Going With The Flow

Very nice list. If you want to track your push-ups on the blog. You can add a pair of shoes (push-ups) and count them that way... It was great running with the group again on Saturday. I hope to join you more in 2012...

the pain is from climbing the mountain twice right? WOW!! understand the fatigue. Plus less O2 up there!! Hang in there!! The day after I ski I always feel pretty fatigued!!

Nice little track workout. I hope you are feeling better soon

Nice job with the faster workout this afternoon!

I have the same pains. It's from running fast I am sure. It's not fun.

Just checking in. Happy New Year. You are right about the cross training.

great idea with the spinning. just don't tell the instructor you are a marathon runner. my instructor always told me to "stop being lazy" when i was keeling over in spin class. it was much harder than running :)

Nice run and congrats on the gym membership. Try not to do too many deadlifts and reps on the bench ;>

I've only been to a spinning class once and it kicked my butt. My only concern with biking/spinning is the quickness of the repetitive motion and what it might do to my hip, though that bum-hip is a problem specific to me.

Spinning is so hard!! Good luck with that. :D

I have not been to see him, but if you feel like he doesn't work out (which I'm sure he'll be fine) let me know. My chiropractor is amazing, is a Cat 2 Masters cyclist, and specifically treats athletes. He is literally amazing. He also has a sports masseuse in-house for $45/hr, which is awesome.

Your chiro sounds very appealing...what's his name? I feel much more comfortable going to someone that is an athlete themselves. The one I'm going to has experience with athletes but I'm not convinced yet whether he knows much about running injuries...we'll see today.

Greg Freebairn - Back In Motion Chiropractic. 801.553.0366 If you tell him I sent you he'll laugh. He knows me well (even though I only go about once a year). I've sent a lot of people over there.

Good luck at the chiro today. :)

those hills (and parley's wind) kicked my butt today, but i enjoyed it. great route/route. i am also glad my schedule is more normal these days. doubles! workouts! sleep!

good luck at the chiro -- let us know how it goes...

Was not impressed at all with the chiropractor today. Lots of BS indicating he had no idea what he was talking about, at least with my problem. Told me I should probably stick to cycling and minimal running for a while (even when he didn't know what was wrong!). I don't mean to badmouth him, I'm sure he is a good chiropractor. But I'm very picky when it comes to doing any sort of manipulation on my body! Might have to call jun's guy.

Call jun's guy! I NEVER listen to anyone whose first thought is to stop running "and see how it goes". Sometimes you might have to stop running, but when you hear that first thing from a non-runner (or athlete of any kind) it means they don't know anything about athletes ;-).

Good luck Andrea.

Bonnie - we need John Ball!!! You are right though - sometimes not running IS the answer, but when its offered as the FIRST possible solution, you move on to the next guy.

You do need John, badly. The offer still stands, you can fly out, stay with us for free and will get you to John (you can borrow one of our cars).

My parents actually live about 10 minutes from his office

well, there you go. But, are your parents as fun and Dean and me?

ha ha .. they probably are, we went out to celebrate New Year's Eve at 5:30PM!!!

My parents probably stayed up later on NYE than I did! :-)

Sorry about the chiro, but I've got to agree that a new one would be in good order. Jun is a good recommender of people and things - I'd try his guy out! I might just call his massage therapist :)

Nice job on the run - wish I could join you Saturday, maybe I'll hook up afterward for breakfast :)

haha ditto Bonnie's advice!

I wish I could come Saturday. I may still be able to. I will let you know.

I always jump in the lap pool at Lifetime, it's not 55 degrees, but they keep it pretty cold.

I don't think those lids would work cause you can't stack the cups. I think it's a great idea for the runner but not the aid station volunteers.

Agree with you Rob. Andrea showed this to me yesterday and I thought the same thing - for runners, this would be awesome... but how many extra volunteer-hours would be needed to make this system work? Probably a significant amount.

umm I think this cup idea is genious!! I am famous for pouring water all over myself and getting about 1 tsp worth at each aid station in my mouth. ha! Good point about the aid stations and volunteers though. hmmm

I hope you feel better soon Andrea. Stupid colds!

I love that idea. I am never able to get the drink down without inhaling a portion and leaving some all over my hands and shirt. I would even be willing to pay a little more for a race if they were using these.

Hmmm....if I can not drink out of a sports bottle successfully while maintaining forward motion, this cup will probably not help me.

Sorry you are not feeling well, I hope it passes quickly for you!

My guess is they don't have cold therapy because of lack of demand. Nice running with the sniffles, hope you are feeling better.

I totally agree, Andrea. There should be cold therapy pools. They probably aren't as popular because a cold bath isn't very snuggly.

I think the lid is a great idea, but I think there's another issue other than the one's listed above. The issue is, what size do you make them? and how to convince race directors to buy them? Races are generally for profit or for charity or a combo, and costs are a big factor. Cups are often donated, thus you get a wide range of cup sizes. I remember getting water from a wide mouthed hogi yogi frozen yogurt bowl during a provo race once. It was crazy. The worst design for a runner. The width and shallowness made it hard to keep the liquid in the bowl while trying to ingest. Were they considering the runners when they decided to use these cups? Nope. They were thinking that they would take what they could get. Hogi Yogi serves drinks so has cups, but they donated bowls for the race, so bowls were used. go figure.

Awww! I'm sorry your sick. There's nothing worse. I hope you have a speedy recovery.

Whoops. I meant to type I'm sorry "you're" sick!

Feel better!

Thanks for the link to the one-legged strength training article :) Gave me some motivation to get off my bum and do more of what I can do. Happy sleeping all day!

Rest up hope you feel better soon! I know this time of the year can sometimes feel like a grind. You're doing great with nursing the sore spots. Everything will come around.

see you in the am!! As you know we planned on the Provo half course but what do you think about when we get on the trail at the lake we just stay on the trail (if you know the area, it continues on) until it gets to the end and meets up with University Ave (mile marker 24 of the Utah Valley Marathon) and then continue down University to the Provo Tabernacle :D. so happy to have you come with us. hope you are feeling better.

Hope you are feeling better and enjoyed your run this morning. :)

I know you guys are big people but I was worried when I lost you at that turn to show you back to the freeway. Hope you didn't go on forever on state street. I think I mentioned to Jake to turn left when you saw the mall. Hope you found a better place to stop for some food!! : D. Thank you for coming down with us. I felt a lot of strength running with this group. PS I posted an invitation for a February run. If snow gets better for you big skiers we can always run it in March so you can hit the slopes instead :D.

Thank you so much for coming down Andrea. I really enjoyed running with you. I am going to be up in your neck of the woods next weekend so hopefully we can run together again. :)

Hope you are feeling better. :)

i would love to hear your thoughts -- this must happen this year! step one is building giant calves.

Step two is running three consecutive 5:47 miles.

You're welcome.

I'd have to agree with Rob on this one.

You need to update your mileage for today to 8.4.

Your welcome.

I'm interested in running in the Olympic Trials and having Flotrack come interview me at my home. Do you know where I go to signup?

I think I can help you with that. Here are the steps -

1) Wait 4 years.

2) Listen to your girlfriend more often.

3) Get a dog.

4) Run a 2:15 marathon.

5) Make a friend that is part of Flotrack.

Very sound advice Andrea! Maybe I will sign up too ... I would agree to all of the above ... except Number 4! :)

Hmmm I feel like I want to start with either step 3 or 4. Probably step 3 - if I learned anything from step 2.

I am pretty sure that step 3 is the main key to Jake's success. :)

How does step 3 relate to 4? I can see marginal relevance from 1 and 2...

Jon, what you don't understand is that step 3 in on EVERY list, regardless of what the list is about.

Ahh. So basically, Andrea wants a dog.

Precisely. So do I... but we don't have a yard... and we want something like a German Shorthair - so basically the dog equivalent of our energy levels... it would be out of control w/out a yard! :-)

I can't wait to see how "waking up more than 5 minutes before you start your workout" goes! :-)

Sounds like a good plan! I am the worst at being organized before I go out to run. I generally sleep in my workout gear and am lucky if I'm even awake when I leave the house. :)

Do you find that your back bothers you more in the colder temps?

Rachelle - back in my Colorado days, most mornings during the winter I'd hike up Vail mountain and ski back down before work. Since it was SO COLD and therefore very difficult to get motivated in the mornings, I used to sleep in softshell pants and ski socks to expedite the getting ready process in the morning.

That is what I love about summer... for guys all you need is socks, shorts, and you're good to go!

While I have found that it takes me a little longer to get my muscles warmed up in the winter, the most significant factor for me is age. It is exponentially more difficult for me to stay "loose" and injury free without "warming up" now that I am nearing my 50s. I actually have to get up about 45 mins before I run, so can walk around (in pain usually) for 15 mins and then do my stretching/warm-up routine!

Sometimes running in the PM is better (though it creates a greater problem in terms of work-time conflicts).

I am notorious for going running within 5 minutes of waking up because I want to get as much sleep as possible (I know, I already get around 9 hours a night!). I think that the cold + not warming up is definitely causing me to be in more pain, on the run and after. I've been feeling like I'm 50 when I wake up for the past few months!

I'm going to try running in the afternoons or late morning 5 days a week, only early morning runs a couple times. Hopefully this will help. That and trying not to sit so much at work!

your plan looks great. it's the perfect time to get fully healthy and build a strong base. you'll be unstoppable this summer.

in regards to sleeping in workout clothes...james sleeps with his bib# the night before a race.

Let me know if you want a spin or strength training buddy. I belong to 24 hour fitness also, and would like to add some of those elements into my training.

Allie - hahaha! I thought Jake was weird for hanging up his racing outfit in the closet!

Emily - I'll be in touch...workout buddy sounds great.

