Posts from the ‘Other’ Category

Nov 20

A public service announcement on chafing

This is going to be a rather gross post. For that, I apologize in advance. But I think this sort of thing is important to address, especially with the number of winter races coming up.

This weekend, my mom and I ventured to Monterey for me to run the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay. This was my second year doing so. And, for all my hiding in the portable toilet for 15 minutes and not being able to sleep too well the night before, I did really well. I knocked nine minutes off my time from last year, running a 2:28:27.

I also now know that, if I can pull myself together, I have a good chance of doing well at the California International Marathon in a couple weeks.

But that’s not what this post is about. I’ll get to weekend specifics and the race in the next couple days.

It’s about chafing.

Specifically, how bad it can get really quick.

Behold, the grossness of chafing.

That’s why I buried the lede here. It’s pretty gross. And this isn’t exactly the best photo. But you can see how badly torn up my fat little arms are. I’ve mentioned before that my upper arms don’t ever seem to lose weight. So my “fat little arms” are always rubbing.

I started the run with a long-sleeve shirt on. But by the time I hit the underground tunnel taking runners from downtown Monterey en route to Pacific Grove, I was taking it off and wrapping it around my waist.

That meant that my arms were exposed.

I usually wear Lululemon Run:Swifty shirts when I run. This time, I wore my Big Sur Half Marathon short-sleeve tech shirt under my long-sleeve layer.

I didn’t notice the chub rub at first. As we got to the turn around at Asilomar State Beach, I wasn’t feeling any pain. It was about the time I hit the mile ten marker that my arms started hurting. I looked down and realized my arms were chafing. Bad.

And it kept getting worse.

That was the point, too, where I hit two water stops without medical tents with Vasoline. Usually there’s someone waving a cardboard around with it. I couldn’t find anyone.

My fat little under arms were burning. I took my Lululemon long-sleeve from around my waist and stuck it under my arms. I was doing anything I could to keep the sweaty skin from rubbing anymore against my shirt’s sleeve. This is a shirt I’ve worn on runs before, but never sweating as much as I did for this run.

I held the long-sleeve between both my arms as tight as I could and just kept running. Finally, I saw a guy with a panel of Vasoline. I grabbed a huge lob and threw it, literally, under both arms. I was completely unapologetic about it. It was gross. It hurt. And I did it to myself.

And yet, it was still bad. These blurry photos are two days later. My arms are just now feeling as if I could maybe wear a running shirt again. And I’ve used lots of cream, specifically Aquaphor, to help the wounds heal. It hurt to even put a shirt on after the run.

By the way those lines are stretch marks. They’ve been there since I lost the 30-plus pounds when I started running.

Still, my fat little arms aren’t losing any weight.

So I figured I’d write a more lighthearted post from some of the more serious, personal ones I’ve done lately. This is a public service announcement on chafing.

Buy Glide. Or something similar. Even during the winter months, when it seems as if you won’t necessarily be sweating as much, it’s best to apply and reapply the glide. Just do it.

And also, stick to what you know for race clothes. I wear different shirts on my short runs than on my long runs. I should have known better. I should have stuck with my tank top instead. But it wasn’t “something new” on race day, so I figured I’d be okay.

Nope.

Wear Glide. Save your arms. Simple enough.

And that concludes my public service announcement.

Nov 15

Worst. Marathon. Ever.

No. I didn’t run a marathon and forgot to tell on here. Though, if there was a marathon that offered a medal of Domo, I’d be all in. Like right now.

The marathon I’m running right now isn’t even one I have to lace up my Nikes for. It’s the marathon happening in my life.

If you could equate a lifetime to 26.2, I would be hitting “the wall” relatively early. Right now, I’m hitting it everyday.

Simple things are hard at first. Deciding when to wake up? Difficult. Getting out of bed? Tough. Getting in the car to drive? Scary. Trying to have some semblance of life before the panic attack? Seemingly impossible.

Five days after it happened, I realized I was different.

“Did I have a breakdown?” I asked my mom.

She responded in the affirmative.

Well crap.

