PR and Injury Updates

After looking up some previous 4-mile times, I figured out that my time with Shelby last week was a PR (personal record) for a 4-mile run. So far, two of my PRs came during runs with Shelby, but here's my list for now.

• 5k: Start to Finish (late July 2009), 24:51. No Shelby.
• 4-mile: Westport St. Patrick's Day Run (13 March 2010), 33:05. Shelby!
• 10k: Pilgrim Pacer (mid-November 2009), 52:04.4. Shelby!
• Half-marathon: Georgetown to Idaho Springs (early August 2009), 2:03: ??. No Shelby.
  

Of course, the half-marathon time is my only half-marathon time and was done at 8,500-feet altitude with a bum toe, but hey, at least I've done one. Over the last year, my 5k time dropped by 30 seconds, my 4-mile time dropped by a minute, and my 10k time dropped by over two minutes. I doubt I'll see much gain in my 5k time, but I could see all the other times dropping a bit, especially if I can manage to do another half-marathon.

I'm losing hope that I will be able to do my first marathon this year, though, because my sesamoiditis problems made a come back. Embracing a 3-day a week running program (with two cross-training days) and going to a sports medicine doc has helped tremendously. However, I run so much on my toes/forefoot and have high enough arches that I just don't think my toe can take anything longer than a half. We'll see. I'd rather be able to keep running shorter distances than end up side-lined with injuries because of training for longer distances.

Part of my problem is I like being able to take off from my doorstep, which means running on uneven, crappy concrete side walks. I don't like the idea of driving to run, but a good compromise might be to drive to a trail to do my weekend long runs. Shelby and I would both enjoy the change in scenery, and running on trails or grass would be much easier on my entire body. Looking out on today's early spring snow, I'm not sure we'll be making any treks out today, but this is something to consider for future weekends.

Another topic I've been researching quite a bit is barefoot running. I'll not go into details here (another post for another day), but I know that if I wanted to try it, it would be mean going back to the very basics--walk 20 minutes, jog 5, walk 20 minutes, jog 5, and up for months. The one issue that I need to have addressed before I even try is whether it's a good option for someone with the kind of toe problem I have because it sounds like it would be worse for me, considering how much stress barefoot running puts on the forefoot. We'll see, but I am planning to buy my first pair of Vibram FiveFinger shoes, simply because I have wanted a pair since I tried on a pair of a student in one of my classes two or three years ago. I love toe socks, sandles, and barefoot walking whenever I can get away with it, so these shoes seem like just the thing for me.

The whole process of (unexpectedly) falling in love/getting addicted to running and dealing with frustrating injuries has been a good experience for me in acknowledging limitations (in particular, anatomical limitations), assessing and re-assessing the goals I had become obsessive about (like doing a marathon this year), and making accommodations to get at the base issue: I want to be able to keep running, no matter the distance, simply because I enjoy getting out with Shelby. If/when I keep that base issue in mind, I stop feeling frustrated and end up doing a much better job of accepting the bad/hard days and injuries.

Now, I need to apply this process to other areas of my life . . .

Sad Eyes

Shelby got pretty excited this morning when she saw me get out my Asics, the shoes I have been wearing because they have the best padding for my toe. When I didn't make a move for her running leash, though, her tail drooped, and I got the sad eyes. Less than a week until the podiatrist visit . . .

Exceptions

As I noted in my last post, Shelby is a great dog--for the most part. Of course, we've had to work through a few things as we have started building a framework for her life with me. For instance, Catahoulas are known for their high intelligence. Like Dalmatians and many other highly intelligent dogs, if they do not receive attention and stimulation (mental and physical), they get bored, which brings out all sorts of fun behaviors.

In Shelby's case, she retains the puppy-hood habit of chewing on things if she is not otherwise occupied. I didn't think much about this issue when I came across fluff from some old slippers all over the living room floor; I didn't like those slippers anyway. I didn't think much about the chewing when I found mangled cat toys, either; that's what those toys are for, and the cat wasn't using them.
However, the day when I came home to find out Shelby chewed the backs of my brand new running shoes while waiting for my boyfriend to get out of bed, I took notice. "Those are $100 shoes!" I exclaimed to my boyfriend. "I just got them!" He apologized and told me he would pay for a new pair, but really, I felt extravagent buying new shoes already--buying another pair so soon seemed ridiculous.

The next day, I tried wearing my old pair again when we ran, but I ended up with drastically enlarged blisters on the sides of my big toes. Part of the purpose of the new shoes was to reduce the blister problem by increasing the shoe size by a half and to give my feet more room because I was increasing my distance so much. The blisters were getting painful and ended up getting infected, so I knew I needed the new shoes. Not having time to go to the running store that day, though, I decided to see if the chewed pair could still be used. After a couple of runs, I decided they were fine as long as I didn't let them get too wet, which would destroy the exposed cushioning of the back of the shoe.

Even with the new chewed shoes, though, the blisters (which were nowhere near any spot where Shelby damaged the shoes) kept getting worse, so I finally decided to use a 20% coupon I had for Saucony brand shoes. I had been wearing Asics faithfully for three years, and having been attached to the feel of my old Asics, I decided against a pair of Saucony shoes the last time I tried new shoes. The coupon, the blisters, and the chewing led me down the path of brand heresy, which has been a good thing. Since getting the new Sauconies, my blisters have been disappearing, even with increased mileage.

As for Shelby's chewing, I managed that through a sale on chewing products at a local PetsMart: She, Meeso, and Molly love their cow hooves. And even if they do stink up the house a bit, the hooves are worth it for the shoes and other objects they save. Of course, closing the shoes away in my closet has helped, too.