Great plan! You're SO SO SO smart to not neglect the little things that keep the body strong and healthy!!!

plans are great. So spinning really helps with speed? I assume because it teaches your legs to turn over. Are there studies that suggest this? just wondering since I belong to a gym but never spin consistently. Hope your back gets better soon--

Sounds like a great plan Andrea. This should also help keep you mentally fresh for when it really counts!

I'd like to join you...but hummm you're a little to far away :-( You guys do some great runs! Hope you're feeling better!

The long run sounds fun, I'm planning to join but may opt to do 10 instead of the full 14. I'm still babying my foot a little. Thanks for organizing these runs.

I am definitely not ready for a long run, but getting together after and watching the OT's would be a lot of fun. I wonder if my wife would like to come? Are kids allowed?

Adam - if you have your girlfriend pick you up at the 10 mile mark, we won't tell anyone, I promise!

Thanks I may have her do that. If I tell her I'll buy her breakfast after she'll definitely be more prone to pick me up.

I like the new profile pic, but I have to say I miss the mountains from your last one. That was a cool photo!

that is a very solid squiggly "U" route and will offer some excellent views of mt. olympus (we can look for james). it looks great. i'll be there for sure.

14 mile run, food and then watching the trials? I cant possibly conceive a better Saturday!

You look like you are FLYING in that new picture! WOW.

Sounds like a GREAT run, I am actually sad we can not come. We have too many kids and too many things to get them to this weekend. I could use another good push (or serious kick in the butt to make me work harder!)

What is coffee? Isn't that the brown, hot, gross version of Diet Dew?

You definitely ran faster than me this morning!

Well, I should probably call my "coffee" more "hot milk with a hint of coffee"...and mine is more of a cream/light brown color.

Running buddies are the best!

I agree that it is hard to turn down a run when you have a running buddy. Nice work!

It is seriously freezing out today. brrrr!

i'm glad to see everyone else felt just as cold this morning. i thought i suddenly became a cold wuss because i was not enjoying my run at all. i was cold the entire time. i'm still cold after scorching my skin in the shower and driving to work with my super heater set on full blast the entire time (i'm sure you know about the power of jeep heaters).

allie - your jeep has a heater? mine takes 20 minutes to kick into gear :-)

I do know about jeep heaters. That is why you always see me and Jake in MY car in the winter!

well, not to brag, but my a/c works even better than the heater. this is why james and i have such fond memories of traveling to provo in traffic in the middle of june.

That's awesome you have hooked up with Devra to run with. She looked strong saturday at the Half marathon in PG.

ScottKeate and I may be coming to join you in the morning. Getting one morning of extra sleep sounded better than another 5am run. And to run in the morning with the big glowy ball of fire in the sky helps too.

Great job with the cross-training!

I wish I could come run with you guys tomorrow Andrea but I'm just not sure it would be smart.

wish I could too, darn this work thing!! always 50/50 for me on a Saturday!!

thanks for organizing these! see ya guys tomorrow baring any last minute disaster haha

It was great to meet you this morning. It was a fun group. Thanks for leading the way. Both you and Jake have awesome runner energy!

Sounds like a great run!! Very exciting to think that at the next olympic trials YOU WILL be there! :)

Yes you will so BE THERE at the next Olympic trials :) How exciting!

Being able to run a 7:10 pace and still talk would be one of the greatest mornings ever for me! ha! Sounded fun!!

it was so warm! i didn't even check the temperature and went out in my usual lime green bundle. way too hot.

very nice run this morning -- enjoy the relaxation today.

We can have a Fast Running Blog day at Snowbird!

That seems like a lot of miles, you must have been flying. :D

I'm stuck at work too.....life just isn't fair. At least the freeway was dead this morning making for a nice commute.

Nice work on the bike! Does it tell you your cadence? That's the one thing about the spin bike, I just do my best guess with the cadence.

This is a tough one.. The only thing I know is that too much IB can actually hinder healing in the long term. Maybe alternate with something like an aleve tablet once a day and then a small aspirin dose? Aleve worked well for me and did not give me stomach issues either. Good luck at your doctor's appointment I hope that you can find some answers.

I personally don't really think the IB profin can hurt. At least until you get into a good doctor. Do you think the back pain might have anything to do with sitting too long at work? I know that for me my joints get incredibly stiff at work from sitting too much. Stupid office jobs!

A few other ideas that might help (or not!!) is a few different natural things. I've used Tumeric and Arnica-any anti-inflammatory herb(there are more, I just can't remember them all-maybe rosehip). I've also used some different oils-I had a gal mix all the different anti-inflammatory ones together for me and I rub it in all my trouble areas. I got everything at Good Earth. Good luck!!

I've used ibuprofen many times for many running pains. I say do it. Your appointment isn't that far off. Sorry you are struggling. I didn't know you're foot was bothering you. What's wrong? My feet have been hurting off and on as well. You are smart to incorporate more x-train.

Steve - Thanks for your thoughts...I need to try the Aleve and aspirin and see if they provide any relief.

Rachelle - I have no doubt that sitting makes the pain worse. I have a stand-up desk and all but still have to sit way more than would be ideal. People at work think I'm nuts with that, my ball, standing during meetings, icing, etc!

Toby - I'll head into Good Earth on my way home from work and try the more natural methods as well. Can't hurt!

Lily - I'm basically just falling apart! Between the back and foot pain, I've heavily debated just shutting it down for a few weeks...but it's hard to know if that would even help (at least for the back). My foot has been bothering me for three weeks - the second metatarsal. Could be metatarsalgia or a stress fracture, but my guess (and hope) is the first.

Well, after all that you just said. I say shut it down. I shut it down last winter for 8 weeks and my back healed. I couldn't run at all before that either. By week 8 I was back. I say at least consider the rest girly. I am sorry :(

I used to love ibuprofen. I was taking 6-800mg 4x a day when my si went out last summer and as a result I got a peptic ulcer. It was awful! I think taking it once in a while is ok, but it can do a number on your GI system. I'm glad you have a scheduled appointment with a specialist. He should be able to shed some light on your injury.

Also my husband tells all of his patients to alternate ibuprofen with Tylenol every three hours. It is almost as powerful for pain reduction as a strong narcotic.

Melody - what did you have to do to fix the SI problem?

Hi Andrea, I am not a big fan of NSAID use, especially not for long periods of time - I also got severe colitis because of taking too much ibuprofen. There are some good external patches that have NSAID in them, my favorite is SalonPas (http://www.salonpas.us/), I get them at the grocery here.

A good chiropractor can pop your SI joint back into place - he/she doesn't even need to really work on athletes if that is what the problem is ...

So ... two other things you could try.

Get two lacrosse balls and tape them together (we use the white medical tape) - you can lay on this and the two balls go on either side of your spine. It may hurt a lot at first, but it is like a more specific foam roller. The other thing I would try is laying on the floor, palms down, legs up on a chair (http://www.miraclepainrelief.com/back_pain_relief_exercises.htm). Do this 5 mins at least 2x a day.

By the way, Celebrex is back on the market, it does not have nearly the side effects of other pain relievers. It is prescription only though. I have taken it for short periods of time in the past, though my GI doc says no NSAIDS for me at all.

I am a big fan of Dr. Weil's general anti-inflammatory diet principles. They won't work as fast as ibuprofen though.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02012/anti-inflammatory-diet

Also, I saw a chiropractor who swore that fish oil is just as powerful as NSAIDs and there seems to be some evidence out there for that.

Like in Canada? I'm in.

I have a good story, but it would be to long and people would get bored and stop reading it.

I hope you can get over your back issues soon and that the Doc can help identify and relieve what is ailing you.

Thanks Jeff, me too!

Rob - you'll have to tell it next time we run...I hope it ends it crying and balling, because those are pretty much how all of these ended (mostly James stories haha).

Just lots of blood!

Ugh. My si joint just needed time.... and time off. It was rotated and they popped it back in like 4 times. back issues are the worst!

Lily - I would not be surprised if that was exactly what is going on with mine, something is just out of alignment..

Oh runners....we are all so smart...I mean stubborn. :D Nice miles for a Wed Andrea!

all james stories end with crying. even the happy ones.

I cry everytime I split from the group on these runs because I just miss you all so much on the rest of my run up to work

that's really sad. i always thought you were crying because we get to run downhill back to sugarhouse while you have a giant climb to huntsman.

yeah on second thought maybe you are right :-)

I wish I could join you but I will be down south for a week-- two weekends in a row!! so let me know which Saturday works for all of you down here--- Feb.4th or 18?

yes, I want to run! Doesn't matter where...or with who, I just want to run :) Okay, maybe I'll bring my bike and pace y'all -ha! Who's got the upper hand now?!?

Sorry to hear about that back, take care of it -whether that means running or not is best determined by you!

Sorry about your back pain.

How far up north are you talking for the run on Saturday? I live near Ogden, so I might be interested. Although, I wouldn't be running very far.

I think I'll still be recovering from the last group run :)

Where do you guys go to Spin? I think I will be ready for that in a few weeks :)

Based on this morning's weather, my prediction is that its going to feel like its 60 degrees out this afternoon, so you can run w/ me then!

Cross training is hard! ha ha seriously way harder than running easy. Nice work!

We are both members of 24 Hour Fitness so we will probably do spin classes at most of their locations - Sugarhouse, Taylorsville, 900E, etc. You don't happen to be a member, do you?

Cannot believe the Spring like weather we had today!

I just read about your back and foot pain. Hope you get some good answers from the doctor. You are doing a good job with xtraining. Hang in there! :)

I am a recent covert to the 24-er as well. I typically go to the Trolley location, but they don't have spin. I am a good 3 weeks out from spin class I imagine, but after that I am down anytime.

That's great! I'm really glad I decided to join this year as well. It has definitely come in handy (especially the hot tub :o)). Anytime you want to meet, I will probably be up for it. Let me know when you are ready for spin. Jake told me that you walked a little too much the other day...it's so hard to know how much is too much. You are definitely making progress though!

