Short Run After Work

It's always chaotic to get out for a run on the days I work. Especially when I'm there until 4 or 4:30pm. Hustle home (ok, not really, with babies in the backseat and stop and go rush hour traffic), feed the babies, change, stretch, etc. to try to be on the run by no later than 6pm. We just did our usual park run tonight, nothing long as we have to make it home before 7pm to get the babies to bed. Wasn't feeling totally up to par today with what seemingly feels like a head cold coming on, so I warned my husband ahead of time that I might be wimpy today. Ironically, it seems whenever I do this; set low expectations for myself, I usually end up doing pretty good. We kept what felt like  a 9' pace or so throughout and I had the stroller for most of the run, save a few weird areas (like crossing the street, etc. where my husband takes it). Today, I really wanted to throw my Nike Sportswatch on the street and stomp on it though. My husband and I usually always compare current paces and average paces (he has a Garmin). I just started using this GPS watch a few months ago and initially loved it, but now it's just showing to be a piece of junk. I think I really just need to get away from Nike products. I don't like what they stand for and really, whenever I try to contact them, they don't act like they care about their customers. Well, it is what it is for now. Until I can afford a Garmin or something of that standard, I'll have to suck it up and just learn to tolerate this watch for now. Basically, what it comes down to is, it does not respect pauses (which unfortunately and inevitably, I have to do when we street run (especially with a baby stroller), with cars that cut you off, street lights, etc.). It's nice when we run on the lakeshore or Miami trail, because I don't have to pause there and my pace is accurate and consistent with ave/current paces. It seems the Nike Sportswatch does not respect pauses and incorporates that ZERO pace into my average. Really? It wouldn't be a thing if I could manually edit pauses, etc. but Nike does not let you do that on your own. You have to contact them personally and ask them to do it, which at that point, you have to send them a bunch of information for the website, on your watch, etc. Such a hassle! As superficial as it is, as soon as I hit my 5,000km milestone on there, I may rely solely on Runkeeper (as of right now, I don't even update that site or at least not with my treadmill/speed runs). Also, my whole run it was showing a current pace of 8'50 or so (which didn't quite seem accurate), but an average pace of 9'50. My husband's average pace was 9'20 something and he's usually behind me. I usually make it to stop lights or streets before him, so I pause my watch there as well and wait for him. Anyways, enough of the complaining. Hey, it's Monday. :)
All in all, it was a great run. Really felt like we got something out of it and my husband is getting faster. Still kind of bummed we didn't get out yesterday for a trail run in Miami Woods, but it just didn't happen. Hopefully we'll make up for it this week/weekend. Maybe a road trip to a nice long trail. We've been to a trail in Kankakee, IL that runs along the river, maybe I can talk my husband into driving out there? We'll see, after all it is fathers day/weekend.

A Beautiful day for a Lakeshore Run!

Today, both my husband and I woke up a little sore, but nothing that would stop us from slipping our shoes on and heading out to our planned running spot: the lakeshore. It's an old time favorite, which I don't get to run anymore since we moved from the lakeshore (aka a few blocks from the lakeshore) and into our humble house in Logan Square. We were planning on an 8 miler today, but with our soreness, we were just going to play it by ear and let our bodies tell us when to stop. Yesterday was the first time I took the stroller back into my hands for the full (save the first 10 minutes) run and I think I had some muscle wasting while I was on my running hiatus. It's amazing how taking a short break off will effect your endurance and strength so quickly. My calves were sore this morning, but throughout my run I was mainly fine and actually felt fine afterward, so I was a bit surprised feeling them this morning.
On the lakeshore, it was absolutely gorgeous. It was really hopping! Two different races; one ending (a half marathon) and starting (a warrior dash). I've never been a competitive runner, which I guess means, I never felt motivated to sign up for any races. I have a few friends that run races, but aren't really daily or regular runners like myself. However, today, as we were kind of thrown into the mix of these races and hearing the announcers from the warrior dash give their excited cheers and speeches kind of gave me chills and really felt some kind of comradery.  If I'm not running with my husband (and the babies don't really count yet), I really enjoy the isolation of running and being able to zone into your own thoughts, etc. I guess I always saw that running in a race, you would feel stressed and pressure to really do your best and then there's the fear of failure (not getting that PR or at worst, dropping out of a race from an injury). Well, with that being said, I know my husband has it in him to want to eventually do a race. He's actually already signed up with one through his work. His pace is getting closer to mine, so I do foresee entering a race together before the summers end. We'll see.
As my ankle seems to be holding up with these longish runs, I may start to throw in my speed training (which I do on the treadmill in my house while the babies nap/sleep at night). I'll start out with just a mile at a 7' pace or so and hopefully work my way up to a 5k. I'm not too sure I can maintain a 7' or so pace the whole time, but maybe I'll try negative splits. It would be nice to get a sub 25 minute 5k under my belt. I really get tuckered out at a miles end at that pace though. Whew!
I also proposed to my husband (assuming he won't be ready) for him to come along for my next 13 miler on the lakeshore. I suggested he could run as long as he can with me and then the rest of the miles he could either hang out with the babies at a park or bring his roller blades along and skate with the babies while I was running beside them. I don't think I want to push the stroller when doing my run though, because it does slow me down and suck up  my energy and I really would like to work on my time (hoping to get a 1:55 in by the end of the summer).

