said, "well, sorry but we don't have time in the broadcast for the discus" and then they referred us to a website to get the results. The stupid site didn't even have the results! I was so mad, and I haven't been able to find them anywhere else. Grrr

Inserts

I forgot to mention that I wore my old motion-control Asics Gel Kayanos the last time I ran. I pulled out the stiff "extra" motion-control inserts I had in there and used the standard one I got with my new Mizunos. As far as my feet went, the run went pretty well. I once again felt the need for extra cushion on the ball of my feet.

So today I wore them again, but this time I found an old cushiony set of inserts to use instead. My thinking was I might be able to deal with the issue with the balls of my feet. The cushion felt pretty good on the run. Toward the end I noticed that I was flapping with my left foot. My right footstrike felt fine, but the left came down as a slap. This immediately caught my attention as this was one of the first things I noticed when running with the ms-related problems I was having with my legs. This happened twice before and at times would get so bad that my one foot (I think it was the left) would almost drag causing me to fall a couple of times. Basically what was happening then was I couldn't get the front of my foot to pull up far enough, which would cause my toe to drag on the surface. It was almost as if my whole lower leg went numb and I couldn't make it work as fully as I normally would be able to (and need to to run). I remember thinking at the time that I was worried I was reprogramming my stride to do the incorrect form and that I would never get it back. When the attack ended after a couple of months, my normal stride came back.

So, I was alarmed. I continued on, step, slap, step, slap. I tried to pull my foot up higher as I struck the ground. I could, with none of the previous problems. I also noticed if I ran on the side of my foot that the slapping would subside a bit. But that wasn't right either. Then it dawned on me, maybe it was the insert. The heel of this particular cushion insert was really thick which I thought maybe was enough to cause the front of my foot to slap as it tried to land correctly, but hit the heal to quickly.

So I finished my run, went in and replaced the cushion inserts with the standard Mizuno ones and went out for a few more blocks to see how it went. Turned out I no longer was slapping. Even when I tried to relax and let my footstrike happen without any mental intervention, everything was fine. I think this was a bit more pronounced for me as my right leg is shorter than my left and I wear a lift in the right side to compensate. This has caused me a variety of issues over the years. This was certainly one of them.

Still recovering

Yesterday I went out for a second run in a row. I had the entire day to do it so I didn't force myself to get up early and run in the cold. This, as it turns out, was not the best idea. So I decided to run after I went to the tax guy. To hold me over I scarfed a Clif bar and ventured out to receive the news (which wasn't too bad). I took the bus, which to go to my accountant takes a couple of buses. On the way back I decided to take a little walk in order to only have to take one bus. After checking the schedule on my phone I realized I had to wait 25 mins which was ok as there is a coffee shop by the stop called Palio that has the best Mexican mochas I have ever had. Unfortunately they also have really good pastries and I found myself ordering a chocolate muffin with granulated sugar on top and a day old bialli covered with tomato sauce and cheese. They were all delicious and the mocha was still the best in Portland. It was only after I finished my bounty that I realized, Oh crap I have a full belly and I was going to go running. To top it off, my allergies go crazy this time of year (I blame the blooming plum trees) AND I am allergic to mil which I had in my mocha rather than soy (I have no idea why I did that).

I was not preparing well for a run.

I got home and piddled around for a few but eventually decided I really wanted to run despite my full belly. I geared up up and headed out. At first I was conscious of my fullness, but it soon went away and I found myself cruising along pretty well. As I got to the halfway point of my base runs I marveled at how nice it was outside. So in direct defiance of my promise to myself to take it easy I took the turn off for the longer run. The run was going really well, my lungs were doing fine and I felt great. I kept looking for the point when my body said "you are approaching the point of running too much, STOP!" But it didn't happen. Perhaps a belly full of pastries and coffee is good running energy (I doubt it.) I then came upon Reed College and a headed up onto campus only to find myself doing an about face and heading off on my longer Reed path which ends up winding through the canyon. Once in the privacy of the wooded canyon, I even needed to remove one of my layers (which was of course the bottom layer) and tied my shirt around my waist. I continued through the canyon where I was later greeted by a chorus of geese and a lone crane. Everybody was enjoying the day.

Toward the end of the run I did feel a bit of pain in my hip again, more of a tightness. It occurred to me that I was getting a bit lazy in my form and that was the cause. So I refocused on lining up my body correctly and dropping my feet in alignment with my frame and the pain disappeared. The body focus I have established from practicing Chi Running techniques has really paid off and gotten me through a number of running problems, can't say that enough.

During my cool down it seems like I finally getting past my back pull as I was able to stretch with ease. That night as I lay down watching a movie I went through my horizontal stretching routine and did my rubber band exercises as well. This morning I find myself a little sore and stiff, but everything seems ok. My back hurts a little, but I have a feeling that one I am up and moving around a bit I will feel fine. Hopefully you will be reading another post from me today about today's run. We'll see.

