Minimal Running and Injury Prevention

So, can anyone tell what I spend my Sunday nights at home doing when I don't have to work the next day?  Hehe.  Anyways, I'm about to talk about some reasons why I'm glad I've transitioned into more minimal shoes/more natural running style.

Today was the longest distance I have done in quite awhile (over a year), and while the last time I did the same distance (18 miles)  I was wearing "conventional" shoes and orthotics, and based on my running history, I think it was probably only a matter of time before I ended up hurt again.  I remember one of my friends at West Point running with me once and telling me I was probably getting injured all the time because I slammed my feet onto the ground - she was remarking on how loud I was when I ran.  I remember saying it probably had something to do with the insoles I was wearing... and that they made me run different  (I think I was suffering from plantar fasciitis at the time).  And I thought they were HELPING, ha.  Funny to look back on the fact that I said that and look at what I know now about running and injuries.  Also interesting when I look back on the fact I used to run 50-60 miles per week without injury, but when people I ran with noticed I was running "on my toes" and were telling me that I needed to run heel to toe that is when I got and stayed injured...

I will say that transitioning did cause me some injuries - though nothing that stopped me from running for a long time.  I got that tendinitis in my right foot right when I switched to my first pair of more minimal shoes, the Saucony Kinvaras... My feet weren't used to doing so much, I guess.  I went and ran 7 miles in them the day I bought them - 3.5 uphill, and 3.5 downhill, lol.   Once I worked more on having a lighter landing and got used to the shoes, that injury went away, and I haven't had any more issues with it.  The next injury was my hip thing... I'm not really sure what that one came from, but I think I'm probably doing something wrong when it comes to form (and too much speed/hill work... even with proper form, too much too soon can cause problems!)   I think it also has something to do with the fact I supinate a lot (run on the outside of my foot)... All the wear on my shoes is on the outer forefoot area... When I notice myself doing it, I try to roll my ankle in a bit more when I'm running

 The good news is that unlike the injuries I was getting when I was running in conventional shoes/heel-to-toe/etc., I can STILL run!  I might take a couple of days off if something doesn't seem right, but I don't have to take MONTHS off.   And, I have found that once I focus on form while running if I notice something hurting, it hurts less.  Today, for example, my left knee was starting to hurt after about 14-15 miles.  I think beyond just the general stress of running on slanted pavement for 15 miles that I was starting to hurt because I was heel striking/over-striding a bit.  I started focusing on running with smoother/lighter steps, and keeping my stride short, and the pain was less-pronounced, and after the run my knees weren't hurting at all (but my legs sure are!  Haha).  I still need to figure out why the heck the left side of my shoe is the side most worn out, and why my left side just keeps being the one getting beat up, but I think it might have something to do with running on slanted roads... I try to run in the middle when possible, but unfortunately, even in the country, there are cars :)

ANYWAYS, my point is that most of my issues now are fairly easy for me to fix once I focus on form.  Like my calve tightness, which from what I've been reading, can also cause top of the foot pain (no, I don't have a stress fracture - there is no pain at all to the touch, it just comes and goes as it please)... I have learned that that is because I tend to push off with my toes when I am speeding up instead of letting my core/upper legs do most of the work... My lower legs should be "along for the ride" instead of doing the work.  Sprinting form just doesn't work for 2 hour runs.   Once I allow my lower body to relax, I don't have the same issues.  I wish I could run fully barefoot, as I have heard that it gives you the BEST feedback (apparently my toes would be getting blisters if I was pushing off with them barefoot), but I'm too chicken to do it when it's 20 degrees outside (frost bite, anyone?), and I need to build up to it... and I kinda lack patience, hehe... I did do it at the track a couple of weeks ago though :)

So what I am saying in this blog is that if you find yourself struggling with injuries, you should try some more minimal shoes.  But you still need to focus on form... Minimal running is not a cure all, but it sure helps fix form problems, which will in turn fix injury problems.  I would say it's also really important to be in tune with your body and learn what causes certain types of twinges/pain.  I know if I over stride that my knees start to hurt, so I try to focus more on shorter, faster strides.  OH, and if you do transition, do so slowly!  You can still fix form problems in regular shoes, but it's a LOT easier to do it in more minimal shoes.  I have a friend who knows a bit about form, and I commented that he was heel striking like crazy during a run... He said he knew, but that it was hard NOT to heel strike in his conventional shoes that he was wearing.