Where / when : )

http://g.co/maps/yd74k - The easiest place to meet is a trailhead on 500 S. Take the I-15 exit 316 at 500 S. Bountiful, and head west for 2.25 miles. You'll cross over Legacy Highway and there's a parking lot on the left. 7:30 a.m. Breakfast afterwards.

We are also definitely coming down your way in the next couple of weeks for JulieC's host run :o)

Sounds good. I'm up here in salt lake so I'll try to make it up tomorrow if it's cool.

Yup hope to see you then!!

I 2nd pool running as super boring. Surprisingly, it will help maintain some threshold fitness though. Once I did it for 6 weeks in college due to a stress fracture during my last meet in indoor track. I was able to run a 3:53 1500 5 short weeks later. Best to do hard intervals with short rest if you do it though.

Pool running is HORRIBLE! I did it while I had a stress fracture. I would wear a hat and put my Ipod on the top of my head(under the hat) so it wouldn't get wet (I looked like a total dork though). Music helped some, but it was drudgery! Good luck!

Last year it took me about 70 mins to pool run a mile (1600 yards). I don't get bored easily but that was BORING.

So good to meet you in person! I plan to meet up for more runs!

Well, I guess I am bad at finding out details of your group runs, particularly this mornings group run. I was planning on meeting up with you guys. Oh well.

Sounds like a fun morning. Nice work!

I hope the pains go away soon.

Nice run, hopefully you'll be able to break through these pains you've been in soon.

How was the skiing?

Skiing was awesome! We were a little hesitant with our skiing abilities at first, but got back into the groove after a few runs. There was lots of snow today...we didn't get first tracks like we were hoping b/c Jake's car was dead this morning and had to deal with jumping it, but still got plenty of good powder turns! Going to be sore tomorrow :o)

My high school coach gave us mileage points for ski days. But we had to be racing all day!

Steve - You did ski racing? You should come ski with us sometime!

YAY!!! THANKS for the picture at Brighton!! we are soooooo there when we get back!! we have free every Monday passes there!!! : D.

Beautiful! Glad you were able to get out and enjoy the beautiful snow...that FINALLY got here!!

We didn't ski race, we just raced up the hills for the runs down. We couldn't afford ski passes so we telemarked the afternoons up at Beaver Mt. resort. Serious workout racing up!

Steve - that is my kind of skiing! Rando-race style!

If you can beat Fritz's pool mile time, that would convert to about a 2:22-2:23 marathon. So you'll be right up there w/ Shalane and Desi.

Speaking of pools... I am heading out of town this Thursday, but could meet up for pool fun on Tues or Wed :)

Might as well take time off now while your not training for anything rather than risking your Spring races. I say go ahead and get the x-ray and rule out stress fracture. That way when you get back to training you can give it 100% without the worry.

Lulu - That would be great! Would you be willing to meet at Sugarhouse? I'm free Tues after 6pm and Wed after 5pm.

Rachelle - The only problem is getting a doctor! Something I need to work on.

You might have tried this already, but when I got metatarsalgia (on the middle toe for me) I stuck some padding a bit behind the base of the toe, on the ball of my foot, to create more of an arch to take the pressure off the toe. You can use a couple layers of moleskin or corn pads or something to do it. I was able to run on it like that, and quickly got used to having the padding there.

I would be down for Tuesday. This is like day 17 in a row at the gym for me so it would be nice to have some company. I am only now starting to go crazy!!!

andrea -- you are smart. i think it's a great decision and shows a lot of discipline and good sense. it's not easy taking time off but if it makes running better for you in the future then it's totally worth it.

as far as a doc goes -- i recommend dr. massimo testa. he is a sports medicine specialist and he knows and understands athletes (coached lance armstrong at one point -- i'll send his contact info/bio to you via email).

i have him to thank for getting me from crutches to running in just four weeks. he understood that i wanted as little time off as possible, and he's really big on active recovery. he gave me a detailed cross training plan while i had to stay off my leg, as well as a "return to running" program that was aggressive yet sensible. i went to him as a second opinion and he is the one that prescribed the air cast i could run in vs. prescribing crutches i could do nothing in. highly recommended [my favorite cliche].

good luck this week -- i think things will improve for you greatly with this rest period. as for the pool running --i'm terrified of drowning, but i would certainly keep you company on a raft if you are interested. i could bring a beach ball and a boombox.

yikes ... I go away for a few days and what do you up and do!??!? Oh Andrea, all my fingers and toes are crossed for you!!

Smart move Andrea! I'd go to Allie's doc - sounds like a great recommend! :)

Hope you get all better Andrea! I think this is a smart move

1 day of non-"pedal to the metal" activity in 18 months... I think you might survive!

Although if the roles were reversed, I'd probably be having a cow.

sorry about here about the lazy day. On the bright side, now you can relate better to about 90% of the population.

Evening activity ideas: Discovery Kids at the Gateway, ice skating, Jump Around Utah....I will let you know more if/when I have kids.

How old is the girl from Brazil? That would change some of my recommendations. I'm assuming she is old enough to use that wedding dress?

She is 28. I guess I should've said "woman" but I always feel so weird saying that!

You still up for some pool fun or will you be busy entertaining :)

hmmmm maybe you could take her up to Park City and chase after all of the stars. :)

A lazy day every once in a while is good :) I don't know good evening activities, maybe take her to Cafe Rio it's one of my favorites :)

Lulu - I thought that others were going to be helping with going out to dinner and entertaining in the evenings, but it doesn't seem to be that way. I'm planning to ask around tomorrow and have "the night off" to workout and do other things...so I can let you know tomorrow. So don't change your plans!

I know nothing about evening activites, except sitting in my office at work, wishing I was at home and sitting in my recliner. :)

I do like the idea of taking her to Park City to stalk celebrities.

Hope you found something fun to do with your visitor.

I also hope your foot is alright. Good thing it's winter and off season. There is time to get better for sure. You are strong. Take it easy and things will come back.

We totally did .25 miles! Hope your Brazilian found a dress so you can get your life back :)

"actually it was 303.7, I never round up"

Great job with the strength training Andrea. I am glad you have been busier this week to occupy your mind and distract you from running. Perfect timing!

"you should follow my blog" - HA! I loved that. Thanks for the good laugh this morning Andrea! Problem is, I think I've said those things one too many times :)

he he. Too funny!

Hope your feeling better. We can hope right??

I want gels that taste like carrots.

A couple years ago (February 2010) in Vail we BOTH went 5 straight days w/ no running. If you recall it snowed like 20" every night and we were skiing so much that we didn't even care about not running at all :-)

Have fun at the concert I am jealous!!

Wahoo for feeling better!!! I am sure you look great!!! Have fun at the concert!!! :) :) :)

Glad to hear that things are turning around for you finally:) By the way I saw all those trucks with Brad Paisley painted on them at the E-center this morning on the way to work. Looks to be a pretty big event..

Found what you need!

http://goo.gl/pHReG

Jake - that is awesome! :)

You are being SO good about the no running! I'm not sure I could be so good if I wasn't booted up.

Enjoy the concert - I'm jealous!!

i'm glad things are feeling better after the time off this week. i know that "going crazy" feeling -- hang in there. just a couple more days and you'll be right back in the game. i definitely think you made the right decision.

have fun at the concert tonight.

jake - we all need one of those for JRP runs.

I think it is so smart that you are resting and giving your body what it needs although it is crazy making. You will come back twice as strong :)

Glad the foot's feeling not so bad. I think I might be ready for spin class this week!

Great pictures it looks like you guys had a good time. Get feeling better soon.

Sweet pics! Apparently, Meb cross trains lots on the bike so you're in good company.

missed you this morning, but good call on the indoor bike vs. the outdoor bike. it would have been a chilly ride!

thanks for posting the pictures and thanks again for the fun yesterday. you guys are very generous. we had a great time.

Sorry to hear about the cold, insult to injury. I hope this week goes much better.

so there!!!!! sorry you couldn't run and that you are feeling sick. Plan on the 18 miler for Feb 18th!! you should be well by then! : D

Get well soon! I felt a stab of pain when you mentioned dropping Jake off to run. It's tough to be injured at any time, but even tougher when you're in relationship with a running machine :-)

Hope you get well soon, being sick and not being able to run is a double whammy. At least you got to ejoy some nicke snow shoeing, your pics look awesome!

Sweet pics! Looks so fun.

Great job with all of the strength training.

Spin is wonderful. I did that a ton last year when my Si joint was on the fritz. I did ton's of elliptical as well. Kept my fitness high and I was glad.

Are your guns getting ridiculously huge?

I love spinning, but am sorry to read that your back and foot are bothering you. i read back a few weeks but could not see any mention of WHY? Did something happen or is this just an ongoing thing? Bummer, sorry! And even more sorry that you got sick again on top of everything else.

Finally a good instructor!? Tip well!!haha

Where are you doing your spin class?

Very glad to hear you are feeling better Andrea.

I'm doing them everywhere - Sugarhouse, 9th St, and Taylorsville depending on what time and place are convenient at the time. I was thinking Sugarhouse for tonight at 5:30pm.

Be careful! Stress fractures do feel better when you have stayed off of them for a week and then the next time you run the pain starts at about about mile 1-2! All of the strengthening exercises take up so much time and are a pain! I hope they work too.

Oh really? So if it starts hurting in the first couple miles when I try to run, I should just stop, right?

I know how frustrating it is to be sidelined from running and I am so impressed with your positive attitude. Once when I was injured I was watching a pretty lame movie with my husband. Once scene depicted a girl very slowly jogging - you know the type, hair and makeup perfect, jogging in a $150 track suit... anyways I hated her for being able to "jog", and it wasn't even a real life situation.

Have you ruled out the back and hamstrings being related to sciatic? The pain can be referred to those areas and will sometimes show in both hamstrings, then the back, then one hamstring or the other, etc...