After our run, we let the babies out of their confinement to roam around in the "clean" grass (you never know what is in the grass at the usual park we go to). They really loved it and our daughter, Madeline, tried to escape to the path every time we set her down (we may have a future runner on our hands?).

 Here's the babies roaming around the stroller (aka "the beast"). Evander, our son, likes to push the stroller around in the grass and also chew on the seat belts. Not quite the nature boy, as of yet. Madeline, our daughter, is off exploring (she's usually the clingy one, so it's always nice to see her independent).

Still running with my ankle wrapped, to be sure. This morning I accidentally wrapped the wrong foot, so I was running with both feet wrapped. For some reason, I thought this was hilarious.

Back in the Urban Jungle

Ankle felt ok today, a little sore and mainly that is because I completely forgot to ice, massage and roll it last night. We were planning on an easy - paced run of an hour today, so we can do a longer one (maybe 8 miles?) on Saturday on the lakeshore. It's been since my injury that we went running in the park by our house. Not exactly my favorite place to run, but it's convenient and the bigger mindset here is if the babies were to complain about being in the stroller, at least there are diversions there and as a last resort to break from our run and let them play at the playground.
Today, our run started out slow. My husband was working out some stiffness and I was honing into my ankle since I forgot to care for it last night. By 5 minutes, we were picking it up without even noticing. I was letting him take the stroller for the first 10 minutes so I could warm up. From that point on, I took the stroller and kept with it. I was scared my endurance would have diminished from the two week plus hiatus, but I was feeling pretty good. At the thirty minute mark, I was a bit drained from the wind and the stroller, but we kept each other motivated. It seemed we were keeping up a 9'40 or so pace through the majority of our run until right at that point, but we still managed to keep it under a 10' pace from what I could tell from my watch. We had a few pauses and a few detours during our run (which is somewhat inevitable when we are running through city blocks and in a fairly crowded park), but if it wasn't for those things - I think our pace would have been a little better.
I'm looking forward to our run on the lakeshore tomorrow. I really hope the weather warms up a bit I loath wearing layers, but the good thing about running with a stroller is that it can also serve as a storage device. I'm not sure if I will be doing the whole 8 miles (if we do run 8 miles tomorrow) with the stroller. My husband already agreed we can switch in 10 minute intervals, etc. Although I'm almost 100% certain the rocky, horribly uneven trail we ran on is what injured my tendon, I do believe our last 8 miler was the day before. So really, it could have been either, or a combination of both. Well, off I go to ice my tendon and shop for baby books (as our babies had chewed through most of theirs and are now obsessed with reading stories). As cheesy as this sounds and sparked by our run today being slowed down at certain points by other people in the park and on the streets (which is their right to be there as well), but to make them a bit more aware of us and perhaps the babies safety, we are purchasing a bell for our stroller. It sounds like a hilarious idea and I can't wait to ring it as we're approaching people from behind. People will be expecting a cyclist, but nope - just some crazy parent joggers with twins in tow. :)

A Nice Run is Well Worth the Wait

It seemed kind of questionable if we were going to run together today again. It was raining in the morning and gloomy the rest of the afternoon. I'd like to say I would run rain or shine, but I'm a pretty big wimp when it comes to being cold (and behind cold AND wet is a certain torture). My son was feeling better, so I stayed optimistic.

Around 3pm is when the sun started to pop out of the clouds, so we decided to head out. We had an hour run in mind and maybe an 8 miler for the weekend. My ankle was feeling great so I offered to take the stroller half of the run. My husband is still working on his endurance and I am now totally aware of the signs of my tendon flaring up, so I felt comfortable taking the stroller - if only to see how I would do. The first 30 minutes was my husband's with the stroller and the last 30 was mine. On the first half, we ran pretty slow as the stroller was taking a lot out of my husband, plus he was running against the wind. On the last half, the babies decided to melt down and we had to stop twice to let them out of the stroller. After that second time, I decided I was going to try to get to the parking lot a bit quicker so they weren't suffering. Kept up a good pace of 8'40" or so for a good bit (felt pretty good, especially with the stroller!). The babies actually did pretty good from that point on because we gave them sticks to play with. :)

Ready to Hit the Trails with the Family

Yesterday was a good run. Not quite up to par, but getting there. Figured I'd keep a comfortable pace a little below 9' and try to go for 40 minutes (30 minutes was the day prior). Baby steps. I made it to 45 minutes/5 miles. Ankle handled it really well, especially considering I was ramping up my pace in my last mile (only to an 8'30" or so). Felt good. Continued to ice and massage before bed and today felt good again.

