Category Archives: chi running

Inserts

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I forgot to mention that I wore my old motion-control Asics Gel Kayanos the last time I ran. I pulled out the stiff “extra” motion-control inserts I had in there and used the standard one I got with my new Mizunos. As far as my feet went, the run went pretty well. I once again felt the need for extra cushion on the ball of my feet.

So today I wore them again, but this time I found an old cushiony set of inserts to use instead. My thinking was I might be able to deal with the issue with the balls of my feet. The cushion felt pretty good on the run. Toward the end I noticed that I was flapping with my left foot. My right footstrike felt fine, but the left came down as a slap. This immediately caught my attention as this was one of the first things I noticed when running with the ms-related problems I was having with my legs. This happened twice before and at times would get so bad that my one foot (I think it was the left) would almost drag causing me to fall a couple of times. Basically what was happening then was I couldn’t get the front of my foot to pull up far enough, which would cause my toe to drag on the surface. It was almost as if my whole lower leg went numb and I couldn’t make it work as fully as I normally would be able to (and need to to run). I remember thinking at the time that I was worried I was reprogramming my stride to do the incorrect form and that I would never get it back. When the attack ended after a couple of months, my normal stride came back.

So, I was alarmed. I continued on, step, slap, step, slap. I tried to pull my foot up higher as I struck the ground. I could, with none of the previous problems. I also noticed if I ran on the side of my foot that the slapping would subside a bit. But that wasn’t right either. Then it dawned on me, maybe it was the insert. The heel of this particular cushion insert was really thick which I thought maybe was enough to cause the front of my foot to slap as it tried to land correctly, but hit the heal to quickly.

So I finished my run, went in and replaced the cushion inserts with the standard Mizuno ones and went out for a few more blocks to see how it went. Turned out I no longer was slapping. Even when I tried to relax and let my footstrike happen without any mental intervention, everything was fine. I think this was a bit more pronounced for me as my right leg is shorter than my left and I wear a lift in the right side to compensate. This has caused me a variety of issues over the years. This was certainly one of them.

Still recovering

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Yesterday I went out for a second run in a row. I had the entire day to do it so I didn’t force myself to get up early and run in the cold. This, as it turns out, was not the best idea. So I decided to run after I went to the tax guy. To hold me over I scarfed a Clif bar and ventured out to receive the news (which wasn’t too bad). I took the bus, which to go to my accountant takes a couple of buses. On the way back I decided to take a little walk in order to only have to take one bus. After checking the schedule on my phone I realized I had to wait 25 mins which was ok as there is a coffee shop by the stop called Palio that has the best Mexican mochas I have ever had. Unfortunately they also have really good pastries and I found myself ordering a chocolate muffin with granulated sugar on top and a day old bialli covered with tomato sauce and cheese. They were all delicious and the mocha was still the best in Portland. It was only after I finished my bounty that I realized, Oh crap I have a full belly and I was going to go running. To top it off, my allergies go crazy this time of year (I blame the blooming plum trees) AND I am allergic to mil which I had in my mocha rather than soy (I have no idea why I did that).

I was not preparing well for a run.

I got home and piddled around for a few but eventually decided I really wanted to run despite my full belly. I geared up up and headed out. At first I was conscious of my fullness, but it soon went away and I found myself cruising along pretty well. As I got to the halfway point of my base runs I marveled at how nice it was outside. So in direct defiance of my promise to myself to take it easy I took the turn off for the longer run. The run was going really well, my lungs were doing fine and I felt great. I kept looking for the point when my body said “you are approaching the point of running too much, STOP!” But it didn’t happen. Perhaps a belly full of pastries and coffee is good running energy (I doubt it.) I then came upon Reed College and a headed up onto campus only to find myself doing an about face and heading off on my longer Reed path which ends up winding through the canyon. Once in the privacy of the wooded canyon, I even needed to remove one of my layers (which was of course the bottom layer) and tied my shirt around my waist. I continued through the canyon where I was later greeted by a chorus of geese and a lone crane. Everybody was enjoying the day.

Toward the end of the run I did feel a bit of pain in my hip again, more of a tightness. It occurred to me that I was getting a bit lazy in my form and that was the cause. So I refocused on lining up my body correctly and dropping my feet in alignment with my frame and the pain disappeared. The body focus I have established from practicing Chi Running techniques has really paid off and gotten me through a number of running problems, can’t say that enough.