Hard choice on the no running, but VERY smart. You are really working hard on the down time. Listen to Steam :) I really think that you should try the 6% incline when you do start back. That will alleviate the impact on your foot and possibly bring you back faster than flat running.

I hope that foot starts to feel better soon.

I can't wait until the two weeks of Brazil visitors is over! Then I will get to see you again!

I bet that will be nice! But I must say it probably came at a perfect time to distract you from running.

Andrea!! When are you guys coming this way? I want to make sure I am in town (I will be in DC for a couple days in the middle of the month) ... maybe Dean and I will make an appointment with John around the same time!

Hey Bonnie we are coming down next weekend - but heading right up to Sedona for a few days w/ my parents. Andrea is seeing John on the 13th (Monday) and we are just hanging out in PHX that day.

yay!

Sounds wonderful. Enjoy it while you can since you are going to up and running soon even crazier than before :)

Sometimes a rest day is just what the Dr prescribed.

RUNNING! The turf should be nice on your foot. Glad to see things improving.

Yay! Glad to see you're able to run! Hope tomorrow goes well

Nice run! You guys are so fast. I'm glad you played it safe and cut it short.

Great work, so nice to have friends to help us not do something we'll regret!

i'm so glad you were able to join us this morning, especially on foot and not on your bike! your patience paid off. you were smart to cut off while you were still feeling good.

wind. brrrr!

I think a couple 6:50 miles were quite a shock to the system after not running for two weeks! Those 3 are definitely in better running shape than me right now.

Glad your foot is feeling better. I'll bet in the long run the forced rest will do you good.

Yay!!! I missed your post yesterday and am so happy you are able to run. Especially happy to hear it was pain free and blazing fast from what it sounds.

Very, very happy for you Andrea!

YAY for running! I get to start doing some of that for myself in 2 weeks :) I have a sweet new pool running kick board routine down, but it doesn't sound like you are going to need any more pool action.

Good news! Glad your foot is feeling better.

Pain free is awesome news, you handled the injuries very wisely and it paid off.

That is an impressive speed especially with your comeback. Did you end up seeing that specialist?

WAHOO!!!! All GREAT news!!! Very happy for you! :) :) :)

Great run! Glad to hear you're running pain free again!!

Nice run!

Thanks for the reminder. I am totally headed to YL after work. :)

did someone say FREE?!? :)

Nice job on the workout Andrea! I'm glad, so glad, the foot is feeling better!!

thanks for the 4-1-1. is there a Yogurtland in Utah County? hope so. My kids will be estatic!!

Julie - there is a YL in Orem right across from the University mall. It is on the corner of Sunflower Market and right next to Panda Express.

i recently upgraded from the 10lbs to the 12lbs. look out, world.

yogurt!

These past few months I have graduated from the 20lb to 10 lb.- not to mention a little muscle atrophy and extra padding. Look out world.

OH, good thing I did not read that earlier! I would have gone and gotten some! I have been wallowing an way too much chocolate and ice cream, today I began a "diet" (which means I only eat half of what I want!)

I am sorry to hear that things are still not back to normal. What the heck? You have been to a podiatrist, right? Or a sports doctor?

Time to get to a sports doc for sure! Hang in there!

are you sure your hormones aren't out of whack??? feet pain??? sounds like a reflexology grid would do you good. I am not just talking about estrogen/progestorone but adrenal hormones and thyroid. Or is your ANEMIA back? I assume you checked your ferritin level? I notice my feet hurt a lot but I am over 40. My hormones have plummeted to almost zero, seriously. I try to eat only healthy foods that naturally help my levels. Have you tried Nutrition Healing (a book of what to eat for certain ailments, you can get it at the library, or sit in Good Earth at their library section and read through it a bit). Or are your feet hurting because of your bad back???? disc and nerve problems show up in your feet.

Great job Andrea spin is hard! I am so sorry to hear about your feet pain yesterday. :(

Hope the feet get feeling better! I struggled with arch problems last June! Not fun, good luck hopefully you can run 10 tomorrow!

I'm also sick. Good call making him stay home.

What are you doing for you feet? I use a thing called the happy massager and use it like a tennis ball to rub out your feet 2-3x a day I also use gua sha. if you need any help I am always willing you just have to drive to Orem. I am a lmt and would be willing to show you and Jake some thing you could help work on each other to stay healthy.

I stayed home! And ran less than 20 miles. Easy day!

Josse - that sounds like an interesting offer, we might have to take you up on that. I think that might be the technique that James was telling me about this morning.

Craig - I hope you are staying home too!

Josse - Thanks for the offer. I'll think about a time that would work that I could come down to Orem because I think something like that definitely has potential.

So glad to hear you felt okay Andrea!!

You shared your virus! :) 7 miles is good. Take care of those feet.

Lily - It's really Jake's fault for getting in my way when I needed to sneeze!

right....no kissing involved I am sure. hehe

Actually, surfaces...surface touching. eeek. I'm such a germaphobe

Nice run, Andrea.

Lily, I'm a major germaphobe, too. Sometimes I feel badly when my kids are talking to me and I cover my face with my shirt.

so glad you got a good 7 in, and good call on not trying to push it. as james said -- that's 7 miles of cross training you don't have to worry about. :)

dale - ha! that cracks me up.

Y'all just need to have a few more kids, then you won't worry about it so much :)

I'm glad you got through 7 miles and that when you felt the pain you were smart enough to stop. It is SO hard to listen to your body sometimes.

I'm glad you were able to get a few in "pain free." Josse is amazing. That scraping tool she uses is pure torture. It hurts so good!

Enjoy your vacation!

I do not like work stress either. Enjoy the vacation you definitely deserve it!

I'll let Arizona know you're coming so they can prepare.

good luck with work...vacation is approaching! just warning you though, burt is known to cause great stress.

and Raynaud's.

Have so much fun on your vacation, I'm jealous!!!

Way to go with all the Spinning. Have a sweet time in AZ!

Once you are healthy and able to dive back into running 100% you will find that your fitness will come back faster than you think. After my last baby I remember thinking after I was winded from a 2 mile run at close to nine minute pace that I would NEVER be in good shape again. Hang in there and have a great time!

Have so much fun on vacation!! I am so jealous. :)

You'll be surprised at how well you'll maintain fitness. You're doing a lot of quality cross training which helps as well.

ahhh, it looks so warm there. we just got back from running in a snowstorm!

dr. ball will definitely work wonders. good luck tomorrow.

Either you are on different vacations or your hammock is hanging in the largest sage brush in the world.

Oh geez you really need to get that foot thing figured out. Hopefully you will get fixed up tomorrow!

Either looks appealing, although I'm sure you would have preferred both...

Love the pictures.

Good luck at the Doctor tomorrow.

I like your vacation better!

Andrea-- I noticed I felt a heck of a lot better at sea level-- joints and pace felt easier. Must be our anemia problems ?? Jealous!! Warm weather also helps!!

Your vacation looks a lot more relaxing.

Glad you saw the doc! I hope your recovery is smooth and as painless as possible.

The weather there sounds amazing and I am getting excited about heading that way next week after reading yours and jakes posts. It sounds like mostly good news at the dr so I am crossing my fingers for the best.

Thanks for making me feel like a putz on Valentine's Day!

I will watch some romcoms with Jing and if she plays her cards right, maybe she'll be the recipient of a foot rub.

2/3 of the cities on the list are in the South. Must be that whole chivalry and honor thing that southern men are into.

Can't say it's been easy to deal with a Yankee the past couple of years...

That list is just based on who orders the most stuff off Amazon!

Could (and WOULD?) a guy from Tennessee pace you on long tempo and then prepare an ice bath and then take you up to the top of a really scary mountain peak and have a refreshing liter of diet dew ready to be shared? I think not!!!

That's true love, not just the phony crap guys will do to get with as many women as possible. Not that I'd know.

1) you have never paced me on a long tempo

2) you have never prepared an ice bath for me

3) you HAVE taken me to the top of A LOT of really scary mountains where I thought I might die

4) you grumble every time I drink any of your precious Dew

......

BUT I did get a really cute stuffed animal and 2 bags of M&Ms for V-Day, which is exactly what I wanted! I just wish I had the candy here at work with me :o)

my definition of romantic:

half marathon > wedding

I love your pic. I wish I had your legs!!! Safe travels.

I think I better move to Knoxville. ha ha and how come I didn't notice your accent when I met you? You are the first person from TN I've met that doesn't have an accent.

Awww, that was so sweet of Jake.

So you guys took the early flight AND made it to work today? Wow.

Travel home safely!

Thinking positive thoughts for you!

Sorry about your injuries, Andrea. It's hard to take care of undiagnosable problems.

Thanks Adam. I think Jake might be doing a track workout today or tomorrow if you feel like hard intervals! :)

Stupid Dr. Ball!

Yeah Acorn, if you want to run some 400s tomorrow night (not going crazy... just like 72s), I'd love some company!

I am so so sorry Andrea. No one is sick of hearing about your injuries. Somtimes it just feels so much better to write it down. I really hope he has some better ideas when you talk to him today. I am definitely thinking about you and understand how frustrating it can be to be dealing with injury and not know the exact cause.

Have you tried wool running sox? I have a pair and they are seriously amazing. My feet used to always get cold because I have terrible circulation. They would be numb until mile 3-5 of a run but the woold running sox have been great and help so much.

Thanks Jake, what time and where? If I can get away from work I will be there.

Dang back pain! Don't worry about complaining, I do it all the time. I've had back problems for years and many back injuries over the past six months. In fact, it hurts right now. The chiropractor never figures out what's wrong and I don't think he cares.

Keep your chin up.

Injuries suck! It is really hard to stay positive when you don't know what the problem is. I am trying really hard to not complain myself, but ughhhh sometimes you just have to!