I would also recommend reading Chi Running if you are interested in learning more about form.  There are books on Pose and Evolution running as well, but I have not read them, though I've gone to a class on Pose, and that is what my physical therapist worked with me on when I was suffering from tendinitis in my right foot.  From what I've learned about Pose and Chi methods, Chi seems to be best for long distance running, and pose seems like would be best for shorter/faster running.  I don't know much about Evolution method... I do know they are all similar though.

Alas, I hope I can provide some information for those people who might be suffering from injuries of different types!  I know I am no expert on injury prevention, as evidenced by my constant stream of them, but I have at least learned through my mistakes different ways to help fix them, and how to avoid being sidelined for months/years like I was back when I was running in conventional shoes and heel striking (it really was about three years of different injuries before I was able to start long distance running again).  

Work and Marathon training

I suppose it has been awhile since my last update... It would seem I don't have too many important/meaningful things to say as of lately (at least not online), so I will just make this an update on life :)

To be honest, life has pretty much consisted of work and running the past few weeks.  We spent a week doing a training exercise (which, by the way, in the world of Finance was NOT outside, but in an office building - can't complain about that!)  I always learn the most about my job during exercises.  I know this was my first time doing one of these in my current job, but when I was enlisted, that was how I became so good at my job: going to constant exercises and learning by doing.  It really is the best way.  Anyway, I have also found that my background in computers is quite useful to learning how to work with the systems we work with in this job.  Granted, I didn't do much on this exercise in regards to systems, but I did more than I get to do on a regular basis!  Anyways, I was home for a week, and I'm leaving AGAIN tomorrow... but THIS time, I'll be staying in a fancy hotel in Boston, and instead of days that are 12 hours, my days will be 8-9 hours :)  Again, I can't complain!  And, being the running nerd that I am, I have started looking up running routes.  Unfortunately, I will be working during most daylight hours, but FORTUNATELY the sun is coming up earlier these days... Oh, and there will be treadmills at the hotel, so I can run at any hour!

Speaking of running, marathon training is going reasonably well!  Oh wait, have I even talked about that on here?  I'm not even sure... I WAS going to do a 50-miler (it's a part of the same event as the marathon) before they added the marathon to the event, but once they added the marathon, I decided it would be wise for me to finish 26.2 before I tackle 50.  So far, I have managed to mostly stave off my usual flood of injuries.  My hip has been giving me some trouble, and the top of my left foot has had a little weirdness (it was uncomfortable for a couple of weeks a couple of months ago and went away, and today it feels a little funny too), BUT, so far, nothing has been bad to where I need to stop, and when I DO feel something that doesn't seem right, I take it easy, which I think is helping.  The hip thing is muscular (piriformis), and it's just annoying, but it is not a bone/tendon related thing, and it goes off and on, whether I run or not... Sitting on a massage ball seems to make it better too, so that has been manageable.  The foot thing... I have no idea.  I read somewhere that it is related to shoes being too tight, so I started lacing my shoes up differently, which I think actually helped it go away last time.  I'm not sure why it's bothering me now, but now that I think about it, I got a new pair of shoes and didn't lace them up differently, and I did 10 miles yesterday in them.  Hmmm... :)   Anyways, I did 16 last week without many issues (knees definitely hurt a bit during the run, but that's normal - as long as there's no pain AFTERward, I'm good!)

Speaking of the long run... I've been doing the Galloway walk-run method for my long runs, and I really like it!  Not only does it help me get through the long runs with less pain, but it aids in a quicker recovery.  After the 16-miler, I wasn't too sore or tired (I used to be really tired/drained after my long runs), and I was able to do eight miles two days later, and a track workout the day after that.  After my 14-miler, I COULD have run the next day.  Keep in mind, I haven't done any of these distances in a really long time... The last time I did 16 was over a year ago, so that quick recovery was definitely related to doing the walk breaks (I do a minute for every mile).  Of course, I can't help but wonder what I'll do ON the marathon.  If I actually follow Galloway's method, I'll be doing the walk/run for the marathon... I think I will walk some, but I don't know how frequently or for how long!  It's very hard for me to walk during a race that isn't a trail race (other than when I go through the water stations... I always walk those), but from what I've been reading, it's a good strategy on the marathon when most people are fine for awhile and then bonk.  The method also states that once you get to mile 18 or so, if you are feeling good, you can cut out the walk breaks and pick up the pace.  Sounds like how I usually run :)   Anyone have experience with this? I'd be interested to know how it turned out for you!  