A friend the other day referred to it as “the episode.” People ask me how I am. They don’t know that by the time they see me, I’ve usually had to overcome four or five moments of sheer terror before I can even get myself going in the morning.

I’m not going to lie, I’m not doing well. I thought, three weeks out, I’d be better. I thought the confidence in my voice would return. I thought I’d be cleared to return to work. I thought this would all be past me.

Yesterday marked the first time since “the episode” (sounds funny like that doesn’t it?), that I was able to talk about it without completely breaking down. Progress? Yes. Enough? No.

I got in my car on Monday to go to the store only to sit in it for 20 minutes while I figured out what, exactly, was making me so worried. Why was I so anxious?

I’m told I have to retrain my mind to get past the objections and the fear. I told my therapist that I’d been avoiding filling my gas tank up in my car. She asked why. Because I’d have to get a full tank. Then I’d have to wash the window. Then it would just be better to wash the whole car. And what if, at the gas station, I realized I needed something from the store? I’d have to go.

It sounds irrational as I type it. But I still don’t want to go get gas.

It took me six days to make a phone call necessary to my recovery. Six days. I would normally not have a problem picking up the phone.

A letter from work tells me I’m “required” to apply for disability. Fine. Doing the actual paperwork was a lesson in humility.

I couldn’t get through the little red boxes for days. And all I was doing was entering my name and other basic information.

What happened to me? Where did I go?

Today I’m angry about it. Today I’m upset that the people who should have noted a change in my behavior instead ignored it. Today I’m heartbroken because there were so many chances for someone to intervene.

I didn’t hide it. Not at all. My self-destruction was evident. I joked about my anxiety initially. It’s not so funny now. Not when it’s become paralyzing.

I was told to journal my thoughts. That part is easy. In written words, it flows. I feel more normal than I typically do. I’m able to reach a part of me that seems distant. But in person, I’m still clinging for familiarity. I can be in larger environments, because anonymous people don’t bother me.

But the thought of signing up for a local 10K Turkey Trot? I don’t even want to go there. I’ll see people I know. People who read this blog. People who want to ask how I’m doing. And I’ll shut down.

In Kindergarten I had a teacher who pin notes on my back so I’d remember to take it home to my parents. I’m tempted to pin a note to myself that says “leave me alone” and leave it at that.

I’m trying to grasp this in a way that will help me see through it, so I know there will eventually be an end to all of this. That’s where the marathon comes in. But this one is much worse than San Diego. This one doesn’t just rub your feet raw, it also hurts your lower back and breaks your will. This marathon is mean. And it knows it to.

So how do you attack a mean marathon? Training. Lots of training. Distance runs. Speed work.

It’s like running a race and powering through the water stops where they’ve run out of water, or where you can’t feel your toes anymore.

You just keep going. Right?

Nov 15

Gift idea for a runner: Mini first aid kit

It’s no secret that runners, probably more often than the regular person, get blisters on their feet and other places on the body (hello chafing) as part of our training.

It’s also no secret that, in some cases, there is no way around those blisters.

So we have to suck it up in a lot of cases and hope that our feet and toes don’t get too thrashed in the process.

That’s part of the reason a small first aid kit is always in my gym bag. One that includes something to clean my wounds, and fix my running battle scars up for the ride home.

I found this little kit, with a plastic case and all, on a recent trip to my local 99-cent store. That’s right, for under a $1 I found this kit.

It includes:

– Two hand-cleansing wipes

– Four gauze pads

– Two regular-sized Band-Aids (name brand, yes)

– Four smaller Band-Aids

– The plastic case

Seriously, all for under a $1.

This is the perfect little stocking-stuffer gift item for a runner, even if, like me, he or she already has a first aid kit in their gym bag. I like this smaller-sized kit because I can also put in my my backpacks or even in my glove compartment just in case.

For the price, too, you can even buy the kit just for the contents, which are definitely worth more than that, and refill a kit you already have.

And, lets face it, a runner will likely always need something to clean up those race war wounds, so it’s bound to be useful.

Nov 9

Undergoing site maintenance

Haven’t been around for a couple days? The blog may look a little bit different.