If you gotta complain this is the place to do it. We all understand and have been there. And I don't really feel like you complain at all. I've been very impressed with your positive attitude. Keep your chin up, you'll figure it out :)

I think its very important to continue to docu-blog it all - it will be useful information at some point. Or at the very least, when you've been training pain free for months and months and tearing up the roads, you can look back on this crummy period and be happy that you're on the track running 800s instead of being injured.

This is so crazy and frustrating. I hope you get some real answers soon. There is a sports therapist Julie esplin went to that she swears by. He is pricey but he solved her four month injury mystery. I know when I was injured I would ave plopped down $500 to anyone that solved my back mystery. I will try to get the info for you.

i totally agree -- this is the place to complain about injuries, not only because it's useful to look back on in the future, but because there are 982 people on here that will listen and can relate to what you are going through. i don't think you have been complaining at all -- just telling it like it is. being injured isn't fun, and you certainly have the right to be frustrated about it, especially when you are seeking answers that no one has been able to give you just yet. if you want to read some moaning and groaning, head over to june 2011 on my blog :)

good luck with your back. i hope you got some answers today.

Well that's just annoying. Not your posts, but your injuries:) Ugh. Speedy recovery to you. Do you have a race planned soon?

A girl on my team recently was having back pain for almost 2 months before she was finally able to get the diagnosis after multiple doctor visits, it turned out she had two fractured vertebrae. I think she was in the same situation with the frustration of not knowing and no one being able to figure it out. I hope you are able to find out soon what the cause is and get back to pain free training

I just hope you find an end to it soon. Not that I'm sick of hearing about it, but I know the mental and physical anguish you are going through!!

Did you get notified about the Saucony Hurricanes today?

Yup they liked me enough to put me on the team again! Good thing b/c I need new shoes :o) I assume you are still on too?

Yep, I am a Hurricane again this year.

Cool video. no way I would ever try that. With my luck, I'd swing back into the wall. LOL

I hope your back gets feeling better. I really do like dr. Fletcher. It really helped my Achilles faster than a PT would at Tosh. Back issues are different though. Good luck.

Back to running every day this week! Yahoo! :-)

yes, we must look at the positive! You made it 13.5 awesome miles. I wish it didn't bother your back so much though and I hope even more that you could find an answer to all these issues!

RAD - you are totally right. I am quite excited to run more this week. I hope it's an upward trend!

So happy for you too. I like that you know your limits. That is why you are so good:)

It was so fun to run with you this morning Andrea. And yay for a full week of running.

I bet the bike was more miserable than running in the cold. brrrrr! I hope you are relaxing under extra covers with a big cup of hot chocolate. :)

biking in winter is the pits--- the wind is sharper especially down those hills!! heal up!! Thanks for coming!!

progress for sure! so glad you hung with us for so many miles. i'm also glad you survived the frozen bike ride -- i was seriously worried. thanks for the lift this morning. someday i will repay you guys -- i'll bring a few bricks of gold to the next JAJA run.

I'm so sorry you are still feeling YUCK! It can be so frustrating to find out what is exactly wrong and then fix it. Great job running everyday this week! Good luck!

It's got to feel great to see the improvement. Injuries can be powerful teachers. I'm looking forward to seeing you back in tip-top shape and rock'n the running scene.

I'm so happy for you, I know it's been hard to not be running more. You've done a remarkable job finding the positives and going with the flow of things. I hope you're able to get someone to workout those kinks in your back.

I REALLY hope that you get feeling better soon. It would be a horrible thing for someone with your ability to not be able to continue on. HORRIBLE!!!!! This must get fixed some how, some way.

Great to get to run with a little bit and chat some after the run. Glad you did not FREEZE your nose off on that bike ride.

i was sad to see you drive away this morning, but you were definitely being smart. hopefully the insoles will help. from shot bloks to superfeet, i put my trust in all 'berry' products.

I really hope the insoles help. Great job with the cross training.

I have always had really good results from Superfeet.

I believe in them. I hope they work for you. That foot pain seems like a terrible thing. Do you know what's causing it exactly???

i'm working too...

:(

Quick - Andrea and Allie - name your top 3 favorite presidents - GO!...

martin van buren...

that's all i can think of.

I would so be up for spinning this week. You name the time!

Jimmy Carter is my new favorite

Exhibit A:

http://goo.gl/XHFYt

Exhibit B:

http://goo.gl/xS6Ly

My fave (said with strong sarcasm):

http://0.tqn.com/d/running/1/0/W/2/-/-/georgewbush.jpg

all I did was Spring cleaning so no real day off for me, since Boston takes me away for Spring Break and no time to do it then!! but YOU got out there so wonderful!!

Hey Andrea! :) So what exactly did the Dr. say could be causing your back pain? I am curious as you know because I had back issues a year ago.

What about slow jogs with a HIGH incline? Have you tried that yet?

Oh and I will bet you $50 you can't give up both chocolate AND ice cream :-)

Yes I tried that today. But it forces me to run on the ball of my feet exactly where the pain is. Maybe Dr. Fletcher will have the magical solution when I go see him today.

Yeah then don't do that - slow jogs is better than no running!

I bet you $50 you can't give up candy for two weeks!

Gambling is not allowed in Utah

Hey, you're finally running at my pace. :) Don't give up ice cream and candy. That would be horrible.

Oh no!!! You must not give up icecream!! Just give up chocolate don't give up both.

Or give up broccoli? Thats are hard thing to quit right....

Candy, chocolate, icecream. You guys are killing me. I couldn't give up any of those for more than a week. Maybe a rotating schedule would work the best!

I like that idea Melody - just give up one at a time, for no more than a day at a time! :-)

DON'T GIVE UP ICECREAM (it's important fuel)! Maybe you could plan to do 1 good deed for someone each week. :-)

Hmm..one good deed. I guess I'll make Jake an ice bath once a week :o)

I am giving up refined sugar - it is going to be super fun! Anyone want to join me?

Am I missing something? Isn't one of the main reasons we run is so that we can eat junk.

AMEN ACORN!!

If you go the ice cream route, then, NO, frozen yogurt is not ice cream!

I had ART last year on my back as well. It helped TONS! Keep going. Maybe I should be seeing this Dr as well. I hurt on and off still in the area.

I have heard great things about the benefits of ART. I have also heard that it hurts like hell so you must be one tough chick for not complaining at all. I am glad your feet felt better today. :)

Hope the treatments help get you back healthy.

i'm so glad you found something that helped you and i hope the improvements continue.

jealous of your yoga time at work!

I've had ART done several times. Though it can be torture during the session, it always feels better after (and after the bruises go away, of course!!). Glad it worked!

My boss brings donuts in! I'm glad your pain is lessening and hope it stays that way.

So glad you found a doc. with the right treatment and therapy for you! :)

Your boss is awesome! :)

I so could use some ART!! glad it helped!! how much was it???

Allie said you went on a jafja run today. That's a big dif. Yea for the run!

I like to see this great upward progress! Glad things are feeling better. I had ART done on some shin splints a few years ago...holy moly!!! but, it sure helped :)

Hope you continue to heal quick. Sounds like someone I need to go see, who is doing this ART treatment on you? My Chiro's office has been doing some cold laser recently as well, his son, who also practices out of the same office only does cold laser treatments. They activate the muscles very quickly. I have been thinking about trying to find a cold laser for my own use to try to get my legs to work properly before runs.

Here's my 2 cents on ART, Gastron, ASTYM, modern day acupuncture, and similiar techniques all do deep tissue massage to get the adhesions to lay flat so blood flow can move through the injured area properly again. It's the doctor that makes the difference though. Find someone who knows how to work with endurance athletes and speacializes in over use injuries related to your injury, find out how many years they've been doing these techniques, how many success stories they have, etc... Too many people get certified in those methods without actually really knowing how to feel their way through your scar tissue. Find someone that does more than one of these techniques to give you a combination of treatment and you've probably found your match.

I'm seeing Dr. Tom Fletcher...I know he has worked with Walter too when he was having problems with achilles.

Thanks for your input Erik. I agree that the doctor is the most important factor and the challenge is finding one that truly cares about getting you healthy and is open-minded to try various techniques.

Yay for 60% better. Yoga rules (but only the mellow kind). Spinning tonight?

Lulu - Yes I'm in! I'll probably get there a little early to make sure there's a spot and warm-up. See you tonight!

How early should I be there to get a spot?

5-10 min. I don't think the 5:30 class is a big problem...the later classes are. I just sign in at the front when I come in.

Sounds like a great plan to me. I hate to admit how much difference a day off can make!

So glad to hear you are feeling better. :)

So, I am guessing there were not empty bikes in class? That is a bummer, I fear that! It happened to the girl next to me on Monday only 5 minutes into class and all I could think was, "Thank heavens I did not pick that bike!" I kept think some gallant man would give up their bike for her, but NOPE!

YOGA rules.

Hope things get back to feeling good very soon. All I can say is that you are seriously one tough woman.

Next time I get the bike that breaks down halfway through class! You seriously should have taken mine. That is the hardest I've worked in 3 months and I am already sore.

yoga always makes me feel SO much better! Hope you are doing well.

I need to start yoga...I've never done it before and have heard it is sooooo good for you! Maybe next year when my baby is in kindergarten!

Great support Andrea:)

The wind wasn't a friendly breeze today, was it?

NICE pix. WAY to brave it out there and support!!! :)

I hear ya on the awkward uncomfortable feeling with the feet!

I can't wait until we don't have any pictures from the races, BUT that is because you are out there running! :-)

Nice pictures! how are you feeling Andrea? Any progress?

Good seeing you this morning, you may feel out of shape but you didn't look or act the part.

Thanks for bringing some class to the group this morning.

Nice to run with you and the crew this morning. I know it's frustrating right now but I know it won't take much time to get it back.

Nice miles! I'm so glad you're feeling better. What is/was causing the neuropathy in your feet?

Glad to hear you are feeling better. Your speed will come back. I wouldn't worry too much about that.

