TGIF!!!

My podiatrist sure knows the way to a girls heart...he told me I HAD to get new sneakers before I saw him again in two weeks! SWOON!!! He specifically recommended Asics, Mizuno, or Brooks and said that Nikes (which I was wearing at the appointment) are more for style. He was wearing a pair of Nike high tops. LOL!

Of course I told Ron that Dr. Shrem said I had to, so he couldn't argue about me buying new sneakers. His response was that he had a reward certificate for Sports Authority. I'm all for saving a few beans but was a bit apprehensive of getting them at Sports Authority in case I ended up not liking them. I'm sure there you cannot return them if worn unlike at Road Runner Sports.

This morning I set to doing a little research on the three recommended brands and the type of sneaker I need (stability) - I already own a pair of Brooks that I love but need to be replaced. I decided on the Brooks Ravenna 5.

via onlineshoes.com

Aren't they pretty??? Next was to see if my local Road Runner Sports had them - no such luck! Fortunately there's another location not too far from where I work. I told Donna at the North Brunswick store that she was awesome when she confirmed that not only did they have them they also had them in my size! A little detour on my way home and they will be MINE!

The things that make me excited! Hope you have a great weekend!

Sidelined

OK so I totally suck at this blogging thing. I would like to promise I'll get better but I'm not sure that will actually happen.

It's been a smidge over a month since I've worked out. Apparently the Texas Beast and my right foot didn't go well together. The only point during the race that I felt like I hurt it was after jumping off the final log at the second log hop. I didn't land oddly or anything but my right foot stung when it hit the ground. I chocked it up to it was cold and the ground was hard from the ice storm they had a week and a half prior.

Fast forward to the Saturday before Christmas, I'm doing last minute running around and as I'm walking through Costco I have severe burning pain in my foot. Since I wasn't getting to see a podiatrist that day I went to urgent care to make sure nothing was broken. X-rays were clear and the doctor was pretty sure that I had just "pissed off the tendons in my foot". She instructed me to see a podiatrist. Monday I called Dr. Shrem's office and was able to get in Thursday.

I was diagnosed with Morton's Neuroma. Dr. Shrem said we could go very passive with treatment or very aggressive. Very passive would be taking an anti-inflammatory for two to three weeks, wear sneakers and hope it helped. Another option was I could get an injection in my foot go easy for two days and see from there. There was a chance one injection would be all I would need. Then the aggressive course of action would be surgery which he didn't think we needed to discuss quite yet.

I opted for the injection, since between the time of injury and having it checked out I had on occasion taken 2-3 Aleve without any relief. He mixed together four different things ("not because he's a mad scientist") - numbing medicines, an anti-inflammatory, and a steriod - to inject. OMG did that hurt!!!!! Not so much the needle going in because he also sprayed a freezing spray on my foot but because that was a lot of liquid going into a small space. I had my fingers crossed it'd be one and done.

I went back for my follow up appointment Tuesday and while I wasn't really experiencing any more pain it still wasn't quite right. Plus I hadn't really done anything other than regular walking around and was still experiencing issues. So you guessed it I got a second injection. This time it wasn't as bad as the first, and unlike Dr. Shrem thinks it wasn't because I knew what to expect. No wonder Ron likes him, they have similar personalities/sense of humor. He did say that if after 2-3 injections if it hasn't totally gone away I'll have to get an MRI done to see how bad the inflammation is and from there will determine if we need to kill it from the inside or outside. He would prefer, not because he's surgery happy, to go in to take care of it because if done from the outside you don't know all of what else will be affected.

I was quite happy to hear that I could do light jogging and that I should be getting more active.

I'll spare you all the lovely picture of my foot that I sent to my sister-in-law after it turned red. She thinks I may have had a slight reaction to the steroid. Thankfully it went away after I iced and elevated it. I did have some pain yesterday but it has subsided. Fingers crossed yet again that this works.

Now tonight I'm going back hot yoga!!!

Merry Christmas

The End of a Season

I've thought about writing this post a number of times now since Saturday but I'm still not sure I'll get it out properly. 

