The smart decision isn't always easy

The Birch Bay Road Race starts in less than 10 hours and I'm still trying to decide what my plan is for the morning. Not what am I going to wear or what type of fuel to pack? But I'm not sure whether to even run or not!

I'm having an issue with my left foot. I can't pinpoint exactly when it started, but the first moment of pain that I distinctly remember was Monday night when I put my workout shoes on to go the gym. There was a slight pain like something inside my shoe was pushing against a tender part of my foot. The pain went away when I took my shoes off for yoga class.

On Tuesday morning I put on my regular running shoes as a test and everything felt okay so I decided not to call my physical therapist. That was probably my first mistake. The second mistake was going out for a run that night and not calling it quits after my foot started hurting about a mile in. Instead I stuck it out through 2.4 miles in my Brooks Defyance than got a silly notion that maybe a different pair of shoes would help and went back out for another 2.4 miles in my Newtons. I actually ended up with a pretty decent average pace, but afterward it hurt just walking around the house.

On Wednesday I finally called the physical therapist's office but they didn't have any appointments this week, so I went to my primary care physician instead. X-rays showed that it wasn't a stress fracture. The doctor said it was probably an overuse injury and that I just needed to rest and heal. He said that if I felt better I could try to run but not to expect amazing results.

So I took the past few days off from working out and I've been icing my foot twice a day. Now I'm back to the point where I can walk normally again without any pain. I've even tried a short jog around the house with no problem. But I don't know what's going to happen when I put on my running shoes again. And that's what brings me to my dilemma.

I think the smartest decision would be to take more time off and not run tomorrow. I only have one month until the Expedition Everest Challenge and 12 weeks until the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon. Those are my key races that I need to focus on. The Birch Bay Road Race is nearby and I can always try again next year.

But then comes the question of should I still go in the morning to at least pick up my shirt that I've already paid $50 for? Which then got me thinking if I'm going to get up that early, maybe I should go ahead and start the race and then just drop out when my foot starts to hurt again. After all, as the saying goes... DLF>DNF>>DNS (Dead Last Finish > Did Not Finish > Did Not Start). I'm not sure that really applies in my case though since it's more about injury than motivation.

Or I could ask about switching from the 30k option to the 15k option. Maybe I could get through that at a run/walk without too much pain. But it's still probably not worth the possible injury and setback to my marathon training. What about walking the 15k?

There are so many possibilities and I can't decide what to do! Actually I think after typing all this out I know what I should do, but I can't get myself to commit to it as my final decision. I'm trying to tell myself that the registration fee is a sunk cost and to just forget about it, but it's so much easier said than done. I don't even know why I'm so stuck on this race. I guess I feel like by not making an attempt that somehow it's almost like failing. Maybe it's good for me to have the experience of a DNS now so I realize that ultimately missing a race isn't that big a deal. Especially when I have a valid reason and it's not like I didn't put in the training or I just didn't feel like getting up that morning.

Well, whether I run tomorrow or not, it's time for bed. I'll fill you in later on what happens.

Exploring the Lake Padden trails

For my long run last Saturday, my boyfriend and I went out to Lake Padden.

He's just starting to run/walk (yay!) so we couldn't run together, but the idea was that we might see each other a few times while running loops around the lake. I ended up wrecking the plan because I wandered up into the adjacent trails instead. I'm not much of a trail runner (yet?), but I was feeling adventurous that day. It was fun to do something different than my usual road running and I enjoyed the peacefulness of the trails and the interesting scenery like this moss-covered tree stump that caught my eye.

What I didn't like quite as much was the hills and the muddiness. Overall the hills weren't too bad, but I did have to hike up a few like this one.

There were also some super muddy patches where I had to slow down and gingerly make my way along the edge of the path. The variation in the terrain really showed in the randomness of my splits.

Mile 1 - 8:39
Mile 2 - 10:25
Mile 3 - 14:08
Mile 4 - 8:59
Mile 5 - 9:55
Mile 6 - 9:14
Mile 7 - 10:58
Mile 8 - 13:45
Mile 9 - 8:49
Mile 10 - 9:25
Last .4 miles - 9:01 pace

I finally caught up with my boyfriend about half a mile from the car so we walked it in together and I got him to take my photo.

