Went to visit the Evil Podiatrist today in an attempt to resolve the Traitor Toes situation.
She was in a bit of a better mood today as I presented myself with an actual problem... Although, we did pretty much end up in the same place: if only I could walk straight, all my problems would be solved! This time I walked away with pre-prepared insoles with bumps (rather than having bumps added to my trainers insoles) and that is supposed to help... As will many, many calf stretches during the day (due to my deformities, I need to make sure that I have really loose calf muscles and Achilles tendons...).
The problem is, you see, my congenital foot defect, otherwise known as "high arches". I've always thought that having high arches was a nice things, but the Evil Podiatrist set me straight: if only I didn't have this congenital problem, then no Traitor Toes. Oh, the shame of being born wrong... Anyway, it comes down to the old problem of when I walk/run I'm actually putting my feet down duck-footedly (although less than before - I got a pat on the back for that) and then twisting across the balls of my feet to get them back on the straight and narrow. But we learned more today: the reason that I am duck-footed is my congenital deformity - high arches make it difficult to properly roll one's foot heel to toe, hence I have to put it off to the side to achieve some traction. The bumps in the insoles are suppose to spread out the heads of my metatarsal toes so that... I really can't remember. Anyway, this is the only treatment (apart from calf stretches, Pilates/working on my core) and that's that. It is a good thing that I have trainers with built-up heels, apparently - if I ran on flat trainers then I'd end up breaking something (the old horror laid before me - broken feet!).
I remain somewhat confused as to why I keep paying this woman considerable sums of money to point out new ever-worsening defects in my person. But since I'm also confused as to why I'm still forcing myself to run (occasionally), there's obviously a considerable amount of deep and dark mystery here present. So exciting!
Undoubtedly, this will end up with me being in new and different pain in short order, but I did rather get the impression that I'd just have to learn to deal with it (hey - ran a marathon on louping Traitor Toes - I can deal, oh Evil one!). Whining about feet is therefore to be consigned to history. Probably...
Latest inspirational quoting from the Edinburgh Marathon people: "If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't
matter how fast or how far." - John Bingham. Oh, dear God, I'm a runner!?! I don't want to be a runner?!! Help! Help!!
Running time/distance: 0 mins / 0 miles (ah, the joys of not running!)
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Friday, 19 October 2012
5x50: Splish
You get all dressed up - customer meetings - good suit, good shoes.
Returning home. It's dark, and rainy (hello autumn!).
You're wandering around the long-stay carp park (because the airport randomly decided a while ago that it didn't need any bay markers or signs and so removed them... Terribly helpful...) looking for your car. You spot it relatively quickly....
... But there's a small problem. Route 1 to the car is across a small lake. Route 2 features a small pond. Route 3 involves wading across a stream. Route 4 involves walking round all the water flooding the car park (although where that route is you're not sure).
Tired, you go with Route 3 - stream doesn't look that deep really...
And this is why I squelched the whole drive home last night: I'm not sure that it's possible to adequately describe the sensation of cold water suddenly flooding into posh leather shoes. Or the weird way that your feet then feel for the rest of the evening as they try to recover all the heat that the cold water leached out of them....
And so let that be a lesson to you: should you see a woman, wearing a paid of flip-flops on her feet, getting off a plane in late autumn and trying to somehow pick her way between large and deep puddles in order to reach the terminal with dry feet... Don't sneer and roll your eyes at her. It will come back to haunt you in no time at all if you do...
:o}
Running time/distance (Tuesday): 29 mins /2.66 miles (poor effort!)
Returning home. It's dark, and rainy (hello autumn!).
You're wandering around the long-stay carp park (because the airport randomly decided a while ago that it didn't need any bay markers or signs and so removed them... Terribly helpful...) looking for your car. You spot it relatively quickly....
... But there's a small problem. Route 1 to the car is across a small lake. Route 2 features a small pond. Route 3 involves wading across a stream. Route 4 involves walking round all the water flooding the car park (although where that route is you're not sure).
Tired, you go with Route 3 - stream doesn't look that deep really...
And this is why I squelched the whole drive home last night: I'm not sure that it's possible to adequately describe the sensation of cold water suddenly flooding into posh leather shoes. Or the weird way that your feet then feel for the rest of the evening as they try to recover all the heat that the cold water leached out of them....
And so let that be a lesson to you: should you see a woman, wearing a paid of flip-flops on her feet, getting off a plane in late autumn and trying to somehow pick her way between large and deep puddles in order to reach the terminal with dry feet... Don't sneer and roll your eyes at her. It will come back to haunt you in no time at all if you do...
:o}
Running time/distance (Tuesday): 29 mins /2.66 miles (poor effort!)
Thursday, 11 October 2012
10K: In pictures
Still recovering from Sunday - sore feet are taking their own time to get over themselves. Running - it's good for you. Honest!
Have some thoughts on running soundtracks to share shortly, but first....
The comedy that is pictures from the 10K run! The best set yet - there are at least 2 which make it look like I'm actually running! Foot off the ground and everything! Think I was going downhill at the time (which always helps!) but still... Running!
Pictures are here: http://www4.marathon-photos.com/scripts/home.py.