During my cool down it seems like I finally getting past my back pull as I was able to stretch with ease. That night as I lay down watching a movie I went through my horizontal stretching routine and did my rubber band exercises as well. This morning I find myself a little sore and stiff, but everything seems ok. My back hurts a little, but I have a feeling that one I am up and moving around a bit I will feel fine. Hopefully you will be reading another post from me today about today’s run. We’ll see.

Still recovering

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Yesterday I went out for a second run in a row. I had the entire day to do it so I didn’t force myself to get up early and run in the cold. This, as it turns out, was not the best idea. So I decided to run after I went to the tax guy. To hold me over I scarfed a Clif bar and ventured out to receive the news (which wasn’t too bad). I took the bus, which to go to my accountant takes a couple of buses. On the way back I decided to take a little walk in order to only have to take one bus. After checking the schedule on my phone I realized I had to wait 25 mins which was ok as there is a coffee shop by the stop called Palio that has the best Mexican mochas I have ever had. Unfortunately they also have really good pastries and I found myself ordering a chocolate muffin with granulated sugar on top and a day old bialli covered with tomato sauce and cheese. They were all delicious and the mocha was still the best in Portland. It was only after I finished my bounty that I realized, Oh crap I have a full belly and I was going to go running. To top it off, my allergies go crazy this time of year (I blame the blooming plum trees) AND I am allergic to mil which I had in my mocha rather than soy (I have no idea why I did that).

I was not preparing well for a run.

I got home and piddled around for a few but eventually decided I really wanted to run despite my full belly. I geared up up and headed out. At first I was conscious of my fullness, but it soon went away and I found myself cruising along pretty well. As I got to the halfway point of my base runs I marveled at how nice it was outside. So in direct defiance of my promise to myself to take it easy I took the turn off for the longer run. The run was going really well, my lungs were doing fine and I felt great. I kept looking for the point when my body said “you are approaching the point of running too much, STOP!” But it didn’t happen. Perhaps a belly full of pastries and coffee is good running energy (I doubt it.) I then came upon Reed College and a headed up onto campus only to find myself doing an about face and heading off on my longer Reed path which ends up winding through the canyon. Once in the privacy of the wooded canyon, I even needed to remove one of my layers (which was of course the bottom layer) and tied my shirt around my waist. I continued through the canyon where I was later greeted by a chorus of geese and a lone crane. Everybody was enjoying the day.

Toward the end of the run I did feel a bit of pain in my hip again, more of a tightness. It occurred to me that I was getting a bit lazy in my form and that was the cause. So I refocused on lining up my body correctly and dropping my feet in alignment with my frame and the pain disappeared. The body focus I have established from practicing Chi Running techniques has really paid off and gotten me through a number of running problems, can’t say that enough.

During my cool down it seems like I finally getting past my back pull as I was able to stretch with ease. That night as I lay down watching a movie I went through my horizontal stretching routine and did my rubber band exercises as well. This morning I find myself a little sore and stiff, but everything seems ok. My back hurts a little, but I have a feeling that one I am up and moving around a bit I will feel fine. Hopefully you will be reading another post from me today about today’s run. We’ll see.

Fast tempo run

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Today I decided to pick up the pace. I think I should do these types of runs more often and mix up my base runs which while enjoyable don’t help me to improve. I am thinking I have gotten myself into a sort of rut with my running, getting comfortable with the same old run and the same old pace. Actually I think my pace has slowed down quite a bit. It has seemed like it hasn’t slowed as much as it has because of my exaggeration watch tells me I am still running an 8:30 pace when in reality it is probably closer to 9:30. So in lieu of readjusting my watch (which I plan to do as soon as I get around to digging out the booklet) I am going to use the GPS mileage count from mapymyruns.com. So my 6.5 run (from the watch) will get counted as a 5.5 run (from mapmyrun.com’s route mapping system).

So my run this morning I really picked it up and was able to keep the fast pace for about half of the run when I decided it was going to be ok to back off on the pace a bit. Didn’t want to sound like a freight train coming through! Plus I had to go to the bathroom and I had a mile to go still. The fast pace felt really good while I was doing it. My goal is to be able to run the entire run that fast. My overall pace was just over nine minute miles with the adjusted miles.

