The Ellimpics: Round 2...not ALL seconds are sloppy

Over the past two days I did two things for the second time.

Yes, this is an upside-down, inverted number five...

it is also a number two because of all the twos in this post.

"Resourceful" is one of my middle names.

First, I went to the chiropractor again.

This time she had to fake me out. I really didn't want to be ready for the giant leg-yank because I knew it would work better if I didn't brace myself for it, so I allowed myself to be faked out...until the moment of poppage. Nonetheless, it was a successful yank, according to the good doc. "I usually tell people that the second adjustment may not be like the first...but nevermind," was what she said. "I think this one actually did more in the right direction than the first," she continued with a smile. 

Given that I was able to run (albeit slowly) 6 glorious hilly miles Sunday evening...the day after performing my elliptical masterpiece half-marathon and only three days after my initial hip joint reconfiguration, I'd be lying if I said I weren't giddy and over the moon at the prospects of what "more in the right direction" might mean :) Best part of Sunday's run...a tie between chatting with a good friend and...

no hip pain.

Worst part of Sunday's run...

Yes, that is a blister taking up one-third the surface area of my baby toe...

not loving my Brooks Cascadias...or maybe not loving my socks.

Trying to figure that one out...

Second, I completed another race on The Ellimpics schedule.

I was really hoping to do a 10K today and then a 5K on Thursday or Friday, thus giving me some semi-taper for my possible marathon on Sunday (since that is when the REAL marathon is...yes, there was a REAL marathon last Sunday but I wasn't ready then...now I'm ready. I think). Like most Ellimpians, I was needing to slam the race in between two appointments and while the kids were occupied. A little different than hanging out in the Athletes' Village and moseying on over to the venue according to a set schedule like Olympians ;-)  But by the time I got to the gym it was apparent that I only had time to bust out a 5K...so I went with it.

My "A" goal? Right around 18 minutes flat. I thought this would be realistic given my final 5K of the half-marathon on Saturday.

After a chillin' 10-minute StairMaster warm-up and a 'tempo' mile on the elliptical, I figured I was as ready as I'd ever be. I queued up "Just Like Heaven" and went to work.

So... 5K's really are a lot harder than I imagined. Even on the elliptical. I'm seeing why a lot of people groove on half-marathons...because you have time to find a groove. It usually takes this old lady a good half an hour to get her heart rate up. But not today. 

I went with 'uncomfortable' as the sensation of the day. 

First mile... 5:39
Halfway point...  8:50
Mile 2... 11:14
Mile 3... 16:38
Done like dinner... 17:08

Tricia knows this face... 

and she'll be seeing it again in less than three weeks!

I definitely felt more spent after this than any other elliptical workout I've ever done. And I still wish I could run as fast as I can elliptical. Well, even 2 minutes per mile more slowly would be fine! I realized I should take a video of myself doing this because people wonder what it looks like. I am sure I look like an insane person. And my singing probably cements that notion.

I meant to take a picture of the elliptical screen at the end...but I kind of forgot :P Then I remembered a couple of minutes later while I was cooling down...

Pretty much annihilated another "A" goal. I was super surprised with my time. And I really wonder where all of my competitors are? 

I did this piece on the same machine as my half-marathon. I followed my same resistance and incline pattern ...but on an abbreviated schedule. I'm curious as to how the 10K will go. 

Looking forward to seeing some recaps from you all! It's fun! Play with me!!!!! 

It's time to stop lamenting that we cannot run very much for now and embrace the gifts we have, enjoy the outlets we can utilize, and celebrate what we can do.

Blister Care

What do you do when you get a blister?

When I used to row, I got blisters at every seasonal transition. In the spring when we went back out on the water after a winter of land training, the oar shredded my hands that were no longer appropriately callused. When summer's humidity kicked in...a new set of blisters appeared. As we headed back indoors in the late fall and winter, more time on the rowing machines meant different blisters and different calluses.

People often wonder why rowers don't wear gloves. Maybe rowers do nowadays, but back when I was rowing we never wore gloves. You lose your feel for the oar. And rowing is all about feel. Rowing with a hand covered with blisters is near impossible. You have to "take care" of them. The proper technique is necessary to avoid ripping or infection. If a blister rips, it is then an open wound. It is excruciating to put any pressure on an open wound. Sitting out practice time means your boat is without you. Going without you for too long necessitates replacement. Minimizing (or avoiding) time out of the boat was of tantamount concern.

I'm sharing with you the blister-popping method that I learned back in the day. I got the blister in question on Tuesday, popped it Wednesday, ellipticalled on it Wednesday night and ran on it this morning. This method is highly effective. Watch and learn :)

Addendum:  the additional peroxide use is somewhat overkill. Either peroxide or alcohol will work well.

Additional addendum:  cover with a bandaid to protect it from dirt for a few days.

Remember... happy feet = happy runners :)