Anyways, it's needless to say I'm really excited with my progress and I REALLY hope I can actually make it to marathon day this time.  I have a half marathon coming up in a couple of weeks, and I think that will give me somewhat of a gauge as to where I am.  This will be half marathon number 7, by the way!  I don't expect it to be a PR of any type... For one, the weather here in February is not exactly optimal!  Granted, it's far better than the 90 degrees/90 percent humidity down in South Carolina, but 15-20 degrees isn't exactly great race weather either!  I also don't want to kill myself on the half and not recover in time for my other training (i.e., my up and coming 20 miler that is actually supposed to be the week of the half... but I think I'll need to change that if I'm going to be racing a half marathon!)  Fortunately, the race is still two months away and I'm up to a 16-mile long run, so I have plenty of time to get in those twenty-milers.

And, if I want to get in a run before I head out tomorrow, I should get some sleep.  So, good night readers :)

Nina

Training Errors

As usual, I have managed to acquire a bit of a tinge that is bothering me (piriformis... again).  Go figure, I did a twelve-miler for the first time in months (though I had previously done two runs of 10-11 miles), and THEN on Friday our commander had us do a 4-mile run for time.  My time was actually really slow considering I normally do that pace on regular runs when I'm barely pushing the pace...  but after the twelve-miler, and with the cold/snow and that really uncomfortable and bulky winter physical training uniform we have to wear, the effort felt pretty hard.  And my lungs were burning afterward, SO, I'm not surprised at all that my hip/glute is hurting me again.  I took today off from running... even though I really didn't want to because I had to take a week off the week before last because of that gum surgery, but I'm trying to avoid further injury.  Anyways, some things I think I need to do so I stop hurting myself:

1) I need to not worry about what other people are thinking.  I'm going to start incorporating walk breaks into my longer runs... At the end of that last long run, I felt pretty beat up, and it wasn't even a race.  Normally my legs don't hurt WHILE I'm running unless it's a race.  Well, they were hurting at the end of that long run.  That's telling me that the pace was too fast.  It sucks, though, when you're on an infantry post... and I HATE HATE HATE stereotypes about how women are lazy/out of shape/shouldn't be in the Army, blah blah blah.  I think that tends to make me push harder... which is good for some things, but not so much when I'm doing a long run and trying to increase endurance.  So, I need to stop thinking about what other people are thinking and slow down.  And take walk breaks early on (I was reading Galloway's running method... and even though he PERSONALLY came to West Point when I was on the marathon team and talked to us about it, it didn't make much sense to me then... reading it now, it makes sense).  Anyway, I think SPEED is what keeps killing me, not distance.

2) Not think so much about miles for the week... My mileage is actually pretty low compared to a lot of runners.  I try to average around 30 miles per week, which really isn't high at all, and I think I could easily increase that IF I slow down.

3) Remember to do my strengthening exercises... Yeah... I am working on that one.  It seems I only remember to do them when I'm actually injured.  But when every physical therapist tells me "You have weak hips and that's why you keep getting hurt!"  I guess I need to keep up my exercises when I'm NOT hurt.

I guess the list isn't extensive, but looking back, those seem to be my biggest training errors.  I don't think I've been guilty of too much too soon in a very long time. At least not when it comes to distance... I increase my distances pretty safely.  It's the speed and hills that seem to hurt me.  And not speed WORKOUTS, but running my regular runs too fast...   And while I haven't had an injury that's REALLY put me out since I started running in more minimal shoes/working on running form, I keep getting these random injuries that slow me down by making me stop for a week or so at a time.  

I will admit though... as much as I really really detest wearing that terrible winter physical training uniform for my long runs (seriously, it really sucks... it's like wearing bags on my legs/upper body), I like doing my long runs for PT in the morning since we are now in the process of marathon training.  That way I don't have to spend my weekends doing it :)  I can go for a leisurely 6-8 mile run or something instead of taking hours for a run.  It's quite nice :)

Love,
Nina

LIFE

I haven't been updating much lately, so I suppose now is as good time as any :)

There's actually quite a bit going on right now.  I've been getting settled into my job, which has been a slightly interesting experience.  I'm in a Captain's position as a brand new 2nd Lieutenant, so I'm having to learn quite a bit of stuff with very little experience.  Fortunately I was prior service, but UNfortunately this is my first time deploying, and, again, I'm new to the unit, so I'm still learning how it all works.  Fun stuff.  Fortunately I have lots of people that are helping me to learn the new job.  I guess West Point taught me at least one good thing: don't act like you know everything, and don't be afraid to ask questions and take advice.