A year or more ago when I started this blog I knew very little about WordPress infrastructure. I just found a theme and went crazy.

The problem with that is that I should have paid more attention to the fact that the theme hadn’t been updated in some time. And there were no plans to update it anytime soon.

So…about four months ago I started having issues with my theme, a version of Deep Silent customized by me. I knew, at some point, I’d have to make a switch. So I am. Now.

Some of the complaints I heard about my little space of the Internet were that it was too dark and needed more “air.” This theme solves both those issues. Plus, I spent more time on the custom header this time around, giving it a little something more.

New theme, no problem, right? Wrong.

As I learn my new theme, I’m changing up the CSS and adding code to make things a little more fancy, including the navigation. You’ll see changes over the next week or so. That’s good. It means I’m adjusting things.

Nov 4

iPhone saves a night run

When I decided to finally get rid of my amazing BlackBerry Curve a couple years ago, I switched to an Android X phone. I loved it, specifically because it shot high definition video. I loved that phone until a software upgrade basically rendered me unable to make phone calls.

Then it became slow. I took it in for a look at the Verizon store. An associate reversed the software update.

Two months later, the stupid phone stopped taking a charge. Everything I did to make it charge wouldn’t work. I was bummed for several reasons. The first was that I spent a ridiculous amount of money on the phone. The second was that it didn’t last as long as I needed it to.

So I went to the “dark side.” I bought an iPhone 4S earlier this year.

I kind of had a tough transition to the phone. I wasn’t sure what to think of it. I wasn’t sure how to make it work.(Doesn’t that always happen when you get a new phone?) I basically was a fish out of water. It helped that I had an iPad 2 as well.

But I adjusted and eventually started to love it.You can see one of my screens to the right. Ignore the fact I haven’t updated any of my apps for awhile. And ignore my AP mobile alert. I’ve been trying to avoid news as much as possible lately.

In any case, if you’ve read this blog long enough, you also know that I run with a Garmin 405CX and I have an awesome headlamp.

On a recent run, I didn’t have both.

My Garmin is somewhere between my home in Tracy and Kansas. For the second time in two years, the battery life went wonky. It was out of warranty, but Garmin offered to fix it because it was the same problem as last time. (Model problem, maybe?) Fixing it for Garmin basically means replacing it. That’s lame. And it takes forever.

I’m talking about two to three weeks to send it and then get one back.

So I’ve been doing my outdoor runs without it. A couple weeks ago, when the battery died in the middle of a 15-mile run, I finished off my run with my Nike+ app on my iPhone.

I’ve been using that since.

It’s surprisingly accurate and doesn’t drain my battery life like I thought it would.

Yes, I’m slow sometimes when I run at night. Blame fatigue.

In any case, I was thankful my iPhone saved that run. I was more thankful when a couple weeks ago, I realized as I made my way to Mountain House to run that my headlamp had dead batteries.

It was dark. Really, incredibly dark.

So I pulled out my iPhone and started doing some searching. I remember that I had a flashlight app on the phone. Since I already run with it in my hand to see the Nike+ app, I kept alternating between turning on the flashlight and checking how far we were in our run.

The light was really nice when we hit parts of the sidewalk that are considerably more dark than others.

So, overall, my iPhone essentially has two running tools in it that I didn’t really appreciate until that run. Had we not have had the Nike+ app, we probably wouldn’t have finished that epic 15-miler.

Had we not had a flashlight, we wouldn’t be able to see the sidewalk. I was very grateful for both.

The Flashlight app was free. A nice price. It uses the flash light on the iPhone 4S, which does eat some battery life, but for a shorter run, isn’t too bad. Plus, I charge my phone in my car when I drive usually, so I don’t really have a problem with battery life.

The Nike+ app is also free now (I remember paying for it, but maybe I’m mistaken). It uses the phone’s GPS to track the run with distance and pace.

It seems to come up incrementally short of my Garmin, but we usually overrun our six-mile run anyway.

I’m not converting to the Nike+ app. And I’m not considering running with my iPhone flashlight on every run either.