Fast tempo run

Today I decided to pick up the pace. I think I should do these types of runs more often and mix up my base runs which while enjoyable don't help me to improve. I am thinking I have gotten myself into a sort of rut with my running, getting comfortable with the same old run and the same old pace. Actually I think my pace has slowed down quite a bit. It has seemed like it hasn't slowed as much as it has because of my exaggeration watch tells me I am still running an 8:30 pace when in reality it is probably closer to 9:30. So in lieu of readjusting my watch (which I plan to do as soon as I get around to digging out the booklet) I am going to use the GPS mileage count from mapymyruns.com. So my 6.5 run (from the watch) will get counted as a 5.5 run (from mapmyrun.com's route mapping system).

So my run this morning I really picked it up and was able to keep the fast pace for about half of the run when I decided it was going to be ok to back off on the pace a bit. Didn't want to sound like a freight train coming through! Plus I had to go to the bathroom and I had a mile to go still. The fast pace felt really good while I was doing it. My goal is to be able to run the entire run that fast. My overall pace was just over nine minute miles with the adjusted miles.

The new shoes feel pretty good. They are a little tight in the forefoot, it feels as if they have added a bit more padding. This is good for me cause I could use it. I think next time (at least at this point) I am going to consider getting a wider pair and see how that feels. They also feel pretty stiff compared to the Wave Rider 10s. Could just be the 11s are new. Time will tell.

3rd base run in a row

Today I did a third base run on 6.5 miles (though I am thinking my watch is exaggerating, actually I know it is, but now I think it is exaggerating even more.) Getting out of bed this morn was tough, but I did it, got dressed and poured a cup of coffee. As I hit the roads I felt like I was dragging a bit. As the run went on the dragging continued. I think I was just a bit tired from all the running this week. I actually hit the hills on my run pretty hard which felt good. I just concentrated on my legs and ignored my exhaustion (as best I could anyway.)

I found a running ap for my iphone that will track you via GPS and I was excited to try it out - imapymyrun. I was greatly disappointed when I looked at the phone at the end of my run only to see it didn't track anything. I think the problem was either that I had it under my jacket or upside down strapped to my arm. I'm gonna try it again and see if I can get it to work. It is pretty slick, saves your routes to a website that allows you to show your runs and send them to a friend. Hopefully I won't have to complain about it anymore.

Snowy run

More advice on returning to running after and unexpected hiatus: don't make your first run a long one, and especially don't follow that one up with an even longer one. It just doesn't work well.

Today I took the bus downtown to meet a friend for a run around the esplanade. The loop is 3 miles and we did it twice. Its a flat run, but an interesting one as you cross two bridges over the Willamette and several raised piers on the east side. Being a Saturday it was really crowded down there, this despite it starting to snow right as I got off the bus. The snow spit a bit for the run, but it wasn't bad at all. Just enough so you can say I went running in the snow! Amy brought her dog who will be a really good running dog someday, she's really close. I only had to dodge her a few times.

So those of you doing the math are saying, what are you talking about this being a long run? Its only six miles? That's less than your base runs! Well, six miles isn't bad, nothing to sneeze at though. Where it got longer was when I decided not to bus home and instead run home which added another five miles to my day, and five miles uphill as well. I felt fine at first and I really didn't feel like waiting for that bus (another 45 mins to get the one that goes close to my house and 15 to get the one that gets me about a mile away). The hill running really started to tax my hips, an area I have never had trouble with. I am sure it is the time away from running and the pushing it that are causing me grief. I went slow which was about the only good thing I did for myself on the run. I feel ok now, but I know it is gonna hurt tomorrow. No long run tomorrow, I swear.

One thing I did when I noticed the pain in my hips is I didn't give in to a slouch (which is where I wanted to be) and instead focused on my posture and keeping my body aligned. This helped quite a bit. I also focused on my gait and foot strike, which also helped. Chi running to the rescue!

23 degree return

It was so great to get back to running today, even with the 23 degree weather. I have to say, whenever you start up running being it from illness or injury, DO NOT decide to go for a longer run 1/3 into your run because you feel great. You will pay at 2/3s, I guarantee it. Still it was a fantastic run this morn, it was a bit hard on my lungs but I managed to make it through it just fine. It is actually the stopping that really kicks the lungs but (is there such a thing?) My breathing throughout was fine except for a little burning but not that bad.

The worst thing that happened on my run was my radio finally gave up the ghost. I have got to find a new one. My problem is I want AM and FM, of which there are less to choose from now days. Ultimately I want to find one that is weather resistant (don't need it to be waterproof, though that would be nice) I want it to have preset stations so I can easily switch during all the commercials. The search is on.