On another different (but slightly similar note), I am taking my Graduate Record Exams (GREs) tomorrow afternoon.  I must say I am NERVOUS.  I have been practicing for awhile; however, the initial book I used wasn't very difficult.  It wasn't until I took the test on the actual ETS (the test-maker's) site that I started worrying, so I ordered THEIR book, and have been practicing since I got it, which unfortunately, has only been for a week.  I still don't feel confident in a lot of the math portions, and unfortunately, because my college GPA was only okay, I would really like to do well on this exam for grad school (not that I'm sure when exactly I'm going to go, but I know it will be within the next five years, which is how long the GREs are good for).

 And on ANOTHER slightly related note, I am ALSO taking my test during the Army-Navy football game!  Ahhhhh!  I am so disappointed I won't be able to watch it.  Those of you who know me know that I absolutely do not care about football.  Except for Army football (or rather, West Point football), and ESPECIALLY this one particular game.   The Naval Academy is West Point's number one sports rival, and this game is huge.  For those who don't know, EVERY cadet and midshipmen (Naval Academy cadet) travels to watch the game.  It's a huge deal.  And Army hasn't won one of these games in nine years.  :(  So, EVERY year everyone gets all excited for the game.  I sure was looking forward to watching the game sitting down, nice and warm, probably drinking a beer (Cadets have to stand the entire game, our uniforms weren't particularly warm, and we couldn't drink during football games, so these were all novelties).  Sadly, I will be sitting, nice and warm, taking a 3.5 hour test.

Finally, I suppose I will talk a little about upcoming months.  First, I am very excited for the next few weeks.  I will be seeing one of my best friend's West Point graduation (she's graduating a semester late because she had to take a semester off our sophomore year), which means I get to head back to West Point for a couple of days :)  Following that, I get to head down South for some French Quarter and some beach goodness :)  Well, I don't know how warm it will be for the beach, but I'm still excited.  And THEN my sister will be visiting before we head up to Canada to go skiing for her birthday and New Year's Eve.  Um, rockin' good time me thinks!

Following my amazing period of leave, I'll be training extensively for a 50-mile race when I deploy.  I've never run a marathon much less fifty miles, but I think fifty miles would just be a completely different type of setting.  Unlike in a marathon where I would think you would try to keep running the whole time (I know I would be trying to run the whole time), it's pretty acceptable to walk during ultra marathons.  As a matter of fact, it's pretty much EXPECTED.  And we get 24 hours to finish.  That's like, barely over two miles per hour to finish (though I really hope that I do NOT ACTUALLY take 24 hours to finish...)  Anyways, I'm excited for it, but nervous at the same time because of my tendency to get injured.  I am combating this as much as possible by lifting more regularly again.  I want to build strength in my hips/legs so that they are better able to handle the stresses of running AND stabilize my body more so I don't end up with all these weird injuries because my hips are weak (what my physical therapist always told me at West Point when I'd walk in with yet another overuse injury).  I will also try VERY hard to slow my long runs down, and add some walking breaks in once I hit higher mileage, that way I actually recover better.  I have a very difficult time running long distances as slowly as I should be when I'm just training.  A 9:30 minute mile is pretty slow for me, but when I think when I start doing longer distances, I should probably be going slightly SLOWER than that.  Not because I'm not capable of running faster, because I very much am (most of my long runs last time I was training for a marathon were around 9-9:15 minute miles, and I wasn't trying to pick up speed), but I think to get the kind of endurance I want for this type of distance, I need to slow it down so I don't hurt myself.  I need to save speed for the speed days I guess :)

Alas, I suppose I have written quite a bit for now.  Those are the big things going on now though that I've been thinking about.  And we all know I like to share my thoughts :)