But these apps give me options when I in a pinch. And both saved our run the other night, which, when it’s dark outside, is really important.

Nov 1

Looking past the present

Like my awesome PhotoShop skills? I actually am really good at it, but this is just the simple smudge tool over my emergency room band. I’ll give away that much. I recently had a trip to the ER. It wasn’t fun. It wasn’t planned (hence, an emergency).

People usually say they are “working through stuff.” Yep. I’m working through stuff.

And that’s where I’ll leave that.

I’m trying to look past the present right now.

To the future. Or at least to my running future.

I’ve been doing some planning over the past couple days on races I’d like to run next year. I’ve been putting together a short list so far. Only a couple are solid in terms of choices right now. Financials will play a role, obviously. And, surprise, I’m actually considering running a spring “A” marathon and a summer marathon.

I’ve run enough races to know where I like to travel and what I love to see when I run. I also know which ones I’d like to do again, but maybe not in 2013.

So, today, I started planning.

JANUARY

Brazen Coyote Hills 10K: I love this race. The rolling hills. The beautiful view. It’s got a lot to offer. Plus, it’s Brazen. And I love Brazen. This race is kind of difficult logistically for Brazen, with shuttles needed to send people back and forth, but Brazen does an awesome job making it happen.

FEBRUARY

Rock ‘n’ Roll Pasadena Half Marathon: This wasn’t my favorite race ever, but I want to give it another go. I now know what to expect, including the hill right at the beginning. My hope is that I won’t be a straggler at the end this time. I signed up for it today, before the price went up.

MARCH

Brazen Badger Cove 10K: Brazen hosted this combination half marathon, 10K and 5K for the first time in my neck of the woods this year. It’s literally only over the hill from where I live. It’s also a week before the Oakland Half, which makes it a perfect warm-up and taper run. The hills are crazy, but I felt great after. Definitely a must-do again.

Oakland Half Marathon: This will always be a favorite for me. Oakland holds a special place in my heart because I spent my two years as a student at University of California, Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism living in the Temescal neighborhood. I love it there. I’ll always love Oakland. And I usually sign up for a steal (half price!) with a coupon code from the San Francisco Marathon. A side note: Oakland is still one of the ONLY events you can defer entry to the next year if need be.

APRIL

San Luis Obispo Marathon: Here’s where I really switch things up. This race is a little more than a week after Oakland. I don’t know how I found out about it, but I’m hoping to run 26.2 here. A bonus? My husband has family in the area, which means he wants to go too. And there are rolling hills…so I’ll have to work the only hill I know in Mountain House, and maybe some others.

MAY

Bay to Breakers 12K: This is less of a race, more of a fun run. Unless you are my brother and smash it in under an hour wearings short-shorts and looking like the kid who knocked up Juno. There’s been some changes to the 2013 website, so I’m not even sure when this is happening. I’ll probably ask my brother to run with me again. And I likely won’t do “premium” or “plus” registration because, despite being sponsored by a T-shirt company, this race has some of the ugliest shirts I’ve ever seen.

JUNE

The San Francisco Marathon: Let’s have an “oh my God” moment. I’ve said, numerous times, that I would NEVER do a marathon in San Francisco. I’m actually really considering this because it would put me in the elite “52 Club.” Who runs for bling? That would be me. Actually, it’s just a sweater. But now I know the beginning and end of the marathon path, I’m kind of excited to try it. Will I sign up? We’ll see. This wouldn’t be an “A” race, but it would be one I’d train seriously for.

And that’s it, for now.

I figured I’d wait on planning the rest of the year. Will I run CIM again? I don’t know. Will I sign up for the Nike lottery? Likely. I’m also considering the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half again. We’ll see. Since I’m only signed up for two of the seven races I have planned, nothing is really set in stone yet.

But I’d rather plan ahead right now than deal with some other stuff.

Speaking of which, I probably mentioned having to return two pairs of pants to Lululemon due to bad design. I got two great gift cards in return.

A couple days ago, I got a new package.