Good job just being able to get out and hit the run. Don't try to rush things. You'll be running strong soon enough. Having full health without injury seems to bring fitness back faster than any training cycle.

I'm so happy your run felt good today. You deserve it! Just keep listening to your body and error on the side of caution until you are 110% sure you're on the healthy side. You're so gifted that I'm sure less will be more for a person of your talent and abilities.

NICE runs yesterday and today! happy to hear that your feet behaved! :)

Oh no, still the feet issues? What's the dealio?

So basically what that is saying is that you always have a little more in the tank? But you have to trick your mind/body into generating the output to truly go to your max. That makes sense to me - especially in 5Ks! Next time I'm running a 5K, just tell me that I'm going at 16 minute pace, then maybe I'll finally run in the 14s

Thanks for the link. People have proven time after time that running (or sports in general) is extremely mental. Maybe someone should invent a deceptive Garmin...

Yup, totally did that today! I would NOT have even attempted to run 4 miles at a 7:30 pace or talk through it, but it wasn't all that bad. I didn't know how fast I was running until I was done. I'm still not convinced I was running that fast, because there is no way I could've run that fast :)

Sorry about the foot still lingering Andrea. It really stinks - really stinks! fingers crossed for some good news at the doc today.

There's so much mental game in running...deception...good one! :)

Hope you have good answers and results at the doc. today!

Thanks for the run! I really enjoyed it.

Hope the doc has a good plan of action to get your feet back to healthy.

Melody, they do. It's called the Garmin 405 and I have it. I hate that watch.

btw, hi everyone:)

Oh yeah, I was going to comment to you too Andrea....good girl watching yourself. It will pay off for you. I'm glad you are keeping your fitness up otherwise. I would expect nothing less from you.

Somehow I don't think you need to worry about Jake skimping on a workout. Are you doing the no sweets thing? It is way harder than I ever imagined... I can't wait to be able to run with you guys :)

I am NOT doing the no sweets thing! :-)

Tara that is really funny about the 405. The first day Rob M got it and came out for a run w/ us, all he was talking about was how the watch was possessed by the devil!

Yay running! You are so on the up and up. Keep up the yoga, but be careful since yoga can kill!

http://www.npr.org/2012/02/07/146463156/the-risks-and-rewards-of-practicing-yoga

Wow that is interesting! I am NEVER doing yoga now! WAYYY too dangerous. Andrea is going to be so mad at you for posting that link - she almost got me to try it a few days ago... now I can use that extra time doing more intervals on the track, I'll get faster and NOT DIE.

Very interesting article(s), thanks for sharing! I'll be wearing my shoes while quickly running away from any yoga studios I happen to see.

Jake - what I was having you do is called stretching. You should try it more often.

Lulu - very interesting. I'm doing Rodney Yee's AM yoga...not too yoga-y and it seems to be mostly stretches that I should be doing after I workout anyway. Just can't feel bad about barely touching my ankles when he's got his elbows on the ground!

Glad the pain is subsiding, you've been really smart with your injuries. Good article too - Go Shoes!

Jake - good call - the sane decision is actually to just keep running 150-mile weeks.

My mom has a huge crush on Rodney Yee. She watches the videos without actually doing the yoga sometimes.

There is this yoga class I love that is in your neighborhood. I go to this slightly mellow super stretchy class on Wednesday nights if you ever want to check it out. First class is free!

Jake - Yoga doesn't always kill so you should give it a try with Andrea!!!

So glad to hear you are feeling better Andrea.

There was a guy at Ragnar running barefoot in the desert on dirt trails....with rocks.....in 80+ degree heat....it looked incredibly painful!

Haha good thing it isn't rattlesnake season yet. I really dont believe people running on rocky trails w/ no shoes actually enjoy what they are doing.

I tried Yoga with my 4 year old. He was way to bendy and flexible and I got hurt when I tried to put both legs behind my head, so I quit.

yay for the running streak! thanks for the run this morning -- company is always nice, but it's extra excellent during taper week. i can't wait to add in the daily dose of ice cream to my training.

as for yoga -- i took a yoga class in college from a woman named emerald green. it doesn't get much better than that. and i didn't die...

The first time I tried yoga was at Bikram, it wasn't the most pleasant experience. I took a regular yoga class at my high school senior year and loved it, I took it with some team mates right before track practice and those were always the best days of running I felt.

Nice snow run! :-) Any really cute dogs @ the park?

Yes, there was a walker coonhound, lab, great dane, and golden retriever. Hard to beat that!

Sounds like a lovely run. I will see you at Radical Reels!

Well then I vote we meet at TCBY or Baskin Robbins before the movie - unless you two are too healthy with your no sweets terrible life plan! :-)

I could eat some berries in a cone. Well actually probably not the cone...

If you do want to meet us for dinner or something, let me know! Otherwise, maybe we'll see you in the crowds :o)

That film sounds cool. How on earth do you find out about stuff like that?

Yoga!? Be careful ;)

I like to see your miles and that you are having such a good time! Are you coming tomorrow? If you want to hang out in the back, I'll be there!

RAD - I am coming! Looking forward to running with you!

very nice -- progress every day, it seems. that's awesome. sounds like a fun time this morning.

enjoy your weekend in midway!

That's great that your feet held up well for almost 13 miles! You'll be back to full strength before you know it! Have fun tubbing and tubing!

Sounds like a fun run and so glad to hear you are on the mend.

Have fun in Midway. I am jealous.

Nice run, I'm glad your pain is lessening. Have fun in Midway!

So glad to hear it was a good day for the feet and back. You deserve it!

Great run today. FYI-coming down the canyon we were mostly sub-sevens while chatting away.

AAAhhhh ... I love Midway!! Have fun!!!

SO happy that you had a great (pain free) run!

you are so wise with your running. Like a very minature Buddha with incredible turnover. Solid run today, it's all gonna come together. I think also you need a cover photo on runnersworld, or rather, they need you.

It was great to meet you today! I enjoyed our run and hope someday I can run and talk at the same time (that takes major talent!!)! Glad the foot felt better!

It was great to see you out running today Andrea. I am glad to hear that your body is starting to think about behaving.

Thanks for hanging out on the sag wagon today! It was great getting to chat with you and hang out on those crazy hills. I never regret them when I'm done and try not to complain while I'm running them, but it sure was nice to turn around!! :) Glad you felt good today - it's been a long journey.

Oh, and I wish I would've found my way to Midway and that hot tub tonight! :)

It was nice meeting and hanging out with you up the canyon. You were running great , seems like you are really getting back to full strength.

I can't wait to watch you run the Spartan Race / Tough Mudder at Soldier Hollow this summer. That's what you meant by planning more trips there, right?

looks like you guys had a fun time. great job using tubbing and tubing in the same sentence.

Sounds like a nice weekend. I liked your photos - super cute down puffy skirt!

So excited about the nice weather today!! That is cool your work is doing a tri. How fun.

i wish i could join you, but i have to be good for two more days. the weather is beautiful!

good job on the workout this morning. i would love to see an elliptical competition between you and james.

Relay competition - 5K elliptical then 5K run. James and Andrea will do the elliptical, Allie and I will do the run. It could be quite a showdown.

wednesday. it's on. i will hire a ref.

NICE 200s!!! Glad you decided to jump in with Jake! :)

Glad you decided to do that. Sounds like a great opportunity.

That is really cool Andrea! I hope that you enjoy it there and find some running buddies. Take lots of pictures.

I am so excited for you! I have always wanted to go there. Someday I will darn it!

Jealous, My sister was just got back from Sao Paolo after being there for a couple months (for a boy, eye roll!). She had a great time. She's not a runner but maybe she'll have some suggestions for running down there

Nate - let me know if she has any good suggestions for attractions, things to see, places to eat, etc!

Oh man, you're 1 month to early. I'm going to Sao Paulo in May and am really worried about finding a place to run and someone to run with.

Be very careful, and make sure you run with someone.

very cool. that should be an awesome experience.

Rob - change your trip to March!!! There are actually a lot of races down there...maybe I'll use one of those so I can run outside safely.

Ooooh sounds so exciting! I am thinking that Jake will have his first 300 mile week while you are gone - who will reign him in?

Its good timing - b/c its right before Boston so I can't do anything stupid - I'll have self-restraint. If she did the trip in the middle of the summer when I had no big races coming up and I was just doing base training, then it would be trouble! :-)

That sounds like so much fun!!!!! Maybe the Brazillians have some cure for running injuries or some special tricks for you to try:) Maybe a trip is all you need to relax and come back in running form ready to go!

Maybe, just maybe there are too many maybe's and not enough absolutes. So have an absolutely fun time:D

Wow, that sounds really exciting! Have a great/fun/safe adventure.

Enjoy your trip and I hope the trip provides some magic water to help heal those feet!

Hi Andrea-

This is what my sister had to say. Hope it's of some use

"I'm not such a great tour guide but these are some of the main attractions here: Avenida Paulista (one of the most famous avenues in Brazil ), MASP (museum on same avenue), Ibirapuera park, bars & music at a town called Vila Madalena, Muncipal Theatre, the next 4 are very close to each other: Lingua Portuguesa Museum, Luz Station, Sala Sao Paulo, & Museu da Resisitencia. Also, downtown is an interesting experience and there are many old/beautiful buildings/churches to see. (it's a bit rougher downtown though, so just pay attention a little extra) Hope this helps! Let me know if you need anything else"

The weather in UT is definitely bipolar. Sounds like a very cool documentary.

I got excited seeing the trailer for the documentary, and then I got even more excited when I went to the website and found out that it comes out on my boyfriend's birthday! But then I realized it's only playing in Ireland and the UK

Don't worry Susannah - if anyone can find bootleg download copies of overseas movies, its me

Good to know :)

Nice workout! That looks like such a fun race, maybe next year for me. Are you going to do it?

Carina - I'm thinking about it. I would love to get a group and head down there. It's a great time of year to be in Moab and could be a fun weekend!