Love,
Nina 

I'm back! In New York

I'm back in New York!  And I must say, I've missed the scenery up here.  I really really don't like the South... at least not the area I was in!  There were some nice places, such as Charleston, and Atlanta was a really cool place to visit - particularly the Midtown area.  Also some of the metro areas around Atlanta (like where I did the trail half marathon!) were nice. I loved Destin, but I still don't really count that as the South :)  But for the most part, I'm not really much of a Southern girl.  I'm really excited to run on these country roads out here!  Just waiting for this hip thing to disappear... Actually it doesn't really hurt today, and didn't really bother me last night, so I kind of want to do an easy run this morning!  I dunno though.... I'm afraid to re-aggravate it!  It doesn't hurt WHILE I'm running, just while I'm sitting/sleeping AFTER I've run.  I really should've taken a couple of days off when it FIRST started bothering me (I guess after my speed workout two weeks ago, but I DID take  A day off.  I assumed I was just still sore).  It wasn't until two Sundays ago that it started getting to the point where sitting was hurting, and then I took quite a bit of time off.  It's been two weeks since I've done anything over four miles, and a week and a half (LAST Wednesday) since I've done ANY running at all.  And that was a slow four miles on the treadmill.  Trying to be smart about it this time :)

Anyways, I got off track.  It looks like there are some great running places around here.. woohoo!  That's what I looked at while driving, hahaha.  Lots of country roads with wide shoulders (and trails and stuff too).  The Adironacks are very close - within an hour drive, and I still want to check out the Ontario lake area (1000 islands region!).  Very pretty from the pictures!  I love all of the snowmobile signs out where I am planning to move.  Speaking of which...

Well, I've been apartment hunting, and I found one I like.  I really wanted to live out by the water, but there really is NOTHING out there, at least not for under 1000 a month - BEFORE utilities.  There are two apartment complexes, and they are completely booked up.  I have actually been using Craigslist, and have met a few different landlords.  Why you might ask would I want to do that?  Well, number one, I actually get to LOOK at the place before I move in...  2) I don't want to move in somewhere with lots of screaming children and people people constantly fighting right next door to me all the time and 3) They are more personal and I can work with private landlords better.  I didn't like dealing with apartment complexes... most have such high demand because housing out here is difficult to find that they weren't very helpful.  Customer service is important!  One of the areas I've heard is really nice would be good, but... more money than I want to spend!  With utilities it would be over what I get for housing, and I'm trying to avoid doing that.  

The tenants I've talked to in both of the places I was interested in really liked their landlords and really liked the setup, so a major plus!  Anyways, the place I am very interested in is need of a little fixing-up, but she said she will have that done in the next week when the current tenants move (most of their stuff was out yesterday when I came through).  I asked her to give me a call when the renovations are completely (refinish the hardwood floor/wash the carpet/ put some paint on a few places)  The upstairs area where she rents private rooms where they share the kitchen/etc. is very nice, the floor is nice, everything looks good, so I trust it will be done accordingly downstairs!  She REALLY wants me as a tenant.  She said the current ones in the apartment were not so good, and I think she likes that I'm an officer (and therefore will pay my rent on time every month - I guess the current ones weren't so good about that) and also I apparently remind her of her daughters, lol.    The other people living in the upstairs area are also military.  So, I would be getting a two-bedroom apartment with a deck outside, a yard (deck and yard are shared... though I doubt I'll be using them in  couple of months with the snow!), a garage, heat and utilities for 775 a month.  The heat thing is hugely important around here because it can add a good 200 dollars to utilities every month.  And it's big enough I can fix it up the way I want.  And with that price, I can afford to buy some good furniture!  The area isn't super close to work, but then again, most areas aren't.  It's not too bad though, about 15-20 minutes.  It's in a village, and seems quiet.  Oh, and there are two state forests maybe three miles down the road.  That's pretty good for me :)

 I stayed with a couple of people along the way up, including one of my closest friends (my roommate my last semester at school!)  It was a great way to get to visit, considering what a long trip it is :)  

Well, sort of abrupt ending, but that is all I have to say for now.  I know it has been a little bit of time since I have last updated, so I felt it was due.  

Love,
Nina

Trail running

I guess I haven't written much about running lately... Okay, not as much as I usually do, so this one is sparked from my race this past weekend, and also reading the Runner's World trail edition.  It's all about running, so if you don't want to read about that, you've been pre-warned!

