Running into November 11/1-11/7 t

[Bike Chick]

My HM is a month away and this is a step-back week in my training. I only had to run 4 miles yesterday and it was a nice break except that I hobbled back the last mile and a half. Run, then limped, run a bit, then limped some more. I did an 8 mile run last Sunday and ended up with a blister the size of Texas on the bottom of the toe next to my pinky toe. Must've been the socks! Now I'm dealing with a nasty blister that I'm praying heals up. i could hardly walk on it after my run. Any pointers to help it heal faster?

[OakLeaf]

Ouch BikeChick, I HATE blisters.

I've had very good luck with the Band-Aid Advanced Healing blister pads. It seems a little counterintuitive (to me) that something that thick would help, but they really do, IME.

If your blister is bigger than that, you might try Tegaderm, which is great at eliminating friction, but I haven't always been able to make it stick on my feet.

[kacie tri-ing]

Nice 6 miler yesterday and long run coming up tomorrow.

There were a LOT of crunchy leaves to step on, which i LOVE

[Jolt]

I've been a bum...no run yesterday b/c the weather was crummy and I just didn't feel like going, and won't be running today b/c I have a low-grade fever--evidently coming down with a cold or something. Probably picked it up either at the clinic or at the nursing home I worked at on Wednesday. Started with a sore throat last night which got a little worse overnight, then today I feel tired, have a bit of a headache and just feel kind of icky because of the temp. Hopefully the worst of this crud passes quickly so I can get back out there! Kacie, I agree about the crunchy leaves--they're fun to run through. The slippery leaves on the trails, OTOH, are a little nerve racking especially when they are on top of acorns!

[colby]

My HM is a month away and this is a step-back week in my training. I only had to run 4 miles yesterday and it was a nice break except that I hobbled back the last mile and a half. Run, then limped, run a bit, then limped some more. I did an 8 mile run last Sunday and ended up with a blister the size of Texas on the bottom of the toe next to my pinky toe. Must've been the socks! Now I'm dealing with a nasty blister that I'm praying heals up. i could hardly walk on it after my run. Any pointers to help it heal faster?

Blisters! Oak's (sound) advice should help. Hobbling might mess up your gait and start wearing on your joints and muscles differently, so be careful. Usually a couple of light days, days cross-training (riding instead of running), or days off are enough to get rid of my blisters enough to run again, but I don't get huge ones so much anymore.

I also find that softening my skin can help (also preventative). When I start to see blisters appearing, I am sure to apply lotion regularly and wear socks to keep my feet moisturized.

[Bike Chick]

Thanks Colby and Oak! Good advice. I'm trying the blister pads you suggested, Oak and it seems to help but I haven't run yet. I'm gonna give it another day. I'll let you know tomorrow. I couldn't even walk Thursday after my run and you are right about hobbling, Colby, my right leg was feeling the effects of that.

I'm volunteering at a 10 mile trail run this morning and it's 21 degrees out! Brrrrr! DH is doing the run but I didn't get signed up in time and decided I'd help them out. What was I thinking???

[indigoiis]

I ran 5.84 today and it took me longer than it should have. Granted I haven't run all week and it was a very hilly route, and I guess I am still recovering, but I get frustrated sometimes that my times these days are not what they were. I know, it takes time, and I should just be happy I'm out there doing it. Okay, I am happy that I am even out there doing it. I'll leave the watch at home tomorrow.

[solobiker]

I got in a nice 4 mile run this morning. Such a beautiful day, sunny and temps in the low 40s. My legs felt pretty good. I was a little slower then normal...I am trying to pace myself so I can increase my distances. My hamstrings did not tighten up this time which was very nice. My goal is to get back up to running 6-8 miles at a time a few days a week. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

[7rider]

Happy World Run Day!! (www.runday.com)
My fitness center hosted a 5k for the day. Since it's a Sunday and my fitness center is at the office, attendance was light - 6 runners, to be exact. I rode my bike to the run, and the run was all off road. That's a new challenge for me. I'm not used to rocks and sticks and water bars (and loose dogs, but that's a vent for another day! ). Ride home was fairly slow and alas I made a significant dent in the bowl of remaining Halloween candy!!!
Somehow, I don't think Reese's and Kit Kats are high on the food list when training for a race, but boy! They were good.

[OakLeaf]

Happy World Run Day to you, too.

Being that it was, I had to do a quick 5K jog after my aerobics class. Naturally I forgot my watch, so I tried the iMapMy app on my HTC Incredible. It did quite a good job on positioning - as good as my 310XT, far better than my old 301 used to - but it seemed to have a lot more pace spikes than I get with the Garmin.

Then I came home to read that Geb dropped out of the NYC marathon with tendinitis in his knee, and announced his retirement from competitive running. I realize that everyone has to retire at some point, but it's sad when someone doesn't go out the way they wanted to.