Today is national runners day! My husband was taking the day off and my son is on the mend but still one fever spike today. So it was just me and the treadmill again. I am hoping to hit the trails again tomorrow for a longish run. We'll reassess that depending on how Van is feeling. It would be great to run again, feels like so much has thwarted us from running together for too long now. So anyway, I decided on a short run so my ankle will have no excuse tomorrow. I ramped it up towards the end of my run again. After 30 min, I really wanted to keep going and was a little peeved about that, but I stopped myself. I've been quite proud of myself for healing this injury the smart way. It gives little bites of soreness every once in awhile to just remind me to still take it easy on tonight's run. This month I WILL get that 13 miler in!

Day Two Post-Injury Run.

So, Sunday was a bust. Turned out to be a rainy day and something told me it might be fate to give my ankle another rest day after my first run. My husband and I both agreed to have a super long run after work today. Well, once I got off of work, my son spikes a 103 temp and I decided to stay at home with the babies and let my husband go running without me. It world be pure, selfish evil to take  Van out when he's not feeling well. The "fresh" air would be good for him, but being restrained and uncomfortable would not be pleasant. Plus, he's been very clingy and needs cuddles when he's feeling yucky.

Once the babies were in bed though, I decided I'd get on the treadmill and just do another "test" run to see how my ankle does. I was on my feet all day at work, so I didn't want to overdo it. Plus, I'm not sure if I'm just paranoid, but sometimes I feel a little soreness here and there.

A good thirty minute run at my usual (solo) pace of about 8'40. I was feeling good. I use the Nike sports watch, which is great for GPS. However, when I run on the treadmill, I don't wear my VFFs and wear my Nike Frees with the sensor. I feel it's quite inaccurate with the sensor - tracking me sometimes at an 8'30 and then the next minute at an 9'30 pace. The sensor is pretty well matched when I use my iPhone app; I find it to be a bit more accurate.

A thirty minute run when I'm by myself feels like I'm just getting started. i would've loved to get a long run in. i am also sad that I missed my monthly 13 miler run in May because of my injury.hopefully  this month I'll be injury free so I can get one in. 

With that being said, it felt good to get another short run under my belt, my ankle seemed to have tolerated the run well so far and I'm hoping to be running again tomorrow (where, depending on my son - hopefully he'll feel better soon. Poor little guy).

I Made it! Post-Injury Running was a Success!

Today was going to be my gauge on if I could continue my running habit or be thwarted by an injury and kept in limbo of waiting for it to heal. I woke up feeling positive (and better yet - no soreness from my ankle). I've been pretty diligent about icing it, massaging it and stretching it for the last few days (and even staying off of the elliptical and actually resting). So, with no soreness felt and with my husbands help, we placed my KT tape for peroneal tendonitis, slide on our running shoes, swept the babies up and we were on our way!

I can't explain the anticipation and nervousness I had felt on our drive to the park. I was actually scared and had butterflies in my stomach; conflicting feelings. I imagine much like the feeling you get when you are about to step off of the cliff with a bungie cord attached to you (well, probably not as extreme or dramatic - but to a lesser degree, that's what I kinda felt). Silly, I know. It was just the idea of getting on the trail and being so ready for a run, only to be turned back once I felt the slightest little pang. 

We got to our favorite park (with somewhat easy, paved trails and tolerable hills) and popped the babies in the stroller. I made sure to stretch well before my run. I usually don't stretch before my runs, as I read some where that the correlation between a decrease in injuries with stretching vs not before a run was really nothing to mention. Either way, I'll be stretching before my runs now (it doesn't hurt to stretch and it feels good/loosens you up a bit, even if mentally). We were on our way!

I felt great, no soreness at all, but I wasn't going to get excited just yet - as I know it could hit at any time during my run. However, at my fifteen minute mark, which I decided would be my halfway mark, I still felt great and was enjoying being out there too much to turn back just yet. Another five minutes won't hurt, will it? Dah, the runner in me speaks. I asked my husband if we could do another five and when I looked back, I could see the stroller taking a toll on him. Yep, it looks easy because it's on wheels, but that beast is pretty challenging. Not only with your running form, but the little added weight, the wind resistance, etc can add up. I'm pretty sure that's how I messed my tendon up (combined with the running trails we were doing).

We made it to twenty and before long, we were at our parking lot again. An amazing feeling to have overcome another running injury (so far). They sure are scary and hopefully, this one will stay away like my IT band injury has stayed away thus far. It was great being out there again, albeit slow paced (10'30") - it made my day.

A picture of my wrapped ankle (not swollen anymore as far as I can tell) and my two day old Bakilas. Still my favorite VFF's. I had bought two pairs of them at the same time last year and just when I broke out of my old ones and into these pair is when I started hurting (a coincidence, I'm sure). They feel like soft air under my feet. I may regret getting white. ;)