It is so great to be back running, I'm not sure I will go tomorrow as I am running Saturday and snow shoeing for the first time on Sunday. Plenty of exercise to come!

On the ms front I have decided my reduction of dialantin (which I take for the seizures) has been a failure as they have sort of come back a bit. Not bad at all, but I can feel them happening. I was down to 3 a day when that happened, so I am going to try 3 and 4 and see if I level out. Unrelated I am sure, but my foot numbness has come back stronger. Feels like I am wearing shoes that are too small. Sort of a pedal (word?) version of the ms hug. One thing I have noticed is that marijuana seems to make the feeling subside a bit. Not sure if this is just that I didn't notice it when I smoked or what. I don't plan to do an everyday study, but I will see if the results are similar next time.

Official Seattle half marathon results

Today I got a magazine formatted result booklet made of newsprint of all the results for the 2008 Seattle Marathon which of course held my official results. In my age bracket (40-44) I came in 354th out of 408 runners with an official time of 2:31:15 and a chip time of 2:24:32, lame but that is ok, good to set your personal record low anyway so you can easily beat it next time. I am actually glad I ran it slow considering my ankle, though mostly it was the humidity that killed me. I have to say I am glad I finished, next time I go for under 2 hours.

The best time in my age group was a Canadian at 1:20:07. Fastest overall mens half marathon time was 1:11:48 from local runner Steve Dekoker. Kristi Houk finished the womens at 1:23:03. Mens Marathon finished at 2:33:57 from Beaverton's Stuart Burton and womens by Annie Theissen at 3:02:04.

The total number of runners was 15535. The majority of runners - 8194 - ran in the half. The Chi running coach I met at Powells , Keith McConnell, PhD of Eugene,finished the full marathon walk at 5:31:53.

First weather-out

Today we had the start of our first big winter storm of the year. My buddy and I decided to cancel our run, so there you have it, my first DNRBOW (did not run because of weather) or TDCTR (too damn cold to run). It was a good thing I didn't run as I was pooped after working outside preparing for the storm, cleaning gutters, blowing out hoses, etc. But ready now as soon as I add an extra blanket.

Yesterday I ran into a guy who teaches Chi Running in Oregon; Keith McConnell, PhD of Eugene. I met him when I recommended a Chi Running book to a woman he was with. She had been talking about running injury free. When she saw which book I was pointing at, she laughed and told me about that Keith was a Chi Running instructor. They both had run in the Seattle Marathon; her in the half and him in the marathon walk. I think it would be great to take classes from him. They are also both aiming for the Eugene Marathon in May, which puts a thought in my head. It would be a good time frame to train for it. I would love to do under four hours.

Getting back into running after a marathon

I have noticed that after a marathon event that it is both hard to break from your established training routine and get back into it at the same time. In reality it is good to give the body a rest after the rigors of preparing, break the habits of training(assuming you aren't going to keep up with your routine, which for the most part is everyone) and ease into your post marathon life. Unless you injure yourself this is often tough to do. After I did a full marathon two years ago, I found myself running 15 miles on a grueling course just to prove I could do it. Bad idea, my body was tapped after the big even and pushing myself too hard was a mistake. I should have done several recovery runs instead of another big one.

This time I am going the extreme opposite and not running at all, not really by choice though. I seem to have pulled something in my groin area. I am not sure when, and I first noticed it a couple of days after I got back from Seattle. It doesn't hurt too horribly, it might be a slight hernia. I am going to give it the weekend and see how it goes before seeing my doc about it though I need to go back anyway for a cholesterol check. We'll see.

I think there must be a happy medium. Keep up the running, but let the training routine go. I have found one of the hardest transitions is laying off the food. You up your caloric intake, get used to it, run the race and then have to go back to eating less. It's hard, I like food (especially carbs) too much.

Unofficial time

I just got my UNofficial time, a disappointing chip time of 2:24:32. But like I said considering the humidity and my ankle, I am happy.

I didn't know this but apparently my registered time is based on the actual gun start and not chip time.

*All results are based on Official, gun start, time in accordance with USATF rules for scoring road races (a complete listing of the rules may be found at www.usatf.org). Chip Times have been provided for your information. Please note that due to the very high density at the start line, some Chip Times are not available.

That is sort of lame, I wonder why?

Seattle half marathon

I am back home today and resting my legs and feet. On a good and surprising note I had no trouble with my ankle at all. I am not totally positive on my time, but I know it is around 2:20, about twenty minutes slower than I was shooting for. Good thing I have my ankle as an excuse!

