Kicking the Habit

Well, after reading another article on the dangers of tanning beds and hearing a very moving speech by a woman who lost her daughter to melanoma, I decided to make a change. I cancelled my monthly unlimited tanning package and am now on the road to a paler, more healthy ME! Considering I have frequented the tanning salon and poolside religiously for most of my life, this was a very difficult thing for me to do. I have not seen the true color of my skin for more than 20 years (except briefly while I was pregnant with Ian that is) As the color begins to fade, I am faced every day with a new "spot" that I never noticed before. Have all those years finally caught up with me? Needless to say, I have an appointment with a dermatologist on the 31st of this month. I originally had a few places I wanted him to check. But every day, I find another one -- I think I'll be asking for a full body scan! The good news is that this has breathed new life into my running. I have either run or walked every nite this week and I am looking forward to a 3 mile jog in the park with my son as soon as the sun goes down. I don't know if there is a correlation to my decision and my renewed love for running, I just know I have been waiting to get this part of my life back for a long time.

I don't know what the outcome of my trip to the dermatologist will be. And although I'm not scared, I am quite concerned. Until then, I will learn to love the new, paler me as I make my way back to becoming the strong, fit runner I used to be. Until then...

Gotta run...with sunscreen...
Lisa

Calling All Heroes!!!

Our team, Running Down a Dream, has officially been formed! Here's what you need to do: Go to www.memphismarathon.com and register online for the race of your choice (5K, Half Marathon (13.1 miles) or Marathon (26.2)) You will be asked if you would like to be a St Jude Hero - select "YES!" You will then be asked if you would like to join a team or would you like to sign up as an individual. Please select "Join a Team" and enter in our team name, Running Down a Dream. You will receive email confirmation within 24-48 hrs that will also contain instructions on how to access your individual fundraising page as well as access to our team page.

After everyone has had the chance to join, Christopher Beck with ALSAC has graciously offered to host a mini kick off meeting for our team! You will not want to miss this opportunity to meet Christopher and get some valuable information about how to conduct your fundraising campaign.

I am in the process of developing a website or some other form of communication (perhaps this Blog or Facebook or Twitter - I'm open to suggestions) to keep the team up to date with group training, fundraising tips and any other information that needs to be mass communicated. I'll send out more info as it becomes available. Remember, training for the Half officially begins the week of August 30th with our 1st group training session on Sat, Sept 5th. If you have an idea where to meet for that 1st session, we will be doing 2 miles so if you know of a good 2 mile route, please let me know. We'll determine the time when the date draws closer.

If you have any questions, need training schedules or have any other concerns, please let me know. And if you have friends, family members or co-workers who would like to join our team, please let them know they are more than welcome!

I am SO excited to begin our journey of getting in shape & raising lots of money for the kids at St Jude. Now that's what I call a win-win.

Gotta run...

Lisa

New Additions

After a 2 month hiatus, I decided it was time to try to catch everyone up. I say "everyone" lightly as I feel relatively sure that everyone most likely encompasses only a handful of people. I most likely have lost any followers due to my lengthy silence. Oh well, blogging is therapeutic and I am in serious need of therapy.

2 weeks ago, I received a call from Guardian Angel Pet Rescue that 2 Yorkies were on the "chopping block" and would be euthanized if a foster home wasn't found fast! Well, Mark & I love Yorkies so we agreed to take them in. Aren't they precious?

Baby Bear & Honey Bun

Well, it seems that they like it here, we love having them and Bandit & Teddy like them -- I'm feeling that fostering them will lead to something much more permanent. That will bring our dog total to 3 Yorkies and 1 Bandit -- 4 DOGS!!!!! That's just one dog shy of being white trash! What are we thinking?!?!? Obviously thinking is something we are NOT doing.

Now, to catch everyone up on my return to running or should I say my "desire" to return to running. The actual return has yet to take place. I can't seem to get back into it and it is very upsetting. When I do attempt to run or walk, it's great but the aftermath is brutal. For instance, this morning I did a very easy 4 miles in the park. Mostly walked and peppered in some running or rather some very slow jogging. I felt great! I met a girl in the park and we got to talking and the time just flew by. I had intended on a 30 minute workout but it turned into a 4 miler. I stretched afterward and used the Stick but now, an hour or so later, I can't put weight on my left leg. My knee cannot straighten out fully and my leg feels like my bones are made of rubber. This is not a new occurrance either. After every workout, no matter the distance or the intensity, the aftermath is the same -- I can barely walk. I move around like a 100 yr old who just had both hips replaced. Is my body telling me something that I refuse to hear? After all, I'm inclined to throw caution to the wind and do what feels right for the moment with utter disregard for consequences. (see above re: I NOW HAVE 4 DOGS!!!!!)

I realize this isn't much of a "catching up" post but in fairness, my life lately hasn't been much more than trying to get my endurance back and rearranging my house to accommodate dog crates. So for now...

Gotta run & I LOVE YORKIES...

Lisa

Meet my new running partner!

BANDIT - ADOPTED

It's official! If you go to Guardian Angel Pet Rescue's website and scroll down thru the available dogs, you will find Bandit. Guardian Angel Pet Rescue is a wonderful agency that rescues dogs & cats from death row and finds them their forever home. Bandit is a great dog even though Teddy isn't quite in agreement.