The new shoes feel pretty good. They are a little tight in the forefoot, it feels as if they have added a bit more padding. This is good for me cause I could use it. I think next time (at least at this point) I am going to consider getting a wider pair and see how that feels. They also feel pretty stiff compared to the Wave Rider 10s. Could just be the 11s are new. Time will tell.

Fast tempo run

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Today I decided to pick up the pace. I think I should do these types of runs more often and mix up my base runs which while enjoyable don’t help me to improve. I am thinking I have gotten myself into a sort of rut with my running, getting comfortable with the same old run and the same old pace. Actually I think my pace has slowed down quite a bit. It has seemed like it hasn’t slowed as much as it has because of my exaggeration watch tells me I am still running an 8:30 pace when in reality it is probably closer to 9:30. So in lieu of readjusting my watch (which I plan to do as soon as I get around to digging out the booklet) I am going to use the GPS mileage count from mapymyruns.com. So my 6.5 run (from the watch) will get counted as a 5.5 run (from mapmyrun.com’s route mapping system).

So my run this morning I really picked it up and was able to keep the fast pace for about half of the run when I decided it was going to be ok to back off on the pace a bit. Didn’t want to sound like a freight train coming through! Plus I had to go to the bathroom and I had a mile to go still. The fast pace felt really good while I was doing it. My goal is to be able to run the entire run that fast. My overall pace was just over nine minute miles with the adjusted miles.

The new shoes feel pretty good. They are a little tight in the forefoot, it feels as if they have added a bit more padding. This is good for me cause I could use it. I think next time (at least at this point) I am going to consider getting a wider pair and see how that feels. They also feel pretty stiff compared to the Wave Rider 10s. Could just be the 11s are new. Time will tell.

3rd base run in a row

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Today I did a third base run on 6.5 miles (though I am thinking my watch is exaggerating, actually I know it is, but now I think it is exaggerating even more.) Getting out of bed this morn was tough, but I did it, got dressed and poured a cup of coffee. As I hit the roads I felt like I was dragging a bit. As the run went on the dragging continued. I think I was just a bit tired from all the running this week. I actually hit the hills on my run pretty hard which felt good. I just concentrated on my legs and ignored my exhaustion (as best I could anyway.)

I found a running ap for my iphone that will track you via GPS and I was excited to try it out – imapymyrun. I was greatly disappointed when I looked at the phone at the end of my run only to see it didn’t track anything. I think the problem was either that I had it under my jacket or upside down strapped to my arm. I’m gonna try it again and see if I can get it to work. It is pretty slick, saves your routes to a website that allows you to show your runs and send them to a friend. Hopefully I won’t have to complain about it anymore.

3rd base run in a row

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Today I did a third base run on 6.5 miles (though I am thinking my watch is exaggerating, actually I know it is, but now I think it is exaggerating even more.) Getting out of bed this morn was tough, but I did it, got dressed and poured a cup of coffee. As I hit the roads I felt like I was dragging a bit. As the run went on the dragging continued. I think I was just a bit tired from all the running this week. I actually hit the hills on my run pretty hard which felt good. I just concentrated on my legs and ignored my exhaustion (as best I could anyway.)

I found a running ap for my iphone that will track you via GPS and I was excited to try it out – imapymyrun. I was greatly disappointed when I looked at the phone at the end of my run only to see it didn’t track anything. I think the problem was either that I had it under my jacket or upside down strapped to my arm. I’m gonna try it again and see if I can get it to work. It is pretty slick, saves your routes to a website that allows you to show your runs and send them to a friend. Hopefully I won’t have to complain about it anymore.

Snowy run

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More advice on returning to running after and unexpected hiatus: don’t make your first run a long one, and especially don’t follow that one up with an even longer one. It just doesn’t work well.

Today I took the bus downtown to meet a friend for a run around the esplanade. The loop is 3 miles and we did it twice. Its a flat run, but an interesting one as you cross two bridges over the Willamette and several raised piers on the east side. Being a Saturday it was really crowded down there, this despite it starting to snow right as I got off the bus. The snow spit a bit for the run, but it wasn’t bad at all. Just enough so you can say I went running in the snow! Amy brought her dog who will be a really good running dog someday, she’s really close. I only had to dodge her a few times.

