Run Dedeaux Run

This morning was my first run using the Galloway run/walk method.  I feel like I need to give you some background before I go on, though.  A couple of years ago, I started walking for fitness.  After a few months of walking,  I started jogging.  Why?  Because, for me, walking just took too dang long.  I think it was warm and there I was, W…A…L…K…I…N…G and it seemed like I was NEVER going to get back home – so, one day, I just started running. 

At first, I just ran a little bit, then inched further and further with continuous running until one morning in Charlotte, North Carolina, while at a conference, I got out of the bed, went downstairs to the hotel gym, got on the treadmill and ran a WHOLE THREE MILES.  I didn’t intend to, it just happened and I was hooked.  I wasn’t yet a ‘runner’.  I still haven’t fully claimed that title, but that discussion’s for another day.

But anyway…  So, I started off walking and decided running was faster and dare I say, more fun.

Have I gone full circle with this run/walk thing?  The Galloway method for running/training dictates that one should run for a certain distance or time and then walk for a small distance or amount of time. (Here’s some info about it: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/walk_breaks.html)   The logic is that it gives you a little time to catch your breath and give your joints a little break.  You are supposed to get the same befits from the run as if you’d run the entire way.  I started thinking about this idea since my knee is not fully on board with running right now.  (This knee has a mind of its own!) 

This morning, I ran the prescribed time with walk breaks.  I ran 9 minutes, walked 1 minute (alternating until I’d run 35 minutes) and I have to say that it was really pretty nice.   Will this help build my endurance back up and eventually stretch it to last for 26.2 miles?  I feel like it will.  Does it matter that I’m not running ‘the whole way’?  It shouldn’t but I will admit that I hesitated each time I was supposed to walk.  I kept thinking “I can keep going.  I’m not tired and nothing’s hurting.”  Is the point to get tired or is the point to reach a target?  Is that attitude what lead to my overuse injury in the first place?  Does it matter if I walked for 3 minutes of my 35 minute run?  Questions, questions.

I don’t have many answers right now.  That’s okay.  I’ve got a long time to figure it out.

Until next time – I CAN DO THIS! 

I woke up this morning with a aching knee.  Actually, I woke up yesterday morning with an aching knee.  I’ve waken, woked, woken (just what exactly is the correct conjugation??)  up most mornings with some kind of aching going on.  Don’t go shopping for the pity party invitations just yet.  I’m not having one.  I do reserve the right to throw one in the future, though.  I am telling you this just for historical info, a reference point – justification for today’s title. 

I kinda ran through some hip and knee pain in 2010 that maybe I shouldn’t have run through.  In March,the pain started to really bother me and I went to the Orthopedist.  I got a diagnosis of bursitis in my hip and a referral to the physical therapist.  When I said this to a friend, her response was “Don’t old people get that?”  ugh…  Am I ‘old people’?  Yay. 

Fast forward two months and my hip pain is history but knee pain is lingering.  What have I learned?  Stretching is REALLY important.  Listening to my body is important.   My stretching routine used to consist of a couple of quick yanks on my leg or side bends…  usually ending with some groan like:  “This is taking to long…”  The root of most of my hip/knee issue was a tight iliotibial band muscle (IT Band).  Here’s some info about the IT Band:  http://www.itbs.info/.  It hurts to stretch a tight IT band, but after a few days, it starts to feel good.  And lo and behold, stretching feels good.  It DOES make a difference.  Why did I have to suffer an injury to believe this?  SMH (That means ‘shaking my head’ for you out of the loop, old fogies!)

Yesterday at physical therapy, the therapist thought he’d remind me of all of the things I’ve got going against me in my quest to run:  knock knees, over pronating feet, flat(ish) feet, woman’s (wide) hips and don’t forget my issue from yesterday 😉  Well – Thanks for the discouragement, but no thanks.  Maybe he wasn’t meaning to sound discouraging.  He’s British – maybe it’s a cultural thing.  Who knows.

What I DO know is that I DO have some knee issues to continue to work through.  BUT, I also have a supportive group of people around me.  I am going to finish a marathon.  I have no delusions that I’ll be the fastest or that it’ll be easy or that I’ll enjoy the training even.   I may not have  what some consider a good reason for doing this, but I KNOW THAT I CAN DO THIS! 

So, stumbling blocks are just that:  STUMBLING blocks.  I’ve stumbled (literally and figuratively) before and I’ve gotten up and kept going – and for those that have run with me, you know I’m telling the truth!

Until the next time…  I can to do this!

I am a busty lady and this presents LOTS of challenges when running.  A little jiggling during some other activity like bike riding, yoga or even walking turns into earthquake-like bouncing and misbehaving when you have a DDD cup (yes, those exist.)  It’s not cute.  I won’t even mention all of the strappy, brightly colored, happy looking  tops that I can’t buy because I look like a stripper when I put them on.  It’s just not appropriate to run with half of our boobies showing – and that’s what happens when I wear a strappy running top.  ps… I mean no disrespect for the strippers.  It’s just that I don’t need the extra attention when I’m running. 😉

So, what to do?  I REALLY needed a bra to strap them down and keep them still – WITHOUT digging in so deep that it draws blood.  So, I searched the internet high and low.  Alright, I don’t really know if ‘high and low’ is applicable to the internet, but I did a LOT of searching and reading reviews to find a bra that would work for me.   I was driven to the internet because no store in my area sold a bra in my size.  This is really ridiculous because I live in a MAJOR metropolitan area.  There are a million malls here.  We have all sorts of speciality stores:  running, biking, plus size, petite size, big men, little men…  There is just no store that sells anything for the busty runner.  Not one.  I know because I’ve checked.  You can buy up to a size 42 bra (no, I don’t wear a 42…)  but the cup sizes stop at D.  Even the plus size stores are lacking in this area.  There just aren’t any brick and mortar stores selling what I need.

I searched high and low and came up with a few options, which I tried one by one.  Bras are expensive and ESPECIALLY expensive the larger they get and the more motion control they have.  I have no idea why…  Here’s what I came up with – in the order that I purchased them:

Glamorise Sports Bra – $43 – didn’t really do a good job of keeping ’em still if you know what I mean.  Should have kept that $43.

Enell Sports Bra – $64 – made especially for the ‘well – endowed’ woman according to their website.  I didn’t like this one.  I couldn’t get comfortable with the front closure – a million little hooks.  I did like the great back support, but it didn’t make up for the awkwardness of the front closure for me.  Waste of $64 plus shipping.

Goddess Sports Bra – $44 – only comes in drab colors but does the job – minus the uniboob look, but I can’t be that picky!  I have several of these and I’ve been happy with their performance

If  you see me running, you’ll be amazed at the way my girlies just sit there and behave themselves.

Perhaps we’ll discuss some other foundation issues on another day!  Until then, I CAN DO THIS!!!

Hello!

(Taking a deep, deep breath…)

I hope you will join me on my adventure as I train for my very first full marathon.  26.2 miles.  I am breathing a little faster just thinking about it.  I’m excited and scared.  What if I can’t do it?  What if I CAN and I want to do it again? (Breath is getting even faster…) 

It is a long run and I don’t have a reason for wanting to do this other than that I just want to do it.  I need to do it.

I hope you will come along for the ride – or run.  😉