First thing's first... The story of my race this weekend! So this weekend there was a lovely trail race a few hours from where I am.  It was a trail half marathon, which I had never done before.  I've done four trail ten-milers... well, technically three because I did one of them twice (freshman and senior years while at West Point).  One of them was in the snow in February :)  Well, those last few miles were the most brutal part of the race.  This was my sixth half marathon, and I didn't really train for it... I just looked for races, saw this one, and thought it would be neat to do.  Well, doing it on trails was a whoollle other monster from doing a road half.  As a matter of fact, I ran this one a full ten minutes slower than my last half marathon.  The race started on the road, and I think I started off a bit too fast.  I looked down at my Garmin and saw that I was running a 7:30 minute pace.  I had been running so many shorter distances that I kind of took off the way I would NOT normally do on a longer distance race.  I was feeling okay until I hit the hills.  Ooohhh the hills.  Not the hills that were on the road... those were okay.  No, it was on the trails where the steep hills hit where I started feeling it, but I kept powering up anyways.  Again... I hadn't done a trail race this far before, and the last time I ran 13 miles on a trail at all, it wasn't as hilly as this!  Not at all!  Around mile six or so there was a water stop, so I stopped, had a Gu energy gel and some water, and kept going.  Stopping for that water and gu was a terrible idea because my legs felt kind of like lead starting up again.  I realized I certainly did not eat enough that morning.  Some people can't eat before they run.  I HAVE to eat before I run.  I can't eat a full meal immediately before RACING, but I can certainly eat more than half an English muffin for a half marathon.  I started feeling a little better until the10th or so mile.  I didn't think I was going to be able to finish a few times.  I felt kinda sick to my stomach.. just awful.  BUT, I thought about the finish line the entire time, and I eventually finished in 1:56:10 (I think the seconds are right).  Yep, slow!  But, to put it in perspective, I got first in my age group, which I'd never done before!  Overall against all men and women, I was 28th.  I think I was about 5th out of all the women, but I'm not sure.  The woman who won overall was only two minutes faster than my last road half marathon, to give you more perspective on the difficulty of the course!  So note for future trail races that are a bit longer:  do more HILLS!  Long hills, not the short sprints we do in the morning.  And also eat more before the race.  AND... don't start so fast!

Now that I'm done with talking about the race, I'll talk about my love of trail running.  For those of you who don't know, trail running is really what got me into liking running and doing it for fun.  Maybe not just trails, but running in remote places in general.  I like using running as a way to get away from everything... I don't really like running in neighborhoods or busy areas (much to my mother's dismay).  As long as I can remember, I've chosen trails when given the opportunity.  Now, I must admit, while racing, all I could think was "why?? Why am I doing this to myself?  This is killing me, I don't need to do this!  Maybe I can sprain my ankle and be done."  Of course, I didn't really want that to happen, and the first thing I do after a race is start looking for other races.  Call it insanity, or call it an addiction, I don't know!  But I keep coming back for more!  Tonight I was reading the (FREE!) Runner's World Trail Edition that was available after the race and that's actually what gave me the idea to blog.  Sadly I can't remember everything I wanted to say because my mother called.  Oh well.  I think it was just pertaining to what I said :)

  I'm not quite sure what it is about trail running, or running in general, that keeps me coming back for more.  There are so many days when I ask myself why I do it.  Why do I take time out of a Saturday to go run for a couple of hours?  It's not as if I HAVE to do these things.  Most of the time, I'm not even training for a particular race... I still want to do a marathon, but I don't have a particular one in mind because I have no idea if I'll be deploying or not, or what my general schedule will look like in the next few months, so I'm just trying to build my endurance.  As I've mentioned in past blogs, I'm not a super fast runner.  I can max my run time on the Army Physical Fitness Test, and I can place in the top three for my age group in most races, so I'm faster than your average runner who started as an adult (as in, never ran high school/college level track),  but I know people who can outrun me in shorter distances no problem.   This is actually my first time winning first in my age group on a race!  Though I was a bit far off from first overall :)   Despite how much I was hurting on that race, I guess I wasn't hurting as bad as some people, because I was able to keep pushing, and I think that's where my strength lies.  I may not be able to take off sprinting, but I can maintain a pace for a long time, and I'm not one to stop.  I definitely felt like stopping on this race, and I definitely felt sick to my stomach several times, but I didn't stop (well, okay, I did stop for water and Gu).    I remember the first time I placed in a race was in Germany on the Konigstuhl, which was 5.5 miles up a mountain (I know I've talked about this before).  I had no idea I placed anywhere... It was only my second race ever (first being the US Army Europe ten-miler), and I just walked away not expecting any type of award.  It wasn't until someone said they saw my name in one of the newspapers over there as placing third that I had any idea I had placed.   Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, that was also a trail race :)  Anyway, I'm working on getting faster in general... Trying to push myself to do more speed work - as much as I prefer long, slow runs where I push myself to keep going, I do need to work on some more speed :)

