Marching On...

[rocknrollgirl]

Hi guys,
thought I would get the March thread going. We had 6 inches of fresh snow yesterday so it covered up all the uneven frozen footsteps on the trails where we run. We did a run this morning and had to break trail the whole way. Nice to not have the frozen footsteps, but tough, tough going on the legs! But what a beautiful day to be out. Six miles of snowy goodness.

[emily_in_nc]

Gorgeous photos, R-n-R! Almost makes me long for snow. Almost!

I've been enjoying my runs on the track. I set a PR for my 5K time last Tuesday, and on Thursday, I did a run/walk at a slower pace, 4.5 miles total, 3.5 of that running. I hope to start increasing my mileage now that I am back from having a wretched cold that kept me out of commission for almost four weeks.

[OakLeaf]

RnR ... wow, looks beautiful, but my Raynaud's-afflicted toes are turning blue just looking at it ...

Emily, so glad you're getting back on track!

Wednesday was just as brutally hot as forecast and I was just as unprepared as I expected. Being hydrated isn't enough to prepare for a tough run in 30° warmer than what I'm acclimated to. I had to stop and nearly puke halfway through the marathon pace segment and couldn't even finish the threshold pace segments, and even with a partial workout I was trashed for the rest of the day and into the next. Bleh. It's supposed to be back to normal temps for tomorrow's tough workout, and thank goodness for that considering the time change ...

[rocknrollgirl]

Now see, as soon as you mention warm temps of any kind....I turn blue. Well you get what I mean. I do NOT do well in heat. I would much rather go out and run when it is 9 degrees.

Oak, that sounds like tough going, and I do not envy you.

Great job Emily!!!

[Crankin]

The only time I've been able to engage in running for a few months has been in cooler weather. It took me years to acclimate to riding in hot weather, but running in anything over 70 pretty much did me in. The one race I ran was 98 degrees and humid. Worst possible situation for me.

[rocknrollgirl]

We suffer through it from May-Sept. I try and get out as early as possible to beat the heat as much as possible. Don't like at all though. Blech. The past two summers we have spend most of our training time running and biking, in the woods. Sometimes better because you are out of the sun, sometimes worse because it can be very close, no breeze.

Blech just thinking about it. Blech.

[emily_in_nc]

Ugh, Oak, so sorry. I have gotten relatively acclimated to the heat and humidity here, but I know how difficult it is when the change is very sudden. Running in cooler temps is infinitely easier for me. Glad your heat wave will be shortlived.

Thanks for all the encouragement, ladies!

[OakLeaf]

Cooler on Sunday as forecast, a beautiful day for running actually, and I NAILED my 14 miles at marathon pace (plus warm up and cool down) - four more miles at pace than I did in training last year. I needed the confidence builder! Also I did over 55 miles last week which is a new high for me. I'll stay at this level another week or two and then start stepping the mileage down. Feeling good.

Hot again tomorrow, but hopefully not as hot as last Wednesday, and since the workout is two-mile intervals at 10K pace, I'm pretty sure I can handle it this time. We'll see.

[emily_in_nc]

Nice job, Oak! Hard to imagine that kind of mileage but sure admire those of you who do it.

Today I overslept, and by the time I got ready, it was so blazing hot and sunny I decided to wait and run a bit later as it often clouds up some later in the morning, and the forecast was calling for a good chance of showers from 10 am on, so .... Unfortunately, the forecast here is notoriously inaccurate, and I have yet to find an accurate weather radar (so I can't check on approaching storms, etc), so it was still bright and sunny at 10:30 am. Ugh. I couldn't wait longer as our housekeeper comes on Tuesdays, so I had to get out, get back, showered, and eat my lunch before she arrived at 1pm.

So, I tried running on the streets and a long bike path instead of at the track, because there would at least be some shade from walls and buildings. That helped somewhat, but it was still blazing hot (heat index of 85 to 87F). At least there was a breeze!

I managed 4.1 miles, 3.1 of running and one walking in between running intervals, plus another mile+ walking to the place I started and back.

One problem I'm having lately is blisters on my toes. My shoes fit well, or so I thought, but I've gotten two blisters; one on my big toe with thicker socks, and one today on my other foot pinky toe with thin socks. Ugh. I can't afford to change shoes here, and they never caused blisters until just recently, so I am thinking maybe a change of socks might help. I need to find some with NO seams near the outsides of my toes, as that's where they rub.

[Crankin]

Tekko socks. Thin, wool. Search on-line for the best price.Pricey, but worth it. I use them for boot camp, walking/running, and I have others for hiking.

[OakLeaf]

Are you in the USA now?

While your blisters are healing - and potentially for blister prevention until you find a better solution - I'm a huge fan of Band-Aid Advanced Healing Blister colloidal pads. I actually bought these for the first time in Spain (where at the time anyway they were called Compeed), so I expect you can find them anywhere J&J products are available. They'll stay on for a couple of days anyway, and they'll not only protect the blister all day, but the cover helps soften the surrounding callus for quicker healing.

