Month: April 2012


Apr
2012

Five Random Things

categories: Running

1. I decided to go back to school to pursue my Type 75 Certification.  It is a two year program and once I receive my masters, I can continue to be a classroom teacher or be an administrator.  I knew from the beginning of this new career that I was not going to be a teacher for a long time.  I don’t see myself being 50 years old and still being a teacher.

2. I signed up for the Race Around the World Duathlon on June 24.  I will be missing out on the Chicago Women’s Half Marathon.  I guess it is OK.  I can still (hopefully) do one offered by the Divas Half Marathon Series or the Lady Speed Stick Women’s Half Marathon.

3.  I am toying with the idea of running a half marathon in each state.  Originally, I had thought of doing a marathon in each state but quickly changed it to a half marathon.  I’ve been following Kim’s blog at (Just) Trying is for Little Girls and told myself that I could do this too.

4.  During my race on Saturday I developed a pain in my left foot.  My first thought were the orthotics.  I’ve ran in them before but only on a treadmill.  Saturday was the first time I ran outside.  Once I got home I took them off and replaced them with the original insoles.  I wore my gym shoes to work today and my foot feels much better.  I am afraid to run in my orthotics this weekend.  Maybe the 5K on Saturday will be OK but definitely NOT the 10 Miler on Saturday.

5.  I know eventually I will need surgery on my right foot.  I have a bunion that is growing and is giving me trouble.  Usually the pain goes away for a few months with a visit to the podiatrist.  She injects this liquid in my foot and that helps with the pain.  However, I went last month and my foot still hurts.  It could be that the bunion is just getting worse or the podiatrist inserted the liquid in a different part of the foot (she did tell me that she was going to do that).  I am hoping it is the latter because I went all crazy and registered for almost every race I could find in the Chicago area.  My plan is to run until November of this year then take a few months off for the surgery and recovery.


Apr
2012

Brooks Ravenna 3

categories: Running Gear

At one point I owned three different pairs of gym shoes – Brooks Pure Cadence, Green Silence, and Ravenna 2.  I ran in the Pure Cadence from mid November to end of March. I felt fine running in the treadmill but experienced some pain running outside.  The hard concrete, flat feet and a somewhat developed bunion in my right foot is not a good combination. I need more support.

I returned the Green Silence.  I bought them on sale from Running Warehouse.  The company was nice enough to accept them back even though it was past the 60 day return deadline.

I ran once in the Ravenna 2 and knew they were not a right fit.  They felt too tight in the front.  It was weird because I tried them at the Chicago Marathon expo and they felt fine.  Is it possible my feet grew or they got more flat?  I went to Fleet Feet and they were nice enough to exchange them for me.  They no longer carried the Ravenna 2 so I tried the 3. Oh. My. Goodness.  The shoes felt so good.  I tried a size 10 but they felt kind of big so I tried the 9.5.  Much better.  I went home with the same size but in a different style.  I love the color! Brooks Ravenna 3 ROCKS!!

After a two week recovery, I ran 4 miles today in my new shoes.  It felt good to run.  I meant to run last week during my Spring Break but I just did not feel like it so I didn’t.  Every morning I told myself to get up and run.  Nope.  Did not happen.  Something snapped today.  I realized I had a race in two weeks and then one almost every weekend till possibly October.  Yikes!  Better start moving if I want to do well in each race.  Overachiever?  Ambitious?  Maybe, but it is driving me to get out there and run!

Run Happy!