My running, that had started back up with a vengeance had sputtered to a small spark with all the gloomy, rainy weather of late. My back yard has become nothing more than a muddy murky swamp. Poor Bandit! He's been so cooped up. So I decided that today was the day to"kill 2 birds with 1 stone" so to speak. I laced up my Asics and put the leash on Bandit and out the door we went. He did AWESOME!! In the beginning, he was practically dragging me but as we settled into a steady pace, we ran side by side. By the end of our 30 minute run, we were both exhausted. There were a couple of times when we got a little tripped up -- me over the leash and he over my 2 feet. Oh and of course, in the beginning, he had to mark every mailbox and sniff every yard but he quickly caught on. I thought it was a great start to what I hope becomes a common occurance.

So if you're in need of a running buddy of the 4-legged persuasion, please consider adoption. I'm sure glad I did!

Gotta run...

Lisa

Run Softly and Carry "The Stick"

I have learned over the years that if you want a boat load of unsolicited advice, you should get pregnant or acquire a sports related injury. I chose the lesser of 2 evils (or did I?) and decided to injure my already-not-so-good knee. Ever since I developed issues with my knee, EVERYONE seems to know what I should or shouldn't do, the right drug to take, cream to try, the proper stretches, etc, etc, etc. Now, it's not that I mind the advice. After all, I want to run and I want to do it without making things worse. The problem is that I've gotten so much advice that it has become virtually impossible to sift thru it all to find a solution that works for me.

But last week, I was talking to the leader of our walking group at work and she told me about one of her clients who had experienced the same calf cramps when her mileage ramped up to double digits as well as knee pain. Someone recommended The Stick and after trying it out, her knee pain completely disappeared and she ran a marathon with NO CRAMPING! Well that single testimony was enough to convince me to give it a try. I used it for the 1st time after my run last nite. I am pleased to say that I'm experiencing very promising results -- still have knee pain but not as much! I was also able to pinpoint several trouble spots or "triggers" that I was able to work out. And I slept GREAT last nite - no achy, sore legs. Hmmmm.

I decided to use it BEFORE my run today and wow what a difference! I did notice some areas that I wished I had hit before hand but those spots were the 1st I worked on after my run. Boy do I feel great. I'm still a proponent of RICE but I'm convinced that the stick should be in every runners gear bag. My only regret is that I discovered it's benefits after injury when I truly believe had it been in my bag of tricks pre-injury, well, I simply would not have had this issue.

But the stick was not the only factor that led to my successful run today. Today I decided to engage in mindful running. I have blogged about this before but I can't say enough about this technique. If you find yourself running alone, as I did today, it's great. Usually I use my runs to "work thru" my problems, solve world hunger, calculate complex algebraic equations and think about what I'm going to wear to work tomorrow. Mindful running forces you to dismiss such mental pursuits and focus solely on your running - your stride, your breathing, everything! Everytime I could hear my footfalls, I would imagine that I was running on a cloud and tried to "tread lightly." For the most part, this was an easy task as during most of this run, my heavy breathing drowned out the sound of heavy feet but still I focused on just my running and not my "drama-saturated" life. The time flew by. After a 5 minute warmup, 25 minutes of running and a 5 minute cool down -- I felt almost as proud as if I had run a marathon. Ok, not quite that proud but proud none the less. Tomorrow is a rest day but thanks to the stick and my rekindled love for the run, I'm looking SO forward to Thursday because I...

Gotta run!
Lisa

On The Road Again

For reasons other than filing my taxes, I have been dreading April 15th. April 15th will be exactly one month since I crossed the finish line in Little Rock and exactly one month since I've gone for a run. I've walked a handful of times and I took a few jogging steps for my photo-op on the Golden Gate Bridge but a full fledged run, nope, haven't done it. I've had a million & one excuses and honestly, they've all been valid. An injured knee is not something to take lightly. But, to be honest, the reason I haven't been running is because somehow, I lost my nerve. I can't explain what I'm afraid of any more than I can explain why it's so cold outside when it's supposed to be spring! But as the 15th approaches, I realize I'm more afraid of never running again than what will happen if I do. So with that realization, I headed out the door for a 20 minute run.

It was not spectacular. It was not fast. It was not without lots of aches & pains. It was, however, a new beginning and it felt GREAT! As I was winding down, I started thinking about an email I received from a very dear friend. I was telling him about the struggles leading up to, during and after the marathon in March. He candidly asked me if I thought I'd be interested in running if it didn't bring so many challenges. I had never really thought of that before & after only a second, I realized that he makes an excellent point. If running were easy for me, I would quickly become bored and move on. It's the obstacles & challenges that truly captivate me. So today, in those measly 20 minutes, I basked in the aches & pains and the huffing & puffing that comes with a month of the lazies. I vowed to start over, re-build my strength and endurance and enjoy the ride. Today I'm setting out to recapture what I thought was lost. I learned I haven't lost it, it just needs a little dusting off.

I am definitely back on the road again...YES!!!!!!!

Gotta run...
Lisa

Back to reality

"Running" the Golden Gate Bridge

It's hard to believe that 1 week ago I was in sunny California! The reality of my unpacked suitcase is like a harsh slap in the face and I am SO tempted to just go back to bed. I am having the hardest time adjusting my sleep patterns to the central time zone -- you would think I was in San Francisco for months rather than days.

I had hoped to post pix and blog from San Francisco but alas I packed the cord for my MP3 player instead of for my camera. I had also hoped to regain my running mojo while on this trip. After all, who wouldn't be inspired by this scenery? Well, as the running fates would have it, after a very long plane ride (boy was I stiff!) and then a "not-so-gentle" bump of my bad knee on a car door, running was no longer an option. I must now deal with another reality that a visit to an orthopaedic is most likely lurking in the near future. Another reason, as far as I'm concerned, to go back to bed this morning! Hopefully, I can find a Dr who will help my knee without telling me to hang up my Asics (a girl can dream, can't she?) Cuz we ALL know that I've...

Gotta run!...

Lisa