Band-Aid Friction Block lubricant stick lasts WAY longer on toes and feet than Body Glide, plus it's also easily available in drug stores next to the bandages, in the US anyway. I usually touch up my most blister-prone areas with a little lube before any longer run, plus extra on any area that's already damaged. You can even, once you get a colloidal bandage sealed down tightly, put some lube over it which will help the bandage stay on longer.


As far as socks, all I run in is wool, year round.

It's kind of a dance between shoe fit and sock fit and I'm honestly still searching for The Perfect Footwear.

My stand-by socks for a long time have been SmartWool PhD Running. Any more they're not the highest quality, unfortunately, but they run a little bigger in the toe box, so provided I'm wearing shoes that are wide enough, they don't cause trouble. If the shoes are just a little too narrow though, they have the potential to bunch. Also, they're more heavily cushioned than many, which is my preference, but might not be yours, especially for warmer weather.

I really like my wool Injinjis - MUCH better constructed than other brands of toe socks I've tried. Probably the only reason they aren't my favorite is that I prefer more cushion than is possible in toe socks. For the time being, you might have trouble wearing them over blister bandages.

I have a couple of pairs of Teko - they chafe my ankles over longer distances, but for shorter distances they're fine, and they are well constructed.

I recently got a couple of pairs of Icebreaker. They make these in an ultra-light version also if you prefer less cushion - although the "cushion" version are still very lightweight, comparable to my Injinjis. I really, really like the construction - don't have that many miles on them yet, so I can't speak to the durability, but if I had to guess I would think they'd last a very long time (and looking at the website, I notice that they're guaranteed for life!). The only downside is they run small - order a size up if you're near the top of a size.


Good luck!

[rocknrollgirl]

I have not run since Monday. We had a 30+ degree temp change from Friday to Monday. Friday I ran in 6 inches of snow, Monday it was 55 degrees. Just awful bring on the blech.

Emily if you cannot get those blister products in Mexico, you can let me know, I would be happy to buy for you and send them down if that is not too weird.

Keep trudging everyone.

Oh and the local 10k trail race we were planning on doing just raised the "late reg" price to 45 dollars. Times two for both of us. So with reg fees 100 bucks to go run on the trails we run every weekend. Nope, can't do it. Too pricey. Bummer because I was looking forward to it.

[OakLeaf]

Bummer about the race, RnR.

I'm giving myself the day off today. Just decided. My stomach isn't right, I'm pretty beat up from my massage yesterday, one of my Achilles tendons has been nagging, I don't have a lot of time to get it done, it's another hot day, and attempting my intervals today would just set myself up for failure a third Wednesday in a row. So, rest today, intervals tomorrow.

Laying it out that way sounds like good reasons rather than excuses.

[rocknrollgirl]

Bummer about the race, RnR.

I'm giving myself the day off today. Just decided. My stomach isn't right, I'm pretty beat up from my massage yesterday, one of my Achilles tendons has been nagging, I don't have a lot of time to get it done, it's another hot day, and attempting my intervals today would just set myself up for failure a third Wednesday in a row. So, rest today, intervals tomorrow.

Laying it out that way sounds like good reasons rather than excuses.

When in doubt, leave it out...or something like that. Smart move, and way to listen to your body.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks everyone for the socks and blister product recommendations! I haven't even had a chance to come back here since I wrote my post above (been a busy week!), but very kind of you all, especially RnRGirl for offering to mail me blister products in Mexico...but chances are I would never get them. I don't trust the mail system down here at all. Fortunately, there are lots of stores with good products, so it's not nearly as much of an issue as when we were in Belize and so many items were just not available in the entire country.

There are all kinds of blister products in the stores and pharmacies here...medical stuff is great here and very much on par with the US, so no worries there. Socks, not so much, but I did find some "diabetic" socks since writing my post. They have the toe seams on the outside, and they work GREAT for running. My blisters were minor enough that spending a few days off between runs (I only run 2x a week as it is), was enough for the blisters to heal without even having to buy any special tapes or band-aids. The only thing about the socks I don't like is that they are higher cut than I prefer, making for strange tan lines in sandals, so I'll be buying more low-cut socks when I get back to the US (May 1). The recommendation for wool is a good one, and I love wool socks anyway. Will look for some that are low-cut and not thick b/c of the heat here.

And yes, we are coming back to Mexico after a few months in the US with our families, so this will be an ongoing issue.

Ran 4 miles (plus 1 of walking) on Thursday, so I'm doing pretty well. Not fast but feeling good. Coupled with yoga 3x a week, a couple of bike rides, and lots of walking, it's all good!

Thanks everyone...you are all the best!