I opted for two new shirts in lieu of the capris. I show this mainly because Lululemon changed it’s packing. It’s no longer an simple gray mailer. Instead, it’s covered in the company’s manifesto. As much as I love it, and it gave me a smile for the moment, I’m a little disappointed that my Lulu packages won’t be anonymous anymore.

Good thing my the people in my neighborhood don’t seem to be the running type. Otherwise I’d worry about the packages disappearing.

Oct 30

A void

This week’s lack of blogging stems from something other than being overburdened. In fact, a recent episode in my life means I am very much under burdened.

I’m not going to get into it right now on here for various reasons. My husband has encouraged me to do so, but I can’t right now.

It has nothing and everything to do with running.

It has nothing and everything to do with how I treat myself.

It has nothing and everything to do with my life right now and some changes that need to be made.

So I’m working on some things.

I’m still running. But not sure how much blogging I’ll be doing in the next month or so.

Cryptic, yes. I’m usually a lot more transparent. But some things just need to be held close.

So on that somber note, I leave you with a cute picture of my Domo collection. The new green ones are a recent addition from a good friend.

Oct 21

Reasons for a lull

I’ve mentioned before that I often get ridiculously busy some weeks between two jobs and everything else I do.

This week was an over-the-top exception.

I told myself I was going to take a couple days off after Nike, for a couple reasons. I was tired after the hills of San Francisco. And my Garmin was having some serious issues.

So I told myself I’d pick up a run on Tuesday.

But anyone who follows my Twitter feed knows I’ve been having some very serious car troubles lately. Unfortunately I hadn’t saved up enough money for a down payment on a new car enough to make buying on feasible.

The problem is, my Camaro is getting to the point where it’s just not reliable anymore. It is for getting me closer distances and using every once in awhile. But the intention was never to drive it into the ground. I love it way too much.

So my husband and I went looking a new cars on Sunday. We found a certified pre-owned 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. My first choice in cars? Not so much. I was really leaning on buying a new Camaro.

The problem was that it didn’t make sense. Instead, we spent some money fixing my 2002 Camaro up. And then we pulled from joint savings to put money down on the Jeep. I financed the rest of it through my credit union with a 3.24-percent interest rate.

I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason. This week instead of a Tuesday-night run, I found myself signing paperwork for a new car at the Jeep dealership in a nearby town.

Whew. Now I have a reliable car. The Camaro will be used for in-town and leisure driving for now on.

On top of that, my students out out a newspaper this week. And I was finishing preparations for a baby shower I hosted at my house yesterday for a very deserving friend/coworker who is expecting her second child early next year. (We figured October would be better than later months of the year because people get busy around Thanksgiving and Christmas.)

Many, many Costco trips were involved in the production of this baby shower. The treats above? Those were the favors, chocolate-dipped pretzels decorated in fall colors. The theme for the shower was “fall” since my friend isn’t really the blue/pink type. (She’s having a boy.)

So up until 2 p.m. yesterday, when the shower ended, I was busy the entire week. I didn’t even have a chance to do my Nike Women’s Half Marathon review yet. I’ll be working on that later today after I upload some photos from the day of.

A side note: I was able to get my time fixed, but it still appears to be wrong. It looks like I ran a half marathon in 40 minutes. I know my running is getting better, but not that much better.

And today, with the glitchy Garmin, I ran 15 miles. Only 8.5 tracked with the Garmin before I had to switch to my Nike+ app. I’ve sent a request for service to Garmin, but after entering my serial number is came up saying my unit was no longer under warranty, even though it’s a replacement unit that isn’t even a year old.

After buying a new car this week, I really don’t want to buy a new Garmin.

I feel a little better after today’s run. I feel as if I’m getting back in the habit, especially after a very, very stressful, but rewarding week. Running-related posts to resume soon.

Sep 23

A bloggy birthday

It’s my blog’s birthday! Well, actually, it was yesterday. I’m a little belated in wishing my own blog a happy birthday. It just goes to show how busy I’ve been all week.

I’m excited about this milestone.

I started this blog on Sept. 22, 2011. This wasn’t my first blog. It’s the first, though, that I’ve been able to consistently maintain. In 12 months, I’ve written 130 posts (131 including this one).

