Running Log: Ending Training week 10

This was not a great week. And I am, of course, still not following my training plan. Ultimately, I suppose it really doesn't matter so long as I am still running and working on increasing my endurance, which I am. It isn't as though the plan I made up-- or were I to follow another marathon training plan like Hal Hidgon's or Jeff Galloway's--is a sure fire recipe for success. I just need to keep plugging away at it.

I don't know what is up with this week. I haven't felt great. First off, I sunburned my lips on Sunday at the beach. I never get sunburned. I always wear sunscreen and I am not fair skinned. When it comes to protecting my lips with sunscreen, admittedly I am a bit more slack but that is because they have never been sunburned. And for the record, Sunday I did happen to apply some 30 SPF lip balm to my lips. I am thinking I either had a reaction or the lip balm had gone bad. On Monday my lips were swollen and red. This look in and of itself, while uncomfortable, was not so bad but since I had not sought lip plumplification treatment I knew it wasn't a sign of good things to come. Tuesday my lips were still puffy, still sore and were starting to peel. Wednesday they were totally peeling and a cold sore sprouted. A hideous one at that. Thursday the chapping was better but the cold sore bigger and then my bottom lip split from the dryness and peeling. Today is Saturday and the cold sore is better, my lips over all are healing but my bottom lip is still split and may or may not be a cold sore now. I can't tell but I am treating it as such. At any rate this has all been rather uncomfortable not to mention ugly.

Okay, I know you are rolling your eyes at me but I also haven't felt great. Don't know if it is allergies, as I do feel a bit of congestion in my head and chest and have had a vague headache, or if it is my body fighting a cold. Beau seems to be suffering too but he is more symptomatic, i.e. he is snotty, I am not. Really this could all just be PMS stuff. The week before I get my period I notice a definite decline in my overall physical stamina, strength and general health. It is very irritating but at least I know to expect it.

Finally, I have my first ever black toe. This actually happened after my 16 mile run 10 days ago. It was sore and was made worse because it seemed every kid in a ten mile radius found an opportunity to step on my toe. I'm not kidding (Ha!, not intended). Maybe my feet get stepped on all the time and I don't notice but for the past week every kid I have come in contact with has managed to mash my toe. It is the second toe on my left foot. I'm one of those people whose second toes are longer than their big toe. For the record my third toe is also longer than my big toe but not as long as the second toe. Couple this with my wide feet and you see why trying to get a good running shoe fit is next to impossible for me. But I'll get to that. Anyway, I didn't clip my toenails short enough and the nail got jammed into the nail bed. I won't forget to clip my toenails again, that is for certain.

So anyway, the soreness has abated and today I got brave and removed my nail polish just to get a look at the blackness. As if my feet weren't ugly hideous enough to begin with: it looks like I have gangrene under the nail. It isn't really black so much as it is grayish blue. I promptly repainted them a bright red because looking at it was making it hurt again.

To say that I don't feel my prettiest this week is quite the understatement. Since shopping always makes me feel better I set out Thursday to buy new running shoes--and yes, therefore I skipped my "planned" 10-12 miler. Like I said, I wasn't feeling too good.

I went to my favorite running store and consulted with the experts. For my last two pairs of running shoes I have been faithful to Brooks Adrenaline. I like them. They have been the best running shoe--so far-- that I have ever owned. But they are wearing out rather quickly. The current pair I am in I have only had since mid July. I don't think I have quite gotten 400 miles out of them. So after trying on just about every shoe in the store--even a few men's models--I settled on the Brooks Trance. The only problem was they don't come in wide. So I went up to a 9 1/2. If I may, I'd like to wax about my feet for another moment, black toe aside.

And here is where I go on a bit of a foot tangent:

I didn't always have wide feet. I use to have normal size feet. Then I ran while I was pregnant. My feet weren't so wide after Carmella because I only managed to run until about my 20th week. But with Beau I had a much better pregnancy and ran until my 34th week. I would have kept on running until I delivered in my 37th week but my bladder could no longer take the abuse. I don't regret running while pregnant-- as I still highly recommend for anyone newly pregnant to continue running for as long as you can-- the pros far out weigh the cons. And I'll tell you the main con will be wider duck like feet as the back of your foot does not spread, just the forefoot.(God forbid I get pregnant again, I'll be resigned to a life in Birkenstocks and Crocs. I shuddered as I wrote that--I think not only about the ugly shoes but the idea of being pregnant again.)
Okay, back to the running shoe saga:

My foot actually measures an 8 but I always take an 8 1/2. I am guessing this is because of my longer second toes. In running shoes I have always worn a 9. But because I so loved the Trances and they didn't come in wide I thought I might could compensate by going a 1/2 size up. As you may guess it didn't work out. I took my pretty new shoes to the gym and tried them out on the treadmill. I felt totally uncoordinated trying to manage the shoes. They just felt too big. I mean I am only 5'5 so a 9 1/2 shoe felt like I was trying to run with skis on. I didn't even get a 1/2 mile into it before I knew they were not for me. So sadly I replaced my worn Adrenalines and finished my run.

I returned the Trances the next day. I got yet another pair of the tried and true Adrenalines and ran in them today. They are my shoe--ugly as they are. And it is only in running that I will ever side on the side of comfort in the shoe argument of comfort over fashion. In all other instances I will suffer happily to have my ugly feet dressed up in a pretty shoe. And here is my plea to the shoe people at Brooks: Please, please make the Adrenaline's less ugly or start offering more wide shoes in prettier styles and in more attractive colors. Us girls with wide ugly feet want stylish running shoes too. If possible, I'd really like it if you made them in pink, heck I'd even settle for orange. Just no more black and blue. I am sick of black and blue.

Okay, so week 10 broke down as this:
Sunday: A miserably hot and muggy run in Sea Pines. I think it was about 7 miles. If so it was about a 10-11 minute pace.
Monday: Nothing, drove back from Hilton Head.
Tuesday: Long run. 16 miles at a 9:08 pace. I was tired but it definitely felt easier than the previous week. I think had I not felt bad I could have done a sub 9 minute pace.
Wednesday: 7 miles at a 8:30 pace.
Thursday: 10K on the treadmill: just under 48 minutes
Friday: Awesome run. The weather was amazing. Did 10 miles at a 8:24 pace. In the afternoon I cross trained for 30 minutes on the elliptical and then did full body weights for 40 minutes.
Saturday: My legs were beat today from the weights last night. I did a slow 4 mile run. I didn't take my watch with me so I have no idea about pace but probably a 9:30. Then I headed to the gym and did 30 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes of shoulder and upper back weights.

Total miles: 50
Items found: A cold sore, some PMS, new Adrenalines and a dead copperhead-- a reminder that I need to look out for snakes on my runs.