So, I guess I kind of got off track from what I was originally going to talk about... trail running.  So to try to salvage that a little bit, there is a certain appeal to it that doesn't exist in other types of running.  I think it's a combo of the beauty of the trails with the extra challenge.  You HAVE to slow down when you're trail running - unless you want to sprain something, of course.  During races, you have to focus on not only trying to maintain speed while going up and down hills, but also focus on your footing.  When I say you have to slow down, I don't mean it gets easier.  No, it's much harder to run slow on some of those hills than fast on the road (as I re-discovered this weekend).  During a regular run, you DO get to slow down and enjoy the scenery.  There were so many times this weekend I wanted to walk and look at the scenery.  It was SO pretty.  The state park where it took place was BEAUTIFUL.  I wish I could go out there again... Sadly, it was 3.5 hours away :(

Alas, I should get some sleep.  I'm debating waking up and running tomorrow morning.... I think it will end up being an afternoon run though :)  A very slow recovery run... assuming I'm still as sore as I was today!  Good night everyone!

Love,
Nina

Study break!

Since I've actually been productive today, I don't feel guilty actually taking a study/homework break while I eat my udon noodles and blog.  And since I type quite fast, this won't even take me long at all.... An update beyond just a poem is needed, I think :)

So, first, I am back to my running routine again and managed a 9 mile run this afternoon.  I didn't plan on it, but I was feeling so good that I didn't want to stop.  I looked down at my Garmin, and oh, I was at 4.5 miles :)  I don't know how I managed it, actually, because I got less than 4 hours of sleep last night, and there was definitely some mouth pain in the first mile (that went away), and then it returned very painfully this evening.  I took a Vicodin and it kind of helped... I also drank coffee because I couldn't fall asleep.  Yep, haven't had a nap yet.  I have a counseling presentation tomorrow along with the submission of my plan for a presentation on Thursday.  This is in addition to a paper due Wednesday and another paper due Friday as well as a "Battle Command Conference" when we will also listen to officers talk about leadership tomorrow night and all Wednesday, SO, not getting much sleep this week! It's a good thing I'm graduating in oh... 32 DAYS!!!  Oh, I simply cannot wait, except I'm going to miss everyone.

  I was telling a couple of people how graduation can't come soon enough and yet I feel like it's coming too soon at the same time.  I still have several tasks to finish and I have stuff I still want to do in the area, but very little time to do it.  Like see an opera in the city, for instance.  I intend on doing that before graduation at some point.  This Saturday morning I am running a half marathon here, and then that night I intend on hitting up NYC with the girlies for some final dancing/bar action, since we haven't actually all made a trip to the city yet together.  Friday night, I have no idea.  I'm thinking almost everything I want to do is going to have to happen on a Saturday though because we have events almost every Saturday morning which means I can't really go too far on Friday (though there is still plenty I can do on a Friday!)  I also still want to hit up a few more hikes, Bannermans castle, and I just want to explore more before I leave! 

Anyways, I suppose I am thinking outloud, hence the stream of consciousness.  Must be the combo of lack of sleep + coffee/tea + Vicodin + a LOT of school work.  BUT, I am listening to a very excellent Pandora station as recommended by someone :)  The xx, who I hadn't heard of before ... well... yesterday, but they are awesome!  The station is playing several favorite songs of mine. 

Alas, these are some thoughts from recently - and mostly the past few days and today.  I guess I have been quite busy and if I was to type everything in, this would turn quite long, and would probably bore you, my reader :) 

Now I need to start on actually WRITING this paper... It's about a Vietnam war memoir, Stalking the Vietcong.  It was actually a good book, but unfortunately, it is still a book I had to read in order to write the paper... which meant spending time reading instead of writing and working on other assignments.  That book is why I'm so tired today, because I knew I had to finish it, so I was up into the wee hours reading.

Anyways, goodnight readers!  Time to move onto tasks of greater importance :/ 

~Nina