It was a fun outing and I liked the change of scenery and the challenge of the trails. I'm hoping to try and work more trails into my weekend runs over the next several months.

Impressions of the Skechers GOrun

On Saturday I saw a review of the Skechers GOrun in the Runner's World spring shoe guide. Up until then I really hadn't paid much attention to the shoes. Skechers? Quality running shoes? Despite Meb's endorsement, those two concepts just didn't go together in my mind.

What caught my eye in the Runner's World review was that the GOrun shoes are designed to help with running form and it actually hurts when you heel strike. The idea of getting real time feedback from the shoes intrigued me. I was curious enough to stop by the mall to hunt down a pair to try on. After several tries, I finally found the Skechers GOrun at Finish Line and luckily they had one pair left in a size 6.

When I picked them up, I immediately noticed how light the shoes were... only 4.9 oz! Then I put them on and it felt like a perfect fit. I liked that there was plenty of room in the toebox but at the same time the rest of the shoe felt snug. Sometimes when I try on running shoes it feels like the heel is too loose, but that wasn't the case with the GOrun. Also, you know how sometimes when trying on a new style of shoe there'll be something about the construction that just rubs your foot the wrong way for whatever reason? There was none of that for me with the GOrun. For being a minimal shoe, I also liked that there seemed to be a decent amount of cushioning.

What makes the GOrun unique is that there's a "bump" under the midfoot area of the shoe, and then it has a lower heel drop (4mm) than traditional running shoes. These features are designed to encourage forefoot running. It did feel a little strange when I was just standing or walking in the shoes. It was almost like I'd have to lean back in order to distribute any weight onto my heels. But the bump wasn't really noticeable at all when I tried jogging around the store. The shoes seemed to fulfill the purpose of pushing me toward a forefoot landing. As for the Runner's World claim that it hurts to heel strike, I didn't experience any pain during my short test. The shoe design does make it harder to heel strike in general so maybe my form wasn't bad enough to the point of causing pain.

I almost always run with custom insoles, but the GOrun shoes don't have a removable liner. The shoes felt so comfortable that I didn't miss my custom insoles at all. Skechers claims that the shoes can be worn sockless. I did try the shoes without socks and while it felt okay, I'd still be worried about potential rubbing or chafing while running. But it could be just me being overly cautious because I had a bad experience going sockless in regular running shoes.

Overall I was quite surprised by how much I liked the Skechers GOrun. I was very tempted to buy them, especially since they were on sale for $70. (Regular price is $80.) What held me back was:

• I don't particularly like any of the colors that the GOrun comes in.
• I'm interested in the Brooks PureFlow but haven't been able to try them in my size yet. I want to see how they compare to the Skechers GoRun first before buying something new.
• I already have a pair of Newtons that still have plenty of miles left in them. They were free, so it's not like I spent $175 on shoes that I barely wear, but I don't really need another pair of minimalist shoes.

For now I'm willing to admit that Skechers was indeed able to create a quality running shoe with the GoRun, and they'll be under consideration next time I do decide to buy new shoes.

Runnin' O' the Green race report

Last Saturday I ran the Runnin' O' the Green 5 mile race in Bellingham. For once I had a plan going into the race, which was to run an 8 minute pace and finish under 40 minutes. I ended up finishing in 40:31 which is an 8:06 pace. I know it's a good time, especially since I'd been sick and hadn't worked out for a week, but I'm still a little disappointed because I can do better. Unfortunately my legs just weren't feeling like they were ready to race that day.

The course wasn't flat, but I wouldn't call it hilly either. There were some small inclines, similar to what I run occasionally during training. They shouldn't have been a problem, but I really struggled with them during the race. In my mind, I felt like we were running uphill for 75% of the course, even though there's no way that could be true since we started and ended on the same street.

