Thursday, July 20, 2006

Summer Heat: 1 Runnergirl: 0

I'm fighting a losing battle.

This heat is killing me, and I've just about had enough.

I'm having a really hard time getting my runs in with this heat. I'm bored with the treadmill, and as the mileage is increasing I'm feeling less and less inclined to run on it.

But I have PT two of the three weekday mornings that I usually run. My PT appointments are either at 7:00 AM or 8:00 AM, with the long drive I have to get up at 5:45 or 6:45 just to make it on time. There is no way I could drag myself out of bed early enough to get my run in, shower, and then go to my appointment.

Which is leaving me to try to run at night, but lately even at 9:00 or 10:00 PM it is still awful out. Tonight, I went out for a brief 3 mile run just to get a few miles in. I thought the temperature felt good when I left. But, I was pretty hot by the time I got home.

Splits:

Mile 1 11:19
Mile 2 11:08
Mile 3 11:02

When I run in the middle of the night, I will run in just a sports bra. But, I never, never, never do this when it is light out. My stomach is the most unflattering part of my anatomy, as it is in desperate need of millions of crunches. So, I refrain from subjecting people to it.

This evening I finally just said screw it and went out for my run in my running skirt and sports bra. I'm sure I made quite the sight, but I was beyond caring. I think that was the first time my stomach had seen the sun since the late '90's. I'm sure it's whiteness was blinding the passing motorists, but maybe it was a good distraction from the flab.

The main purpose of my run was to, once again, try out my orthotics. Things are getting better, but they will not be accompanying me on my long run in the morning.

My physical therapist has been adjusting them in at attempt to make them more comfortable and to alleviate the blisters that they have been causing. We are definitely moving in the right direction, but I think it is going to take me a very long time to get used to them. They just feel so stiff, like there is no cushioning at all. It feels like my ankles, knees, and hips are being jarred, and now that I am done running my ankles and knees are aching again. But my knee doesn't hurt like it has been, so that is progress. I just don't know what to think.

It feels like it did when I bought a pair of shoes that had a lot of motion control stability to them. It was years ago when I was just running a few miles a few times a week. I tried running in the shoes for about 3 weeks, and got tired of my joints aching. So I turned them into kick around shoes, and went out and bought a new pair to run in.

I am in desperate need of new shoes again, and think I should probably try something to help with my pronation, but I don't know if I can take this feeling in my joints for very long. So, I'm seeking advise from all of you over pronators out there who are used to the motion control shoes.........will I get used to this stiff feeling? Did it feel like that to you when you first started wearing them?

On a happy note, I was talking to a friend who just had a baby 2 months ago. She is trying to start running again after a long hiatus. She was complaining about hating the feeling of her butt bouncing and jiggling as she runs. I told her that I knew exactly what she was talking about.

Because I hated that feeling so much when I first started running. But my butt no longer jiggles when I run, and it hasn't in months. I don't know if one day it just stopped or if it was a slow decline in the amount of jiggle over time until it was gone. But it is gone.

It reminded me that I am making progress, even if there are a lot of days lately where it doesn't feel that way.

Now, if only my stomach would stop jiggling.........

5 comments:

  1. Awesome run. I am SO glad that I don't any more jiggle anymore. It feels really good.

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  2. I think my butt still jiggles - I must think about this when I run tomorrow. Oh no I'm paranoid now what if my butt jiggles. Anyway......

    Shoes - I never noticed that my shoes were any different when i made the switch. I love my asics.

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  3. I've had orthotics since a basketball injury in high school and absolutely cannot run without them. I don't get motion controlled shoes, but I will say that everytime I break in a new pair my arch aches a little from the stiffness I get from the orthotics. It generally is only for the first run or two, so it's not bad. Once you get used to them, it'll help your knee problems and you'll never go without!

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  4. I think everyone is "feeling the heat" right now. You win some, you lose some.

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  5. The heat will end...remember that.

    I'm not sure what to say about the orthotics cause I've never worn them, but I was originally told that I was an over pronator and only after a pereneal tendon tear in my left foot did the doc tell me that I was in fact not an over pronator. When I changed my shoes to neutral shoes, it was like learning how to run all over again, but with zero pain. So, that's all the advice I have...wait, was that advice???

    Oh well, it was an awesome run!

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