Oh, and the one where I'm smiling? I was laughing at the fact hat (out of shot) a man in a Big Bird costume had already finished the run, and I still had 3 km left to complete... Out-paced by some distance by a man in a Big Bird costume.... Nobody claimed that I was good at this!
:o)
Running time/distance: 0 hours 0 mins /0 miles (recovering!)
Have some thoughts on running soundtracks to share shortly, but first....
The comedy that is pictures from the 10K run! The best set yet - there are at least 2 which make it look like I'm actually running! Foot off the ground and everything! Think I was going downhill at the time (which always helps!) but still... Running!
Pictures are here: http://www4.marathon-photos.com/scripts/home.py.
Oh, and the one where I'm smiling? I was laughing at the fact hat (out of shot) a man in a Big Bird costume had already finished the run, and I still had 3 km left to complete... Out-paced by some distance by a man in a Big Bird costume.... Nobody claimed that I was good at this!
:o)
Running time/distance: 0 hours 0 mins /0 miles (recovering!)
Sunday, 7 October 2012
10K: Done
Well, that was... hilly... But a lot easier with no driving rain and howling wind to contend with!
Once I had overcome the embarrassment of the start...
... I toddled off for the latest (and very, very last this year) "run". Full of perky enthusiasm to put in a bit of effort and get a reasonable time (to justify the latest sponsorship request).
Now, I am actually known for being a little unobservant at times. I prefer to think of it as me being very focused on important things, but what it means is that there are quite obvious things put before me which I just do not see. In this instance, that would be the elevation profile for this run. Oh, I looked at it, but it didn't mean much to me - my, how that has changed...
In the marathon, the elevation starts at around 40m and then drops in a hurry to hold fairly flat at about 10m. This 10k? Starts at about 40m, rises to 89m (!) drops to about 50m then rises to 89m again (!!) then drops to about 40m the rises to 89m AGAIN (!!!) and then steadily drops back to around 40m (gasp, wheeze, yay the finish!).
Pictorially that looks like this:
In "running terms" it's a bit more like "Aargh! Another hill! Oh, dear Lord, when will it end??!!". And quite a bit of walking uphill.
So, not the best route for setting a good 10k time... But. But... My 10k from the marathon was 01:09:48. My time from today's "run"?
1 hour, 7 minutes, and 58 seconds!! 01:07:58!
Officially faster than in May! Result!
Some other fun stats from today...
Finishing place: 3,967 (out of 4,712 finishers, apparently - not really getting any closer to the front!)
Finished 289 for my age and gender (out of 384)
Finished 659 for my age alone (out of 773)
Finished 1,619 for my gender (out of 2,180)
Off to ice my feet some more...
:o)
Running time/distance: 1 hour 7 mins 58 secs /6.214 miles (10km)
Once I had overcome the embarrassment of the start...
Now, I am actually known for being a little unobservant at times. I prefer to think of it as me being very focused on important things, but what it means is that there are quite obvious things put before me which I just do not see. In this instance, that would be the elevation profile for this run. Oh, I looked at it, but it didn't mean much to me - my, how that has changed...
In the marathon, the elevation starts at around 40m and then drops in a hurry to hold fairly flat at about 10m. This 10k? Starts at about 40m, rises to 89m (!) drops to about 50m then rises to 89m again (!!) then drops to about 40m the rises to 89m AGAIN (!!!) and then steadily drops back to around 40m (gasp, wheeze, yay the finish!).
Pictorially that looks like this:
So, not the best route for setting a good 10k time... But. But... My 10k from the marathon was 01:09:48. My time from today's "run"?
1 hour, 7 minutes, and 58 seconds!! 01:07:58!
Officially faster than in May! Result!
Some other fun stats from today...
Finishing place: 3,967 (out of 4,712 finishers, apparently - not really getting any closer to the front!)
Finished 289 for my age and gender (out of 384)
Finished 659 for my age alone (out of 773)
Finished 1,619 for my gender (out of 2,180)
Off to ice my feet some more...
:o)
Running time/distance: 1 hour 7 mins 58 secs /6.214 miles (10km)
Monday, 1 October 2012
10K: Oh, the ignominy...
When you are assigned an entrant number for an organised run, and if the run has enough people entered, you are assigned a coloured "pen". I've been purple, gold and blue before - all acceptable colours. My pen for the Edinburgh 10k on 7th October?
Pink.
That's right, I'm going to have to line up with others in the pink pen. And wear a pink-coloured number for the whole 10 km distance. And allow people to take pictures of me while attached to something pink.
I don't do pink. And I hate running. Why, why am I putting myself through this trauma...?!?!
It's all in aid of a good cause. Must keep repeating this to myself. All in aid of a good cause...
*sigh*
:o}
Running time/distance: 0 mins 0 secs /0 miles (having a bit of a rest today...)
Pink.
That's right, I'm going to have to line up with others in the pink pen. And wear a pink-coloured number for the whole 10 km distance. And allow people to take pictures of me while attached to something pink.
I don't do pink. And I hate running. Why, why am I putting myself through this trauma...?!?!
It's all in aid of a good cause. Must keep repeating this to myself. All in aid of a good cause...
*sigh*
:o}
Running time/distance: 0 mins 0 secs /0 miles (having a bit of a rest today...)
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