It was cold and rainy on Saturday morning... 36 degrees when I arrived about an hour before the race. It even hailed for several minutes during the race. I wore compression sleeves under my pants for an extra layer of warmth. I love wearing them around the house as a recovery aid, but I'm starting to wonder if maybe I shouldn't race in compression sleeves. It could be just a coincidence, but both races that I've worn them in, my legs have bothered me. I think the compression sleeves might be too constrictive. Instead of improving performance, the compression sleeves seem to be causing greater fatigue in my legs. I'm going to have to try wearing the compression sleeves during training and see how it feels.

Here are a couple photos from somewhere during the last mile of the race.

I was smiling for the camera so I look happier than I felt. In my mind I was thinking "can I stop running yet?"

And I know shame on me for not wearing something green to a St. Patrick's Day race, but I only have one piece of green tech clothing and it didn't work with my Coconut Kenny's jersey.

Afterwards my initial feeling was that the Runnin' O' the Green wasn't a race that I'd want to do again, mainly because of the poor organization. It seemed like they weren't prepared to handle such a large crowd. There were long lines before the race to check in, and long lines after the race to get food and water. The start of the race was delayed by over 20 minutes. And at the finish line the clock was off by a couple minutes. I sprinted into the finish thinking I had made my goal, and then had to face reality when my Garmin told me otherwise.

However, there were positive aspects to the race too. The early registration fee was only $15 and included chip timing and a shirt. I liked the fun touch of having green D tags for the occasion. I've only seen them in orange before this.

I had forgotten that a shirt was included so that was a nice surprise. It was an even better surprise to find that it actually fits!

Although I had some difficulties with the course that day, it really isn't a bad course. No super steep hills but enough variation to be interesting, both in elevation and running surfaces. The second half of the course is pretty scenic too.

Now I'm thinking that if it fits into my schedule I might have to go back next year for redemption. We'll see, I have plenty of time to decide.

A treadmill PR

The forecast for today included a slight chance of rain. Even though the skies looked as though it would be a clear day, I still decided to head to the gym for my long run. I didn't want to risk being stuck five miles from home if the weather turned.

I have to admit that I was actually looking forward to a long treadmill run. I've started to get more comfortable with the treadmill over the last couple months so I was kind of eager to test my endurance and see how I'd hold up for two plus hours. Before today, I think the longest I've spent on the treadmill is 90 or 100 minutes.

Initially I had been thinking about doing 16 miles today, but I dawdled a bit and ended up leaving home too late. With the gym closing at six, I only had enough time for a 140 minute run. I picked a treadmill and set myself up with a water bottle, fuel, and my trusty post-it note to block the time display.

Sometimes I run looking at the mileage, but today I changed that display to show pace and instead ran based on the little blinky light that marks off each segment of the workout. I broke the run into 20 minute chunks, then within each chunk I focused on getting through the segment which lasted about 2:50. All of this definitely helped because I never once had a thought along the lines of "ugh, still 80 minutes left".

After each segment I'd typically change either the pace or the incline to add some variety to the run. Then every 20 minutes I'd drink some water and take a short walk break. I had a little bit of a Clif bar after the first hour and two GU chomps after the second hour. I meant to put some Nuun in my water bottle, but forgot.

It turns out spending that much time on the treadmill wasn't really that bad, especially when broken up into smaller bits. The first hour passed quickly and I got in 6.4 miles. The second hour I started to lose a little steam but I knew all I had to do was make it through the next 20 minutes and then I'd get a break. I did 6.1 miles the second hour. The last twenty minutes were the worst because my legs were getting stiff and didn't want to cooperate with me anymore. I really had to push myself mentally to finish off the last 2 miles.

So overall that's 14.5 miles at a 9:39 pace.

I'm kind of glad that I didn't have enough time to do 16 miles because I know I would have stubbornly tried to finish even if it wrecked my legs. I walked from the gym to the grocery store next door as a cool down, then once I got home I spent a good half hour stretching which felt really good.

I don't think I could do every long run on a treadmill, but it's good to know I have the mental fortitude to stay on for at least two hours. That is, as long as I have some entertaining podcasts to keep me company. Maybe someday I'll even try for three hours...