My morning started at 5:00 when the alarm clock went off at my buddy Paul's house. Strange alarm clocks are always weird, but the wake you up quick! The weather was a bit unclear so I brought a cold outfit, a medium cold outfit, a warm outfit and a wet outfit. So the first order of business was a peak outside. It was a bit chilly but not bad. I decided to forgo the tights, and chose my long sleeve shirt. It was misting outside so I took my running/rain jacket along as well. I went through my loosening routine (which I had earlier promised to go through and will do so again, soon I say). I had all my gels, bloks and sport beans. Water was ready, watch, chip, bib, hat and gloves. I actually ended up with everything I needed and forgot nothing!

The cab got me to the race a hour early, so I walked around the Seattle Center to get a lay of the land. I did a bit of warm-up jogging to test the ankle and loosen up. I met a few people and chatted. I took care of my bathroom need with the exception of privacy, my latch was broken and I was walked in on, I hoped that wasn't a bad omen. The weather seemed great as I walked around, cool, no wind, perfect for running. I would soon change my mind about that!

Despite all the recon of the area, I made a fatal (ok, not fatal) mistake and thought the line up was on the wrong end (I wasn't alone, oh my, was I NOT alone!) With five minutes to go, the half-marathon walkers got off to a late start, so I breathed a sigh of relief about not being in the right area. As I made my way to the starting line, I had to wade through the over 12000 runners and their 24000 supporters including baby strollers (not allowed in the starting area) dogs (not allowed) and bikes (not allowed). When the starting horn sounded I was nowhere near teh line, and I was not alone. I finally made it to the street and crossed the start seven minutes behind, but I had a timing chip so no worries. The starts of marathons are always so much fun because there are so many runners AND you get to pass a bunch of people. It is really hard to pace yourself at the start so you don't get off to too fast of a start. You get runners in front of you that are moving just a little bit slower than you, so you speed up to get past them only to find another runner that is running just a bit slower than you. Oddly they send the walkers out first, so you have to pass all of them as well. The walkers are especially frustrating as you get large groups of friends who line up all across the road and you have to figure out a good way to break through them without clobbering anyone. But all in all it is an amazing experience at the start.

The race started near the Space Needle and went through downtown Seattle. After a mile or so I started to realize that what I initial thought of as perfect running weather was actually unseasonably warm. Another half mile or so and I was once again reminded of what 100% humidity was. I wasn't even out of downtown before I had to veer off and remove my jacket and hat. After two miles I was completely soaked in sweat and I started to get a little worried about hydration. But I was ready, I had my water bottle, my gels and electrolite replacement candies, so I wasn't too worried. At about mile 3 I was exhausted and began to feel really glad I wasn't doing the entire 26.2.

The runners were amazing to see in the giant mobs. This race was 1.5 times as large as Portland and at one point as we were heading some interstate bridge, you could see this huge mas of runners all up the bridge and curving around into the distance, another advantage of the late start. Amazing!

After 4 miles or so, my passing of runners began to slow down a bit. I had made it past most of the walkers and the people taking the run slowly. I was still passing a number of folks, especially those slowing down for the aid stations. I hit up a few of them for refills on my bottle and I took another gel. The aid stations were numerous enough in Seattle, but they didn't have as many goody stations as Portland. I never saw one station where I could grab gels despite the fact that Gu was a major sponsor. Portland also had lots of bands even though it doesn't call itself a "rock and roll" marathon. I saw one bluegrass band the entire race. Also there were not as many spectators for Seattle though I tried to slap high fives with as many kids as I could find.

We entered a quarter mile tunnel which was sort of interesting. I was really sweating and pulled off to grab my bandanna. As I neared the wall of the tunnel I sort of fell into it. I really needed to be aware of the hydration issue in this humidity. I righted myself before anyone came over to see if I was ok. And I was, just a little dizzy and tired. I was surprised I was feeling this way so early in the race.

At mile 5 we turned off our road we had been on and started along the shores of Lake Washington. I saw my bridge extending out into the fog that I wanted to run on, but I was AGAIN glad I wasn't doing the 26.2 and thought I don't need no stinkin' bridge! At this point the race really stared to even out as we all settled into our paces. This is another really fun part of the race as you begin to see the same people over and over again. You pass them, they pass you. All of these unspoken mini races begin to form. My participants were an older man in American flag shorts, a woman in a purple outfit, another woman in a red shirt, a couple of ladies who gesticulated wildly (my first mission, get past them before they poke me in the eye). We all would pass each other back and forth. It is really odd that you never (at least me anyway) talk, but I know we are all aware of each other. I think I was the guy with the orange jacket tied around my waste.

About mile 6 or so I started to feel a little woozy and started to feel a soreness in the hips. I couldn't believe it had only been 6 miles, still 7 to go! I began to get concerned about the hydration again. I had been drinking a lot of water, but the wooziness made me think that maybe it wasn't enough. I started in on the elctrolite candy. The sport beans were the perfect size, but the bloks (about a half inch square blocks of gummy bears) were a little much. I ate a third gel and continued on my way.

