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March 28, 2024

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Location:

Mesa,AZ,

Member Since:

Apr 04, 2007

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Marathon Finish

Running Accomplishments:

Prs:

1 mile:  6:31

5K:  23:37

Half Marathon: 2:04

My first post-high school 5K, in which I thought I was going to die

The first time I won my age division.  Yippee!

My first half marathon, in which I attack Sasha

The time I beat my high school PR for the 5K (as a 31 year-old mommy of 3!)

My first 5K barefooted

 

Short-Term Running Goals:

I'm just getting back into running after a long break to have my last child.  I would like to race some 10Ks, a half, and a marathon in the next 2 years.

Long-Term Running Goals:

Be the oldest woman to complete a marathon.  Yea!  But hopefully I will also complete some BEFORE I geezer up, like, before I'm 40 for sure.  I think it would be fun to dress up really strange for marathons, like impersonating celebrities and stuff.  Except I don't really like celebrities, as a rule, so maybe I'll have to stick to the age old question of ninja, or pirate.  I say ninja. *Hyah!*

Personal:

I am happily married to James W (Cool Runnings). We have 3 boys and 1 opinionated little girl.  I love reading and I'm also a news junkie.  I am a stinker.

Favorite Blogs:

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
3.000.003.00

Like the picture of my brother, Grant?  He's a character.  I've got family on the mind bc we are going to a fam reunion this weekend.  Yay!

3 miles outside at 10:29 pace (average).  I've decided to chuck the chiropractor's advice out the window about reducing my miles this week.  My hip feels great.  It's funny.  I think I've discovered something about hip pain and knee pain.  Follow.  I have three possible shoe combinations. 

1.) Old Asics shoes--completely worn out, little cushioning, however, the arch is perfect for me.  Wearing these shoes leads to heel pain/sore feet in the morning becaue of lack of cushioning.

2.) New Brookes Shoes.  Great cushioning, but the arch is just a little tiny bit too low for my feet.  Wearing these shoes leads to hip pain after a while and sharp pain in the arch during running. 

3.) New Brookes shoes with cheapo Dr. Scholls arch support in them: fabulous cushioning, but it makes the arch TOO high for me.  I feel like I run on the outside of my feet.  This leads to knee pain for me. 

Pain is all about SHOES! Arch too high=knee pain.  Arch too low=hip pain.  Worn out shoes=heel pain.  At least that's how it's worked out for me.  I can't wait until I get my new shoes.  Until then, I'll just keep changing things around.  Probably end up on the old treadmill in the old shoes.  That's the safest thing, I guess.  *Sigh*

Has anyone else noticed trends in what aggravates/brings on pain during running?  I mean, other than the normal . . . pain . . . that you . . normally . . . ag!  You know what I mean.  We should gather some data!

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Comments
From Maria on Wed, May 30, 2007 at 02:14:08

Lybi, try new pair of Asics, if their arch fits your foot. Shoe fit is important, and you should not have any pain from the shoes you're wearing. Brooks may not be the right fit for you. Sometimes it's hard to find the right shoe, that's why people tend to stick with one make/model as long as they can once they find it. For me, Asics and Mizuno are the best, but I also found one Adidas model (Supernova Cushion) that works fairly well. Good luck!

From Christi on Wed, May 30, 2007 at 07:53:25

Hi Lybi. I have the same problem finding perfect shoes! I'm in Saucony now but plan on going back to Asics. WW is great! I did pretty bad the first week staying in my points, but now I know why the scale has been climbing these past couple years- I was eating way too much! I like having to be more picky about what I eat. I find I'm getting alot more water and veggies and trying to eat more fiber & protein that will STICK w/ me. WW makes some OK ice cream treats as well. Lost .6 the first week and I wasn't even behaving as well as I should. Doing better this week and looking forward to losing more!

From Maria on Wed, May 30, 2007 at 10:16:54

Lybi, I'm getting intrigued with all this WW stuff! I also have another friend that was hugely successful with it few years ago. I'm not really overweight by "regular" standards, but I'd like to drop ~10lbs for better running. Problem is, I'm already at my HS weight, so I'm not sure I can lose anymore. I try to make healthy choices, but when I cut calories I get really hungry! My BMI is 21, I'm almost at a point where WW won't let me join, but I checked and they will let me in, I can lose 8lbs before I fall below their min. healthy weight. Do you think WW is a good fit for me? How do you evaluate the point value of your meal if you eat out? My husband is telling me it's a waste of money, but I don't know.