Glad to see you were able to run today!! So impressed with your motivation during the pregnancy.

I'll go :) I think I will be a pro at volunteering at races by then. I thought about trying to get involved with that Girls on the Run org - sounds like a pretty neat group.

I'll drive and take pictures!

Sounds like such a fun race. I am definitely interested. I love Moab.

Lets just plan this trip! Its a couple weeks after Boston, if we don't have something to do I'll be right back to 150 miles a week!

That race looks so fun! Too bad it is the week before the Ogden Marathon. It probably wouldn't be the smartest thing to run a half marathon the week before a marathon. I'll put it on the list for next year.

trip to moab WITH running involved? yes. definitely.

Just talked to a 1:10 girl named Lindsey who was sure she was going to be up against you at the Provo half. I told her how legit you are! Soon you'll be ready to win again.

Well I guess that means Lindsey Dunkley is coming back. I'm just glad I'm fast enough where I only really have to worry about getting chicked if I'm racing a 5K against Dibaba, which is unlikely. All the 1:10-1:15 HM guys around here are in for a potentially embarassing whoopin' now! :-)

She mentioned back to back 17:30 5k's on treadmill. Yikes, chicked indeed.

Yes, I've been "dunked" on a few times. She is awesome. I'm glad she's back!

Maybe all that time off made her a little slower so I will have competition, not total domination :)

I need to do 15ish miles tomorrow, but I'm planning on running 9mm. That maybe too slow :) If you are interested, let me know!

way to NOT be OCD and stretch out the x-training to an even 40 minutes :-)

I was going to run 13-15 tomorrow. I ran pretty hard today, so I'm all for keeping it at a controlled pace. I know it's not the most exciting run, but do you want to meet on the River Trail at 33rd south? We could run out to Gardner Village and back. That should be 15. Say ... 7 am? Let me know!

Wish I could join but I think I am going to try and save some gas money and run close to home tomorrow.

Are you not going to AZ with Jake? How unfair is that!!

Free breakfast? I wish I was in Utah!

Wish I could keep the pace to run with you! Stink.

My hubby is going camping tonight, and wont be home until around 10 am. If he was here I would totally come up. I can't wait to run outside under the big blue sky tomorrow! Someday we need to meet up and run for sure though!

so wish I didn't work every other saturday. I had to run long today. hope you get someone to run with. : D.

Toby - I think I'm going to try to run a little faster this Saturday...although I might regret it tomorrow!

Emily - any chance you would be willing to change it to 7:30am? I have to warn you, I'm afraid to run any faster than 7:30 pace right now b/c of my feet and might not be able to make it the full 15 miles! Still want to run with me? :o)

Rachelle - Nope, not going to AZ this time. Going to be a lonely weekend!!

I would so meet up if I wasn't racing. Need a little Andrea talent to rub off on me. I'll get that fix soon enough. Summer is coming!

Nice job. Next time go 41 minutes.

7:30 is fine. We'll go as long as you want to. I can always add on if I want to run more. Like I said, I'm pretty hammered from today, so a recovery pace would probably do me some good.

EMily - great! Meet you at 33rd JRP at 7:30am.

Everyone is asleep. But maybe I will crash this party. Hope you don't mind.

So happy to hear you had a great run this morning!

Now that you are signed up for the BAA 5K, the US 1/2 champs, and we have plane tickets to Portland - I think your body realized it was time to heal up!

Spike up or stay slow! :-)

It is such a relief! I really don't want anymore setbacks this year - two months was enough for me (although probably a good thing overall to take some time and fully recover from the hard training last year).

I'll have to post a photo of my new bright pink spikes when I get them!

you are so lucky that you are allowed to post photos of your shoes.

super run this morning (i already used great and awesome on my blog, and super is underutilized anyway).

also, let me know if you come up with a time/place for tomorrow's run. i could probably handle it...

I run for Saucony and haven't even seen the new models that you already HAVE (I wasn't quick enough checking your blog)! Not fair!

And as Rob Murphy would say, it was a super duper run.

Ha!

I know how frustrating nagging injuries can be. I hope you have turned the corner on this one.

That's awesome! Hooray for faster running and happy feet!

I 2nd the happy feet!

I'll put my signature yeeee-haaaw! to the onslaught of positive comments (with over/under utilized phrases) on this run.

I was running the river with you...just a few miles south - and a LOT slower! :)

Awesome Andrea!! Simply awesome. I am very, very happy for you. :)

WAHOO!!! This is GREAT news!!!! Nice job Andrea ... good work Andrea's foot!!! :) :) :)

Hooray for super-terrific good feeling feet!

I'm glad you're feeling better and ready to roll.

You should be proud of the fact that at least 5 girls whom I'm never even seen before in my life were asking me where you were today. You strike fear in the heart of runners in other states! I told them you have been working on your 200m speed so you have a better kick in 2012 :-)

I second the motion.. I'll vote for you anytime.

I gotta say...I like what DST does for the summer hours. I HATE the change - forward and back, but I do like it in June, July and August.

RAD - you are a night owl, aren't you? Since I go to bed around 9pm anyways, I don't need it to be light out until 9:30pm in the summer! haha

I third the motion....I HATE daylight savings! I could not even fall asleep until after 10pm last night. I act like I am 85 and am usually asleep by 9pm. I'd fit in perfectly in AZ. :)

ugh, I don't like the time switching around.

Now what ever would give you the idea that I'm a night owl? The fact that I can never get my butt to bed before 11PM and still punish myself by getting up at 5AM to work out and walk around in a semi-sleep-coma all day? No...definitely NOT me :)

There are more car crashes too. It has always puzzled me how we can just change time. I do like the longer nights though.

my vote is to change the time one hour ahead every day starting on monday, so that by saturday night, the sun sets at midnight. then reset on sunday and do it all again!

vote for me.

You've been ramping it up pretty good lately - you'll have some feel lousy days but thats part of the drill as you build it back up!

I totally wish they would get rid of daylight savings time. Seems like so many people don't like it, but every time they propose to do away with it, everyone votes to keep it.

Nice job keeping it easy today.

Late to the party, but I agree with all the "get rid of DST" arguments. Arizona does have it right. A friend said that DST is like cutting the bottom off a blanket and sewing it to the top and thinking that the blanket is longer now.

So I've been running for 10 years now, and I have never hurt in my knees. I am so glad. But after having my stride analyzed they said it was mostly due to the fact that I land square under my hips. So thank you hips!

I just read your Q&A. Loved it! Best part of my morning. I am so glad to know you. You are a source of strength to me in your words at times. Just thought I should let you know that :)

I agree with Lily! You are such a great resource and I love that you are always sharing great information and experience.

Only 6.5 hrs of sleep? You also win best girlfriend for waiting up for Jake. :)

I was wondering why there was so little sleep going on!

Here is something to add to what you heard on the radio yesterday (I heard it on the 5 am news): it is one of the most worthless days for wok, like you said, and employees tend to spend double the amount of time online goofing off just to stay awake. I think that means we should all get that day off.

Andrea was kind enough to come pick me up @ midnight!

i think i found the cocktail you need to try (or avoid?) in brazil: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caipirinha

also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coxinha

and: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feijoada

I figured it was some sort of sugar cane drink... it probably tastes delicious but as someone who has seen Andrea after she has taken 3 sips out of a fruity drink, it would kill her :-)

I thought of you when I posted on my blog today Andrea. You have had a few injuries-- seemingly unrelated. I would suggest you get your ferritin (iron) level checked. Strangely I had this weird knee pain for the past 1 1/2. Never had it before. It almost took me out in my 20 miler with Rachelle and then it just kept nagging me. It was at the side of my knee cap (patellar region) and ricocheted up my leg. Low iron???? Truly think so. The puzzle piece fits. You run hard and fast and you are thin and probably don't eat enough lean red meat because you watch your cals too closely. AND you eat a lot of ice cream (from what I can tell from your blog) which actually blocks the absorption of any iron containing foods you do eat. Just looking out for you. Nurses are great at being nurses--- NOT patients :D. I was actually doing a study on myself. Apparently self studies back fire at the wrong time.

btw the article is very thorough and most likely terribly accurate however our muscles are injured from lack of oxygen as well if we are anemic which throws everything off balance.

How the heck is my iron so high? Maybe Kroger/Dreyers is lacing their ice cream w/ iron? :-)

Allie - Caipirinha sounds delicious, sugar cane rum?!...I should stay very far away! I'll ask Rafaela if she'll take me to get your recommendations :)

Julie - I'm going to get my iron tested at the doctor today, so good timing! I was actually just talking this morning about how I'm feeling overly tired so I am interested to see what the labs come back like. Although I HATE needles.

Jake, it is the timing of the ice cream. You should take iron at least an hour away from eating ice cream maybe longer. Depends on how well you absorb iron. Apparently you absorb it well!! : D. Oh and drink orange juice with iron for better absorption. Okay now think of how high yours could be off ice cream!! ; D. and you probably know this but women are for more at risk for low iron. Especially running women. We are always watching our intake too closely. If we don't run as much we drastically cut calories to stay trim. Which is a vicious cycle. I am much better than I was. I eat now when I don't run. But younger runners are still too OCD.

JulieC - are you implying that I'm OCD?! :o) I will admit that it has been hard to be okay with gaining some weight after the marathon. But I've gotten a lot better than I used to be! It's a tough balance and I'm still trying to figure out what is the best with down time and then hard training. I know I have been slacking on eating red meat recently and am also worried about the next few weeks that I'm in Brazil with food and proper nutrition. We'll see what happens.

my brazilian food suggestions are highly nutritious. kind of.

i've talked about this before, but i think it's good to have a bit of extra weight on you when you aren't in the middle of a big training cycle. i was very OCD about calorie intake a few years ago (basically never fluctuated from my goal race weight), but i have since relaxed a bit more as i've realized how important good nutrition and properly fueling the body are when you run a lot. i put on 10 lbs. over the winter as an experiment (not easy!), and i think the extra muscle mass (ha!) and a bit higher body fat % helped me through the big mileage weeks, when in the past that kind of training has caused royal breakdowns for me (i understand that it could just be a coincidence, but i'm pretty convinced this was helpful for me). it's definitely tricky to balance, but a bit of weight gain in the off season is totally fine -- it all falls off in the super fit stage before a race anyway. i'm still waiting for that to happen to me. ;)

Hmmm....my wight never falls off. I will blame it on Jake's iron culprit (that darn Kroger ice cream!)