At mile seven we turned off of Lake Washington and started on our hills. People were really reacting poorly to the humidity and were dropping to a walking pace left and right. Fortunately for me I kick butt on the hills so I got to experience the thrill of passing more runners along with the pain. The hills at this part just kept going and going into this neighborhood. You get to a turn and think they were going to stop and nope there was more. So on we went.

After a mile or so of neighborhood, cheers and high fives we entered the arboretum. This was a really nice change back into nature and fall colors, but no relief from the hills. At around mile 9 or so I really started to feel pooped. I noticed I was tensing up my neck and starting to feel really sore. I started concentrating on relaxing which really helped my neck. I thought to myself this is why they offer massage at the end! I

On we went, another couple of miles of hills and beautiful scenery. As we left the Arboretum I took my final gel. There weren't any trash cans around and I really didn't want to litter. I spied a can coming up in a little urban park under a freeway, so I veered off and tossed my wrapper away. As I was coming back up the stairs to the race route, I was getting stares from other runners as if I had taken a shortcut! Well I hadn't so who cares. I had other things to worry about. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! After the gel I felt better though the mile 11 sign was not as much of a relief as I thought it would be. 2 damn miles to go, and don't forget the .1 (I'd really find out about that later!) I began to notice I was really slowing down. Lots of people were passing me. I still was passing other runner too though as well as a bunch of people who had resorted to walking. I didn't have a hill moment line I did in Portland where I passed so many people, but I did enjoy passing a couple of muscle-bound jocks who were really struggling. Take that muscle head!

I listened to my Ipod the whole time. I started with Buckethead on a friend's recommendation, listened to Stop Making Sense by the talking Heads for the middle (my favorite running music) and ended with Teddy Bears (the perfect beat to get me to pick it up and finish). As we came back into the city I could see the stadium in the distance, the promised land! The Space Needle looked really cool in the fog, all you could see was the base.

Mile 12 and people were really struggling and I started to see ambulances. At 12.5 there was a huge medical scene where a guy had fallen and passed out against a wall. They had a stretcher, but it was one of the cloth ones with poles and they decided to wait for the paramedics to get him in case of head injury? It was really creepy and we still had over a half mile to go. I felt really bad for the guy. As we neared the stadium, I saw more ambulances and a lot of other wisely walking to avoid them. My energy picked up, and so did my pace until that last .1. It was all hill up to the stadium, but we endured.

One of the girls I was pacing with was right in front of me. I passed her on the hill up to the stadum and he picked it up. We went back and forth as we neared the finish line. Neck and neck I leaned over to her and said "Hey,lets go in tied." She looked over at me and a huge smile broke out on her face. For some reason I have a hard time with finish lines and I thought it was 50 meters before the official one, so I slowed down after crossing. She looked back at me as if to say "let's go" when I realized my mistake. With all the people cheering in the stadium though I had no problem with my final kick to go in side by side with my racing partner. We cheered and high fived and congratulated each other. I hope we see each other in the future sometime.

2:20 or there abouts. I'll get the official time at some point. 20 minutes off my goal, but considering dealing with my ankle and the humidity, I was happy. And I made it before any of teh full marathoners got there! I received my medal, which was pretty cool (I wasn't sure if they gave one or not), it was a bit more artistic than the Portland medal. I moved over to the side and called my mom and then Ruthann. Lastly I called my buddy Paul to see where he was. I felt bad for him as he was stuck in the huge crowds for 40 minutes do to my late start and slow pace. I stumbled around looking for him. My legs were really wobbly. Way more than the full marathon in Portland two years ago. I think the humidity really took its toll. We eventually found each other and I greedily started guzzling my replacement drink I had prepared that he brought along with him.

Phew, I was done. Time for a shower (the necessity of which really became apparent as we drove back to his house). I felt my face and it was covered in salt crystals. I wonder how much water weight I lost. I love running!

Seattle PI

Photos

Tomorrow we race

The half starts at 7:30. I am not looking forward to having to get up so early for it and to top it off with no coffee. I will make do with a caffeinated gel and emergen-C. I am looking forward to the run and my ankle is feeling MUCH better. I am pretty sure I would have run today.

I picked up my bib and chip today. It was funny, I didn't feel nervous at all, but the lady on the escalator behind me sure did. She fretted and stewed and wiggles in my back, constantly chatting away with her friend who desperately tried to calm her down. She was a wreck, I hope she makes it.

Paul's 5 and 1/2 year old daughter Josie really wants to run in the race with me, but decided that since she didn't get registered that she better not. So after the half, the big race happens as Josie and I have plans to race down the block to the end of the street. I am pretty sure she will beat me.