I had run a number of 5ks prior to this year but this was really my first year "racing". It started with the Fenway Park Spartan Race at the end of last year. Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I'd have accomplished what I have in the last 12 months. I didn't set out to complete two trifectas let alone one. I never planned to even do a Beast. 

Since Fenway, I've run two more stadium races - Citi Field and Citizens Bank Park. Hell Citi Field was done after running the inaugural Yuengling 5k, the hilliest 5k ever. We went to Miami and ran the Florida Super in February. I had figured if I were to run any Super that would be it, it would be fairly flat. There was NO WAY I was going to do the NJ Super if I did EVER think about doing a trifecta. 

I volunteered at the Tuexdo Sprint. It was the first race I had gone to since starting to run Spartan Races and boy did I regret not running. I ran the PA Sprint and did the sweeper wave - such a rewarding experience. A week later I did Superhero Scramble took a bit but I survived and fully appreciated all that Spartan did. August brought Warrior Dash on a miserable day and introducing my brother to Spartan Race in Virginia.

Then came September which started with more volunteering and running the NJ Super. After back to back weekends in July I knew I couldn't do the Vermont Beast so when they announced the Sprint I signed up. Probably the hardest Sprint to date. The month ended getting my sister in law on the bandwagon running Citizens Bank Park. 

October was just road races. Well a 5k and a five miler! I watched friends run in the NYC marathon which has inspired me to want to do a half. 

November and December gave me the completion of my trifectas. South Carolina was chilly but not to bad. We figured Texas HAD to be warmer. The morning of the TX Beast it was 43 degrees with 20 mph winds complete cloud covering. After picking up our packets I cried because I really didn't think I could do it. After 5:40 with encouragement from my team I crossed the finish line. 

There are a number of people I need to thank.  First and foremost, my husband for believing in me and introducing me to all of this. The friends, who are more like family, those that understand the crazy, that I have met along the way. I can't believe I don't get to see some of you for a number of months.  I'll miss you all.  AROO!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Can't wait to start the day with some Warm Flow Yoga at Tula Yoga. Have to start working off the feast at some point, right? 

There are many things I'm thankful for....

-my husband: for always being there for me, making me laugh, and getting me involved in the craziness of OCR

-my friends and family

-my Spartan family: I've only been doing Spartan Races for a year, but in that time I've met so many wonderful people - racers and staff alike. It's nice having people who get the insanity of doing these races. 

Hope you all have a great thanksgiving and are able to spend it with those you love! Happy Hanukkah to those of you that celebrate! 

Reflections on the Beast

I felt batter, bruised, and broken but I did it! I complete my first Spartan Race Beast and earned my Trifecta. 

At 36, never did I think I'd be pulling myself on a rope across a lake. I successfully did the Tryolean Traverse and not because I noticed I was being filmed. Even with pants on I have rope burn or something with bruising behind my legs. The right leg is bad. I will be wearing yoga pants to work tomorrow. 

I only failed at three obstacles: the traverse wall, spear throw, and rope climb. Not too shabby.

The worst part of the entire thing wasn't getting separated from some of my teammates, it was being wet and cold. Of course it was in the 70s all week in Winnsboro, SC but race day the temps dipped to the 30s. It was supposed to be around 55 when our heat went off, not sure if it was. They didn't waste anytime getting us wet sortly after the start it was right into a variation on rolling mud. 

I can't even recall everything we went through. By mile 12 things that happened at mile 2 seemed like ages ago. I thought I cannot believe in another month I'll be doing this all over again in Texas. Please let it be warmer. 

I will post more pictures after I upload the ones my sister-in-law (hi Kristen) took with my camera and I collect others that were taken. 

Till then....AROO!

On the road...

I feel like it's been ages since I've last posted, probably because it has. I'm currently sitting in an RV headed to Winnsboro, SC to complete the Spartan Beast. I'm not nervous...yet. 

Traveling by RV is the way to go. Although flying would be SO much faster. It's been a fun trip so far. There are ten of us. We've watched three movies: Dodgeball, Mallrats, and my choice Despicable Me. Found a Starbucks #redcupsareback when re-fueling 😍 and we're now onto karaoke. 

A few more hours to go. Think I need a nap before meeting up with more of the Spartan family.