Nursing my wounds...

  
     My first 5K race that I ran in is coming up at the end of March.  I originally hadn't planned on running it again because I have a good friend who is getting married that day and I was intending to go to her wedding.  Unfortunately My Hottie Hubby cannot take off of work to accompany me, and no kids are allowed at the reception. So, that leaves me S.O.L.  It sounds like it's going to be one wild reception.  Now that I know I'm not leaving town, I can run in that 5K again and try and beat my original time!  Woo hoo!  I don't think it should be too hard to do since I have several races under my belt now and know what to expect.

    I have a great training plan from my Build Your Runner's Body book that I am looking forward to trying out.  It is an eight week plan which means I would need to start it this week.  Here's my problem.  I went running on Saturday and a little ways into my run my foot started hurting.  I shrugged it off and finished my run.  My foot hurt for the rest of the day, but the next morning it felt totally normal!  Great.  Just to be safe, I took Sunday and Monday off.  No pain experienced either of these days. So, yesterday the Little Dude and I went for our run.  I did my brisk 5 minute warm-up and literally as soon as I started running, I felt the pain in my foot again!  No! No! No!  I still finished my run which in hindsight sounds pretty stupid, but I am determined not to get sidelined.

     Here's my thinking on this, and to some of you it may sound a little hokey and out there, but I can attest to the efficacy of this.  I believe it is my brain that is causing me this pain.  My Hottie Hubby has a book which has helped both of us immensely with problems such as these.  It is called The Divided Mind by Dr. John Sarno.  In a nutshell, what it asserts is that in order to get your mind off of some deep emotional pain or trauma, your brain will create pain and problems within your body to keep your focus there.  It in no way is saying that the pain isn't real because it is, but it's your brain that is creating it.  And the only way to rid yourself of the physical pain is to face and confront the emotional pain.

     I have used this practice successfully twice.  I had problems with uveitis many many years ago.  Bascially my eyeball would get really red and was extremely sensitive to light.  During that period in my life, I had HUGE problems with my family.  They hated my hubby and there was so much stress going on.  I finally confronted all of that and I haven't had a flare up since 2007.  Before that I would get several in one year!


     The second time I used it was within the last few months.  My Little Dude was not planned.  In fact, we had never planned on having children.  So, my pregnancy created a lot of turmoil within my relationship with my husband.  He was having a difficult time accepting that things were going to change and worrying about every aspect of our future, and I felt completely unsupported during my pregnancy.  He was supportive by being there physically, but I didn't feel it emotionally which is what I really needed at the time.  And I went through my entire labor alone.  It was just my mid-wife and me with my husband and in-laws waiting in the other room.  And my labor was HARD (that's a whole other story).  Anyhow, I had been experiencing a sore groin.  It wasn't so bad that I couldn't run or work out, but it was annoying.  I had never told my husband how I felt during that time.  Then recently we were talking about it all and it just came pouring out in waves of anger and tears.  And then the pain was gone.  Just like that.  And let me finish this off by saying we both couldn't imagine our lives without our Little Dude.  Sometimes you have no clue what you're missing.

     So, now that leaves me to sit here and think about what am I avoiding confronting?  It could be a number of things.  I was laid off from my job earlier this year and I now find myself at a precipice of where to take my life.  Do I jump in feet first and try to start my own business, or do I continue to take the safe route and not live the life I truly want?  And then I have so much anger toward my sister.  That's a really long story, but maybe it is time for me to just throw it all out on the table.  Regardless of what it could be, I am not going to let it keep me from doing something I enjoy and love!

     Have you had any experiences with mind-body connections?  I'd love to hear your thoughts about it in the comments!

Run On!
KB

Tools of My Trade, Part II

     The following list is Part II of the essentials I use during my runs.  They may not be quite as important as my list I posted in Part I, but they are pretty darn close.

     The clothes you wear during a run can be the difference between a good and a bad run.  In the summer time I personally like to wear shorts with briefs built into them.  I am considering trying out running in compression shorts this summer to see how they feel.  I live in Texas, and it gets hot and humid here, so it's really imperative for me to stay as cool as possible.  I have a tendency to get hot very easily.  I always wear dry wicking tank tops, too.  During the summer, I'm not much of a hat/visor person.  I always find wearing a hat keeps all that heat on my head, making me hotter.  I have yet to find a visor I like on my head, plus I wear glasses and they always tend to intefere with the fit of them. 

   
     During the winter, I wear either compression capris or leggings, a tank top, and a light pullover.  I tend to order my gear from Old Navy because I like that I can order petite size capris and leggings to accomodate for my smaller stature!  When it's really cold outside, I wear running pants over my leggings and an additional winderbreaker style jacket over my pullover.  Depending on the temperature and length of my run, I can take off layers while I am running to help me stay cool.  I will also wear a fleece headband to keep my ears warm and gloves to protect my hands from the cold! 

      And perhaps the most important piece of clothing, at least for us B.A.M.s, is a good sports bra.  When I was running and nursing, I needed some really good support for the girls.  Any of you mamas out there who have run with full boobs know how uncomfortable it can be if you don't have the proper support!  Don't go cheap on a bra!

     I do not use a GPS watch for my runs.  In order to keep up with with my time, tempo, and distance I use the RunDouble app on my phone.  They have several plans you can choose from if you want to train for a specific distance, but you can also program it for a custom run, including intervals!



     Finally, I like to run to music.  I know that there are some purists out there who don't believe in running with music, and others who think you shouldn't race with earbuds in your ears so that you can hear others around you.  I am not one of these people though.  Music motivates me and gets me pumped up for my run.  I have an eclectic playlist, and each song gets me moving!  I choose songs with good tempo, and they sometimes help me with my pace.  I don't have any songs downloaded on my phone, but I do use the Spotify app.  I love that I can add any song to a playlist, and if I buy a monthly subscription, I can pick the order of the playlist. 

What do you like to wear when you run?  Do you listen to music?  What songs get you motivated?

Run On!
KB