I’ve moved to bigger server space with room to grow.

I’ve run and written reviews on 19 races.

I’ve shaved five minutes off my best half marathon time. But I’ve also ran a disastrous marathon.

I’ve learned my share of lessons from running. I’ve become a better runner too. And I’ve shared it with the World Wide Web.

I’m excited that “…andsheruns.” has come so far. I’m happy that I’ve been able to post regularly about topics related to, mostly, running and every now and then explore other areas too. I’m excited about where this blog continues to go as well and the people I’m talking to because of it. I’m also excited to, twice, being recognized by someone at a race!

I think blogs can be a risky venture. This is particularly true when you buy a domain name and server space. It’s also true because the writer of a blog puts out a big part of them in the process of blogging.

My readers get to see first hand my successes and failures. I once told myself I’d never write about the bad races. But writing about the bad ones make the good ones all that much better (kind of like the bad runs).

So happy birthday to my blog. I’m excited for the year ahead, including the upcoming Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon (I’m in corral 11!) and the Nike Women’s Half the next week. October is going to be a great running month.

I’m ready to keep running and blogging.

Sep 21

Likes, loves and hates

I’m kind of on a running hiatus for three days.

Yesterday was a rest day. Today I work all day. On campus from 9 a.m. until I have to go to work for a night shift. Then I’m sleeping over at my grandmother’s (totally not lame, my grandmother is freaking awesome for letting me stay) so I can wake up early and take my students to a journalism conference in Sacramento. Whew.

I’m kind of busy.

So instead of blogging about running today, I’m going to write about some of what I’m loving, liking and hating lately. Some of it will be running related.

LOVES

– The Lululemon quality assurance and return policy. My charcoal/Caspian blue capris started falling apart last weekend. I’ve only had them for a month. I sent a quick email to Lululemon with photos and received one back within 24 hours. The verdict? Capris that new should be fraying. I’m sending the old ones back and getting a gift card (to buy new ones!) in the mail.

– My new water bottle from the Title 9K this past weekend. It’s seriously pretty awesome. I’ve been using it all day.

– REM sleep. Not related to the band at all. It’s the sleep stage where you dream. For the first time in four months I’ve been able to get into REM sleep and dream. I’m waking up feeling more rested. But I’m still exhausted.

– Diet Coke. Because I always love Diet Coke, but the caffeine in it lately is really helping me out. What’s that? It could kill me? Yes. I’ve heard it before. From my husband. A thousand times.

– My iPhone. I don’t care about getting a 5 right now. I have a 4S. It take awesome photos. It has Siri. Enough said.

– The return of night running. It caught me off guard last week (in case you saw my Twitter post), but there is something refreshing about running at night. Plus it means I get to pull out all my awesome reflective gear.

LIKES

– M&M’s. Apparently these are becoming my favorite go-to snack.

– Ending my day shooting video less than a mile from my house. I was able to do that twice this week. That never happens. Score.

– Rest days. I’ve factored more in and am loving them more and more.

– The fact I ran 9:37 average splits last weekend. Still can’t get over that.

– A place to put my money and license when I shoot video. I refuse to carry a purse to an assignment. It’s kind of risky. So I usually put everything in my pockets. I found this nifty little ankle wallet at REI. I’m in love.

– Wearing my Converse to work. Tonight is football night and I’ll be reporting from the field. Jeans. Converse. T-shirt. A casual-style evening.

HATES

– Traffic on Interstate 5 through Stockton. Two pseudo slow downs this morning for no reason.

– The color of my new running shoes. They are much lighter than my previous pair. They make me feel old for some reason. I’m thinking about adding fancy shoelaces to them.

– When my students don’t show up on time for distribution, leaving all the newspapers in the parking lot with me. I try to convince them that one day, doing something like this may mean getting fired from a job. I’m still not sure they understand the concept.

– The heat. Tomorrow is the first day of fall (or is it today?) and it’s still short-sleeve shirt and capri weather. I just want some cold.

– Insomnia. Yes, I achieved REM sleep. No, I didn’t stay asleep long. Tonight’s going to be a long night.