Three days to go

Today I am not running in order to rest my ankle more. Bums me out because I love to run on thanksgiving for some reason. My ankle still hurts and I am a little worried about it. Not much I can do other than what I am (or not) doing. I feels a bit better, I just wish it felt a LOT better.

I am going through with my pre-marathon eating plans and getting stuff ready for the trip to Seattle. Last night I got all my running candy out, Sport Beans, Gels and Clif Blocks. It looks like Halloween instead of thanksgiving on my desk! Regardless of how my ankle feels, I will have snacks!

On Friday after I arrive in Seattle I go to pick up my chip and bib. The chip allows you to start at any time by triggering your timer when you cross the start and stopping at the finish. Two years ago I got stuck in the bathroom lines and got a 5 minute late start, but my chip allowed me to get an accurate measurement of my time. My bib is my number, unfortunately they don't let you customize it like Portland, so no "Besaro" this year. I loved hearing people yell out "Go Besaro!" but that's ok, I'll settle for "Go 8734" or whatever I am.

Race week

Race week is upon me. I have been thinking about this and planning/training for it for a long while (ever since I wisely passed on running the scorching Sauvie Island half in June). I am feeling very ready for it and anticipated no problems, that is until I rolled my ankle this morning ARRRG! It is actually not too bad and I have four days to RICE it (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). I am sure it will be fine, but still a little scary.

It is sort of funny, I have been stewing about several running methods for pre-race preparation such as carbo-loading, hydro-loading and tapering. While I still will be able to eat a bunch of pasta this week, I won't be able to try out any of the extensive plans. One entailed going for a log exhaustive run a week before the race (a date I missed 2 days ago), then spending the next 3 days eating only 10% carbs in your diet, then finishing up the final 3 days at 85% carbs. This apparently builds up huge stores of energy in your body though people really complaign about the depletion stage in terms of how they feel. There are lesser ideas as well, which is probably what I will end up doing. Basically eat a large amount of carbs the days before the rave and have a heavy carb breakfast such as a bagel, banana or energy bar. I'll probably go the bar route. I am also planning on using 2-3 gels on teh run, so that will help as well

Hydro loading sounds interesting too. Basically you load up on water the day before. One issue with it is you can actually over do it and get water poisoning or hyperhydration. It sounds like a really weird thing to happen when you are struggling to get hydrated, but I apparently you can overdue it. I think I will stick to my normal hydration rigor, which basically comes down to drink water when thirsty and pack water on my runs. One tip I read fro training and drinking water, is force yourself to drink a little every mile as this both keeps you hydrated and matches the distance between aid stations.

Tapering is probably the easiest sounding of all pre-race preparations. As you are training for a long race you find yourself in a mileage routine. Tapering basically reduces your miles before a race to allow you to rest your muscles and build up energy in your system. There are tons of tapering routines. The one I am going to follow says, roll your ankle four days before the race, stop running and hope it feels good enough to run! My pre-roll plan was to run my full distance Monday (which I ended up sleeping in on) then do a 2-3 4 mile runs during the week before the race. I figured I would not run at all in Seattle on Fri and Sat. So my plan now is to possibly run a short run Thursday and call it good.

On to Seattle!

100th post and wow is it cold & wet

I can't believe I have actually made this many posts to this blog. I never thought I would keep it up which was my main initial reluctance to writing one. But here we are, six months later and I am still posting, Of course I say that and watch me never write again!

This morning I woke an hour before my alarm went off. I almost got up and headed out, but I thought nah, it will be too dark out, plus I was comfy. So I dozed until the alarm finally reared its head. I went through my morning routine of a cup of coffee, the start of an emergen-C (I usually finish the rest after my run) and half a clif bar. I can usually finish all this up and get dressed in a leisurely hour, but for some reason I was Johnny on the spot today. I walked out the door and turned around to get my light because it was still so dark. I have a flashing clip-on light that I attach to my hat for dark runs. I think it makes me more visible and also gives me a sense of safety especially when I also wear my bright orange running jacket.

In addition to the dark it was also pretty cold, windy and rainy. It was interesting weather-wise, about a third of a way through the wind and the rain died down and it got much colder, so I think some sort of cold front moved in. It amazes me to see weather move so quickly. By this time I was thoroughly soaked and cold to boot. My running slowed down a bit as I fought the chill. Of course that could have been the last mile or so of my course that is all up-hill, one of the benefits to having flood plains around me but lower than my house. The hills I am forced to run no matter where I go have been a great training boon.