So those of you doing the math are saying, what are you talking about this being a long run? Its only six miles? That’s less than your base runs! Well, six miles isn’t bad, nothing to sneeze at though. Where it got longer was when I decided not to bus home and instead run home which added another five miles to my day, and five miles uphill as well. I felt fine at first and I really didn’t feel like waiting for that bus (another 45 mins to get the one that goes close to my house and 15 to get the one that gets me about a mile away). The hill running really started to tax my hips, an area I have never had trouble with. I am sure it is the time away from running and the pushing it that are causing me grief. I went slow which was about the only good thing I did for myself on the run. I feel ok now, but I know it is gonna hurt tomorrow. No long run tomorrow, I swear.

One thing I did when I noticed the pain in my hips is I didn’t give in to a slouch (which is where I wanted to be) and instead focused on my posture and keeping my body aligned. This helped quite a bit. I also focused on my gait and foot strike, which also helped. Chi running to the rescue!

Snowy run

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More advice on returning to running after and unexpected hiatus: don’t make your first run a long one, and especially don’t follow that one up with an even longer one. It just doesn’t work well.

Today I took the bus downtown to meet a friend for a run around the esplanade. The loop is 3 miles and we did it twice. Its a flat run, but an interesting one as you cross two bridges over the Willamette and several raised piers on the east side. Being a Saturday it was really crowded down there, this despite it starting to snow right as I got off the bus. The snow spit a bit for the run, but it wasn’t bad at all. Just enough so you can say I went running in the snow! Amy brought her dog who will be a really good running dog someday, she’s really close. I only had to dodge her a few times.

So those of you doing the math are saying, what are you talking about this being a long run? Its only six miles? That’s less than your base runs! Well, six miles isn’t bad, nothing to sneeze at though. Where it got longer was when I decided not to bus home and instead run home which added another five miles to my day, and five miles uphill as well. I felt fine at first and I really didn’t feel like waiting for that bus (another 45 mins to get the one that goes close to my house and 15 to get the one that gets me about a mile away). The hill running really started to tax my hips, an area I have never had trouble with. I am sure it is the time away from running and the pushing it that are causing me grief. I went slow which was about the only good thing I did for myself on the run. I feel ok now, but I know it is gonna hurt tomorrow. No long run tomorrow, I swear.

One thing I did when I noticed the pain in my hips is I didn’t give in to a slouch (which is where I wanted to be) and instead focused on my posture and keeping my body aligned. This helped quite a bit. I also focused on my gait and foot strike, which also helped. Chi running to the rescue!

23 degree return

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It was so great to get back to running today, even with the 23 degree weather. I have to say, whenever you start up running being it from illness or injury, DO NOT decide to go for a longer run 1/3 into your run because you feel great. You will pay at 2/3s, I guarantee it. Still it was a fantastic run this morn, it was a bit hard on my lungs but I managed to make it through it just fine. It is actually the stopping that really kicks the lungs but (is there such a thing?) My breathing throughout was fine except for a little burning but not that bad.

The worst thing that happened on my run was my radio finally gave up the ghost. I have got to find a new one. My problem is I want AM and FM, of which there are less to choose from now days. Ultimately I want to find one that is weather resistant (don’t need it to be waterproof, though that would be nice) I want it to have preset stations so I can easily switch during all the commercials. The search is on.

It is so great to be back running, I’m not sure I will go tomorrow as I am running Saturday and snow shoeing for the first time on Sunday. Plenty of exercise to come!

On the ms front I have decided my reduction of dialantin (which I take for the seizures) has been a failure as they have sort of come back a bit. Not bad at all, but I can feel them happening. I was down to 3 a day when that happened, so I am going to try 3 and 4 and see if I level out. Unrelated I am sure, but my foot numbness has come back stronger. Feels like I am wearing shoes that are too small. Sort of a pedal (word?) version of the ms hug. One thing I have noticed is that marijuana seems to make the feeling subside a bit. Not sure if this is just that I didn’t notice it when I smoked or what. I don’t plan to do an everyday study, but I will see if the results are similar next time.