From Michelle on Wed, May 30, 2007 at 13:24:54

Ya last night after 5 miles I felt great! Now this morning after 3 miles not so "perky"! I sometimes compare it to my favorite ice cream or kryspy cream doughnuts. You eat the first one or two and they taste great! Then the next day because they were so good you think you'll try them again. But the second time they are never as good as you remebered. I'm not sure that makes sense but I'm sure there is some kindof analogy there, pherhaps no wisdom though! I do know there is no guilt with the next day running like there is with the ice cream or doughnuts! Good luck with the shoes, not enough experience to offer any advice!

From James the hubby on Wed, May 30, 2007 at 13:27:54

Remind me when I get home and I will get the return process started for your Brooks. Hurray for Road Runner Sports and their unconditional 60-day guarantee on shoes.

From Brent on Thu, May 31, 2007 at 00:03:17

Hum, how about Wive Riders, my wife loves them. They are a nuetral shoe. Good luck. RRS is great, we have sent back many shoes over the years looking for the right shoe.

From Heber on Thu, May 31, 2007 at 13:27:49

I used to worry a lot about shoes but I don't anymore. Pain comes from the way we run. Shoes can change that and so change where we feel the pain. A perfect pair of shoes might get rid of the pain. But I think it's better to change the way I run. With practice you can learn to run in a way that doesn't stress your body so that shoes become a non-issue. Did you know the best ultra runners in the world run in sandals? They are the Tarahumara indians in Mexico. They make their own sandals and race 100 to 150 miles in them. Don't try making your own sandals, that's not the point. Try to learn to run like they do.

Here are a few checks.

Can you hear your footsteps when you run? Most beginning runners can be heard coming 50 yards away. What they do is hit with their heel and then you hear the SLAP of the rest of their foot hitting the pavement. Heel striking is bad for your speed and hard on your body.

Where are your eyes focused on when you run? Most beginning runners bend too much at the waist such that their eyes are on the ground about 10 or 20 feet in front of them. Look at the picture of Sasha finishing that marathon. His upper body is fully upright. His gaze looks like it is 100 yards ahead or more. He's not looking at the ground.

So try this. Stand up straight: rotate your pelvis until it is level, chest high, eyes are looking way down the road. Now as you run concentrate on pushing your body forward compared to where your feet hit. You want you feet to hit while they are under you center of gravity. If you are doing it right then your footfalls will become very quiet because your foot will contact the ground flat, not heel first. Also let you ankle be as loose as possible. When you lift up your foot from the ground just let the foot hang. When you put it back down it will be in the right position. No dorsiflexion.

A funny thing about good running form is that it is only hard at slow speeds. When you run fast your body automatically moves into better form. So doing some strides or fartlek (or whatever you want to call short bursts of sprinting) will help train you body. To keep good form when you are going slow make sure to bring your heels up high behind you. No shuffling.

Love you,

Heber

From Sasha Pachev on Thu, May 31, 2007 at 13:54:31

Maria:

I wholeheartedly agree with your husband. WW is a pure waste of money. If you cannot discipline yourself, nobody can do it for you. If you can discipline yourself, you do not need to pay anybody for it. If you are in between, learn to discipline yourself.

I would recommend eating healthy in whatever amount your sense of hunger tells you to. One problem with junk food is that it alters the taste to make you eat more than what your body requires. Healthy natural foods have a balance of ingredients that will trigger the satiation reflexes properly.

Lybi - I tend to agree with Heber on shoes. I think the more you run, the more time passes, and the more consistent you are the less a shoe would matter. However, if one shoe causes injury and another does not, by all means wear the one that does not.

From Lybi on Thu, May 31, 2007 at 16:08:34

Heber, thanks for all that running info. The truth is that I don't know very much about running form. I've seen people hunched over badly and thought "I hope I don't run like that!" Thanks for the info.

From James in Sunny AZ on Thu, May 31, 2007 at 20:00:06

I have a different perspective on WW. One of the things I like about WW is that it teaches you how to discipline yourself in terms of eating. Sometimes that is the one thing that is lacking in achieving healthy weight loss. Some people need the structure of a meeting with others to motivate them, some need the accountability to others. Personally, I used a version of weightwatchers (online version) to lose almost 25 pounds. For me, it helped me to realize what healthy portion sizes were, as we were already eating pretty healthy food. One of the other nice things about WW is that they have taken the time to set up the points system, which is based on total calories, fat calories and dietary fiber. I think the decision to use WW should be a personal one based on circumstances. I don't think WW is for everyone, but I do think it can be a good tool, if used properly.

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