The nutrition book I am reading suggests a protein supplement that contains whey. I think I will try that. I have always been a bit concerned about my protein intake even though I get a good amount of soy. The other thing I read was a recommendation to utilize creatine in some form for recovery. The author plans to talk more of this in later chapters. BTW, the book is called Runner's World Performance Nutrition for Runners: How to Fuel Your Body for Stronger Workouts, Faster Recovery, and Your Best Race Times Ever by Matt Fitzgerald.

Cold morning run

We have had some sun this week after having so much rain, or at least rain during my runs. What was 6 straight rainy runs has now turned into 3 straight runs with no rain. It's hard to call them sunny as they have been mostly foggy. I like the foggy runs almost as much as the drizzle. There is a blanket of quiet that sits on top of me and a creepy sense of running nowhere. I love it!

I deviated from my 6.5 mile course and ran the canyon this morning. I don't get to do that too often in the winter as I don't want to tear up the paths (though they do a really good job there with putting organic material down, bark chips, leaves, saw dust, etc.) But since we have had some sun lately, I thought I would take advantage. With the leaves all fallen it is hard to tell where the path is, but I have run it so often that I just naturally stay on the covered path.

I just started a book on running nutrition last night. My diet is not the greatest in the world and I am hoping this has some good ideas in it. My main problem is I tend to eat what is easiest and quickest to prepare. As a vegetarian this tends towards a lot of bread and cheese which helps me keep my belly at the proper roundness. You would think that with all the running I do it would melt away, but no such luck. I guess that is what my dedication to bread and cheese does for me. One area I know I can do better in is eating more fresh vegetables. I really need to commit to working them into my diet. Yeah I am a vegetarian, but that doesn't mean I eat vegetables! Well it needs to. I probably get enough fruit, though a lot of the fruit I eat is dried. I probably need to mix in more fresh fruits. Two areas I am pretty good in are whole grains and soy. So there is at least that to celebrate! This book is interesting, I'll post the title at some point. The author is very realistic about personal nutrition and knows that we can't do everything. He suggests doing whatever you can, which will be better than nothing. That is an attitude I can ascribe to!

Sixth 6.5 run

This morning I headed out for my sixth 6.5 mile run in a row. I think I will keep doing that distance until the half in two weeks. I plan on not running at all at least 2-3 days before. Right now this distance feels really good, takes me less than a hour and I can comfortably do it 2-3 days in a row.

I am beginning to get excited about the half. I am totally confident about the distance, so the aspect of being unsure about whether or not you can complete the race isn't there. But I am looking forward to running in that huge group. I do think that it will not be as good as Portland, they are so well organized and have great support. I still have freebee gels I picked up along that run!

Evening run

I have usually been running in the mornings. I like to get up early and get it out of the way. I always feel this is a weird thing to say as I enjoy running so much. I guess it is sort of a love/hate relationship. Also I think I get used to it during the summers when mornings are so nice to run in compared to the heat of the day. The other reason for early morning runs is the traffic is lighter. I got hit by a car around 5:30 four years ago, so maybe that has a psychological part in my love of morning runs. I also like running through the Reed campus early as their first early class starts at 1:00, the poor kids need time to sleep it off. The other reason I like the early run is that as the day goes on I sometimes find it hard to fit it in especially when needing to coordinate with eating (and there is another reason to run early before breakfasting).

But yesterday the evening run (which was only as late as 3:30) worked out and off I went. I actually ran it really fast. Every run has had around 8.5 minute miles, but this one was the quickest. It was also sunny for a change, forcing me to break out the clip-on sunglasses. Nothing else spectacular happened on the run, but I am finding my conditioning picking up. I feel very ready for the half on the end of the month. My joints all feel good, my muscles feel active and my body hasn't been feeling tired at all. Granted I have cut down on the long runs since I did the 15 miles which I think is a big part of it, but I am feeling really good right now. Lung thing is done, I am eating well and I am ready for the race.

Rain break

Well I guess it was a rain break, certainly wasn't as wet as it was yesterday which kept me indoors and in bed late. Today was the third 6.5 mile run I have done this week, I'll probably do at least one more if not two. I have been keeping some good times and paces really close to Monday when I ran fast. It hasn't seemed like it, but apparently I was pretty close to 8.5 minute miles all three runs.

I filled out my entry form for Seattle, now I just have to mail it. Part of me keeps waiting so I don't curse myself. But it didn't happen for the Portland Marathon, so I am sure it won't happen here either.

My friend Paul, who I am staying with in Seattle, the one who HAD to go see Sea and Cake called me with bad news yesterday. We won't be able to make the concert afterall, as it turns out he has an engagement he HAS to go to. He went on and on about how it would be better for me to get some sleep and that the show would be really late and that the venue wasn't very good (very different from his previous advice of "it won't be so bad to run on little sleep" and "the show won't go that late" and "what a great place to see Sea and Cake this will be"). So reluctantly I agreed to stay at his place while they go out and get a good night's sleep before I do 13.1 miles. Gosh I would have loved to stay out really late and run on 2-3 hours of fitful sleep. Whatever will I do! I was so glad I even offered to babysit their kid.