MOST runners are OCD Andrea. : D. Been there, still do THAT. ; D. just so you know my PF is excruciating. I can't believe how it just switched feet so abruptly and WAY more pronounces. TENNIS ball exercises are a lot like delivering a baby all natural. what the heck??? I figure all this pain is gonna take me somewhere in Boston...like it should feel eazzzy breezzy or something once I am all fine tuned.

great interview -- some good stuff in there for everyone. i loved reading through the comments...you inspire a lot of people.

i noticed the extreme jump in both you and jake's quantcast numbers. :)

you should see how much the traffic to our wasatch blog has gone up thanks to hungry runner girl. she is probably #2 on the internet after google

I really liked your interview Andrea.

JulieC does not stop for anyone!! She just waves her arms like a cheerleader to direct traffic. Just watch Bring it on and practice the spirit fingers and you can direct traffic just as good as her. :)

Hahaha only Julie has to watch Bring it On to get dialed in for a recovery run! :-)

The first thing I noticed when I got here was your quantcast number haha!

It was a good read. And did someone say hungry runner? Sheeesh they must have been talking about me because my appetite is on the fritz lately! I really think it's from getting outside! :)

Loved the interview Andrea! Glad you got a good run in this morning, it sure was a nice day!

Great interview Andrea! It almost makes me want to train seriously :)

Great read, very inspiring! Congrats on your many new blog visitors this month!

LOVED IT!! Fantastic interview!!! Long live Andrea (and Costco)!

Thanks for sharing the interview and many of the good stuff you pass along thru this blog. I love all the good finds, articles and tips you share with us. You are an awesome athlete and wonderful ambassador of this sport. Thank you thank you thank you! :)

That was fun to read! That was nice of you to comment back to the others. I learned some things and gained some reminders from your interview. And guess what....I am friends on FB with Deena Kastor. Yes, me and 4,000 others:) You might want to be my friend to get in good with her;)

you are friends with deena kastor?!?!?! invite her to a group run.

Holy crap!! I am still trying to wrap my head around the idea of running 2 miles in under 12 minutes. I did not even know treadmills went that fast. Sounds like a lot of fun and awesome that you swept the competition. :)

Even more awesome that your feet didn't bother you. YAY!!

midweek race report!

nice job -- both on beating your time from last year and earning bragging rights. i'm glad you were provided treadmills that go faster than 6:00/mile. also, i'm laughing as i picture you riding sub-4 pace on a recumbent bike.

You rocked the tri way to go!!! Got to feel good to strut around knowing showed everyone you could do it :)

Can you imagine the looks on the faces of your co-workers if you had done this while in peak shape... say, running 5:20 miles? I don't even think they would be able to comprehend that!

Really nice job - way to get the racing season started off! Undefeated in triathlons in 2012!!! I'm also glad you beat all the men in your office!

Way to go! The best news is that your feet are improving :>

I think the most impressive part of your victory was the elliptical portion.

I would throw in the towel before getting on that forsaken piece of equipment

Congrats on the victory!

Nice Tri! I bet you're in better shape than you think. That is a really respectable 2 mile for no speed training. Nice work!

Have a great trip Andrea!!!

Yes to no pain! Transitions are over rated...sort of:)

New mantra. Memorize it.

Andrea is fast, she never come's last! Yes, she has some pain, but she's managed to stay sane.

She likes a guy named Jake, but we all do for goodness sake!

They're going to to Brazille to take a break. We know she'll reutrn without a single ache!

Nicely done. So great on the miles that you did it so fast and with no pain.

congrats. never knew there was an indoor triathlon. That's a hoot!! : D.

Yes! This is awesome! Nicely done, Champ! :-)

Sweet- sounds like fun. Good job.

Wow, Andrea. That is super impressive. That sounds like a killer indoor tri. I think I would have preferred swimming in a pool to a one mile sprint on the elliptical - and a recumbant bike?! Those things are really hard to go fast on. Nice work speedy!

North vs Davila / Krong vs Mutai ... the race (to see who can get the better starting line photo) is on!!!

Enjoy your flight.

I assume you will be blogging regularly?

Relax, have fun, eat good food, and take pictures! :)

If it makes you feel better . . . I went on my honeymoon to Hawaii 3 weeks before Deseret News 10k. I was only able to get in 35-40 miles in on the trip. I came back and ran my fastest 10k ever. So, I say enjoy the trip, run when you can, and don't worry too much about training. With time changes, climate changes, travel, food changes, I think it's just important not to let yourself get too fatigued.

superb advice there from emily. have a great time. can't wait to see some pics!

safe travels.

Have fun Andrea and I most definitely agree with Emily. This downtime will probably do you some good.

I can't wait to see pictures. :)

How big is that tram? It looks as big as Snowbird/Jackson.

I think it fit 65 people. Is that the same size?

Roughly, a little smaller. Although you don't have to lug skis around in Brazil. Great pictures!

It is actually a little scary getting on and off because there was about 6 inches of space between the tram and the landing area!

Oooooh beaches - looks gorgeous! So do you actually have to work while you are there?

Wow, it looks amazing!! I guess a ghetto treadmill is better than no treadmill, but I find it so hard to run on a lamo treadmill!! Glad you're having fun :)

Wow it is absolutely gorgeous! Enjoy seeing all the sights. Hopefully you have some friends there that speak English and can interpret for you.

okay I am jealous about the track but one question....if a really good high tide comes a rollin' in you can actually surf/run right? : D.

So cool! How did you upload pictures on the blog? I've been trying to figure it out for awhile. Have a great trip.

I am so jealous. Wow, I hope you enjoy your time. Relish in the break away from life. This looks fantastic!

Way to stay tough Andrea! It's hard to be out of routine and still accomplish your training. Amazing pictures, I love the track picture.

Awesome pic's. Maybe this is our next vacation spot.

Nice job this morning - the first couple tempos will feel hard, regardless of the pace and distance (ie. they might be short and slow, and they still won't feel great). But you'll adapt to the stimulus quickly after a couple sessions and start to get back in the groove. I did a 2 mile tempo in January at 5:20+ pace and I thought the same thing - how am I ever even going to run a 10K at this pace again? And then with time it starts to click. Training is science, art, and faith. Its difficult to quantify the significance of the art and faith, but their role is huge.

Yes, YOU DID RUN THAT PACE! You are amazing. TM running for me is so much harder. I know a lot people like it b/c you can dial into a specific pace, but honestly running 6:26 (or probably faster) pace outside would have seemed a LOT easier. Nice workout!

Nice job Andrea!! Jake and Melody are both right and this is definitely a step in the right direction. :)

Nice job, Andrea. Don't you just love running on ancient treadmills?

I'm in agreement on the TM thing. I always think "dang, I did NOT really run this fast for that long!" Keep up the awesome work!

Glad you can keep up the workouts down there, even if it's on rickety treadmills. Great pictures yesterday.

Great job on the tempo, don't sell yourself short, you're pretty dang fast! I've seen your 5k speed and have little doubt you'll reach your sub 17 in the near future.

Good run this morning - way to get it done early!

So Andrea, because you've been on the mill this week, what do you think about how it compares to outside fitness? Can you tell it's not as hard, or that you aren't using as much oxygen or energy? Just curious what you think.

i smell feijoada...

Lily - My opinion is this - if you most often run on the treadmill then the treadmill will feel easier than running on the road. But if you most often run outside then the treadmill feels harder. I think that the mechanics are different enough to have an effect. Everyone has a different opinion, though! My thought is that if you want to be fast on the road, train on the roads as much as possible (but safety is #1 priority!).

Allie - Yes we are having that and coxinha!

I have always found the treadmill to be harder than the road. I feel the mechanics are different as well.

Well I happen to have the same opinion. I ran on the mill Mon-Tues and I was kinda shocked because it suddenly seemed harder. I've been outside for over 2 weeks prior. So I was confused. I still prefer outside any day. Oh well, running on the mill is better than no run!

Great miles Andrea! And I most definitely agree with your opinion on the treadmill. I do way too much training on the treadmill and it is very much a "security blanket" for me. It always takes me a few miles to transition to running outside.

Have fun tonight!

From a metabolic perspective - if you hold every other variable constant - you are using less energy to run at the same speed on a treadmill. Jack Daniels has done numerous studies showing this difference and to my knowledge, there have never been any studies refuting his work. Most of this is due to the fact that your hamstrings aren't being used as much on the treadmill (although hip flexor activity increases)... hamstrings are huge muscles though, so decreasing their activity even a little bit makes a big difference in terms of energy used.

In real life, though, every other variable isn't always held constant. So like Rob pointed out with his (very good) list a few weeks ago, there are some definite benefits to using a treadmill.

There I go slipping back into my previous life as a biomechanist. :-) Every once in a while...

at the exact same pace and incline treadmills should be slightly easier (belt pulls your foot). But nothing is stopping you from speeding up the treadmill. :) it's just my preference but I don't like running exclusively on any one surface so the treadmill is a decent alternative, especially when it's cold outside.

well yeah as soon as you increase the incline, the game completely changes! :-) then energy output equals out once its at 1-1.5%

I think the real question is - if there was a treadmill big and fast enough to put an airplane on, and you got the airplane up to takeoff speed, would it actually lift off the ground?