Six runs in a row with rain

One thing I do that I would recommend to every runner is to keep a dairy of your runs. Many people write everything down in a journal, I wish I did that actually so I could have a permanent (as permanent as paper is) record of my running. I use an electronic running diary that I got for free. It keeps a little database on my hard drive and keeps track of things like route, type of run, how I was feeling, weather, distance and time. It also keeps track of what shoes I am wearing which is great to easily pull up how many miles you have burned through. So, I bring this up cause I noticed that today was the sixth rainy run in a row I have done. Sounds like running in Portland in the fall. Today's wet weather run was a lot different than my nice drizzle yesterday. Today was colder, windier and the rain was coming down harder for about 3/4s of the run. I was bundled up with my tights, gloves, cold weather shirt and rain jacket. It felt great at first, but about halfway through I was too hot. First off came the gloves, then I had to stop to take off my cold weather shirt. I sometimes feel like a one-man band with everything hanging off of me, bandanna, water bottle, jacket or shirts tied around my waist, radio, hats, etc.

I use a site reporting tool on my blog that gives me pretty detailed reports about who visits, how long they stay, how they got there and search terms if they used a search engine. The two most popular sets of terms for arriving here are "bee stings ms" and "numb foot ms". I don't know that I will explore the bee stings more, but I am sure to write more about numb feet and my issues with it. It amazes me the global reach that blogs have, I have readers (well people who found the blog anyway) from all over the world.

I love drizzle

The rain in Portland is believed by many to be this constant downpour. In fact it doesn't do that too often. First off we have a rainy season (or seasons) which is usually from the end of October - November and then February-June. Our summers are exceptionally dry. Secondly our rains are more of a drizzle. People up here often bitch about it, or local news are the biggest belly achers. Me, I love the drizzle. It is the perfect weather to run in. Nice and cool and usually little wind. This was the case with my run this morning. I found myself starting out at a fast pace (for me) that I was able to keep up for about 3/4's of my run. The mile and a half of today's 6.5 was a bit slower and then I kicked it into gear for the last 1/4. Over all my pace was an 8:35 minute mile, about what I was doing when I was training for the Portland Marathon, ahh, those were the days!

Here is a good blog posting on a simple strategy for running a fast marathon. Many of the ideas are equally applicable if you are running it slowly.

Hard wet run

Today I hit the roads a bit later than normal first thing usuals. I had TWO cups of coffee as well and not my normal one. In addition it was cold. So are you sensing that I am fishing for an excuse? Well I am . It was not the best run in the world. I kept finding myself hitting that point where I thought I had done just about everything I could do. The good thing for me today was that I kept going, treating it as a step I need to take to get back to good enough shape to do that half-marathon. I wish I were more prepared and more ready, but that damn illness has really set me back. My lungs are still extremely heavy and it gets tough to breathe like I know I can and want to. But I keep pressing forward. Never give up becomes my motto. I'll hit a point where I want to just walk for a bit and somehow I manage to keep going and not give into the temptation of rest. That said I am not nearly killing myself or anything. It is just a point I know I have reached before and have made it through. It can be done I say to myself.

On another note I seem to see the spells coming back a bit. I have had a couple of instances, mostly it seems to happen when I am exhausted like last week when I did a long run and then raked leaves. I am thinking that my body being overheated is basically the cause. Still it sort of sucks as I thought I had this licked. I actually think I still do, but I have to acknowledge that they are happening again, fortunately not with any sort of regularity like before. I have read about ms symptoms happening, then going away and later returning but with less frequency and intensity. This almost seems like a lesser version even of that as so far it has only happened a couple of times. I gave myself the litty-kitty-kitty test where I say that over an over again. During the spells I can't say it. So I keep an eye on it and see what happens in the future.

I am wondering if I should get a flu shot. I have never gotten one before. But I read an ms blog that recommended it. I don't think much of the blog, so I wanted to ask my neurologist about it, but she is on vacation for three more weeks. All my GP said was "Oh sure make an appt and we can give you one." I don't want the "opportunity" I want to know if I should or not. Ruthann thinks I should call OHSU and talk to the doc who gave me the second opinion. I don't know why I am reluctant to do that?

Last night I talked to a friend who was the first person I ever knew who was diagnosed with ms. I remember at the time I found out how bad I felt for her. Then three months later I got my diagnosis, Funny how that works. She had optic nueritus, but hasn't started any medications yet as the docs feel it is too early. I thought that was a good time to start. Hmmm.