Cleared To Run

On Wednesday my doctor gave me the green light to start running again. He confirmed the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis. He told me that the condition would probably last for many weeks or months but that it didn't need to sideline me.

He gave me some guidelines to follow based on how my foot feels (pain scale). To oversimplify, if I feel pain, don't run. If its just sore, OK to run and increase mileage slowly. He also prescribed a regular regimen of stretching (including gentle stretches numerous times per day) and icing after my runs.

So yesterday I returned to the trail and went for a short two mile jog. I could definitely feel soreness in my foot, but no pain. I spent some time immediately after the run doing some stretching. And when I returned home I iced it. I continued stretching throughout the day and at a couple of other times I rolled my foot on a frozen water bottle. It actually felt pretty good to do that!

Lose Weight With Me Using MyFitnessPal

I set up a MyFitnessPal account where I can track all my meals and exercise to help me lose weight, and I want to add you as a friend so you can cheer me on! First, you need to join MyFitnessPal! Once you join, you can create your own profile as well.

I need some encouragement to keep me on track with my weight loss goal. So I hope you will join me!

Rockledge Rumble 50K Training Plan

10/19/2011 update: I've decided to drop out of this race due to continued problems with plantar fasciitis. See more info.

I was unable to participate in my planned birthday ultramarathon yesterday due to a bout of plantar fasciitis. So I am shifting my focus on my next milestone trail race, the 2011 Rockledge Rumble 50K.

The Rockledge Rumble is held each year on my home trail, the Northshore Trail. The race is managed by the North Texas Trail Runners and honors America's veterans. I picked this race as my first official ultramarathon because of its location--I wanted my first ultramarathon to be on the trail I run almost every day. Call me a little sentimental. Anyway...

I am going to follow the same training schedule that I was using for my birthday ultra but with a few modifications. I reduced the long run distances for the first few weeks (highlighted in yellow) in order to give my foot more time to heal. Otherwise, I will follow the plan as originally outlined on the UltraLadies website. Of course, if my foot starts hurting again I will dial back the mileage or stop running altogether until it heals.

Here we go again!

The Hardrock 100 (Team Salomon)

I added the Hardrock 100 to my ultramarathon bucket list. Check out this video from Team Salomon...

Frustrated

I am sidelined from my running due to a case of plantar fasciitis in my right foot. I was only a week away from running my first fat ass ultramarathon, but I decided to cancel because of the foot injury. I was a little bummed at first, but I am getting over it.

Next I decided to look for ways that I could exercise without putting much pressure on my right foot. I'm not a fan of swimming, so I decided on biking.

I usually ride my bike to the trail and back when I run, so I am no stranger to the bike. However, substituting the time running on the trail for time on the bike was going to be a new experience for me. No problem, I am up to the challenge.

Treating Plantar Fasciitis

Source: Mayo Clinic

See 6 Tips For Treating Plantar Fasciitis

Yesterday I received some comments from readers indicating that the pain in my foot is probably plantar fasciitis (say "PLAN-ter fash-ee-EYE-tus"). After doing some research, I tend to agree. A couple of the key symptoms I saw online:

• Pain in the bottom of the heel
• Usually worse in the morning when you take your first steps
• More noticeable when climbing stairs

One of the common causes is long-distance running, especially on uneven surfaces or shoes with poor arch support. Interestingly enough, the problem started shortly after switching from my tried and true trail shoes to a new pair that I was testing for a major shoe manufacturer. So I suspect running trails with the new shoes was the cause. 

Anyway, how do you treat plantar fasciitis?

Week 52: YA BABY!

I didn't measure my weight last week, so I was a little apprehensive when it was time to weigh in this morning. I haven't done a good job over the last couple of weeks keeping track of my food, and I am in the taper period of my training. So I assumed I gained weight--the question was only how much!

But I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped on the scale. I actually lost weight over the last two weeks... 2.2 lbs. to be exact! YA BABY!

I won't do any running over the next few days in an attempt to recover from some foot pain. So I will need to be extra careful about my eating to make sure I don't gain weight during my taper.

This losing weight thing is a lot harder than I expected!

Sore Feet

I did my last weekend run yesterday as I continue to taper for my first ultramarathon. I am still planning on running it as a self-supported trail run on my birthday, July 24th. However, I've developed a problem with my feet that might push that date out.

As I've mentioned previously, I am testing some shoes for one of the major shoe manufacturers. I've noticed since I started testing that the arch on the underside of my feet started to get sore and has been progressively getting worse. This morning when I crawled out of bed I could barely walk without pain in my arches. The pain is exactly in the red area of this picture...

Photo from PubMed Health

So I've made two decisions.

Beautiful

I always love this spot along the Northshore Trail. It is just shy of one
mile from Far Gate. Those who run here will easily recognize it.

Really HOT

I'm out for a run at the Northshore trail. Beautiful day, but really HOT!

Geoff Roes Video--Slogging to the Top

Check out this cool video about ultrarunner Jeff Roes, the 2010 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run winner. Some beautiful terrain in this video!

Tapering

I am a little less than two weeks away from running my first fat ass (self supported) ultramarathon. I've completed my 50K training schedule (with the exception of the tapering part!). Now I am tapering for the big event.

The taper is supposed to help my body recover from the mileage build up during training. It is supposed to help me feel fresh and sharp so I am ready on race day. But to be honest, right now I just feel tired--not over training tired, but just generally tired. So I welcome the taper and the recovery period.

So far I have not experienced the taper crazies. I will welcome them over the tiredness I am currently feeling. Bring on that big burst of energy!!!

I find it a little hard to believe that a year ago I could not run a half mile without throwing up on the side of the trail (literally). And now I am going to run a 50K. Amazing what the body can do when you challenge it.

Wow Again

This is always one of my favorite spots on the Northshore Trail. It is located about a mile in from Far Gate.

Awesome!

How can you not love trail running?

Another Shoe Test

I am back out on the trail doing another shoe test. I am diggin these so far!

Week 50: Weight Loss Success

I continue to have success with my weight loss efforts, although I am actually surprised that I recorded a loss. I traveled for work last week, which typically means eating out at restaurants and drinking a little more beer than normal. But I also ran my ass off, so the one probably offset the other. As a result I lost almost a pound. Ya baby!

I think once again the key is to keep track of what I am eating and to stop when I reach my allocated calories. I will admit that I didn't closely track every bite, but I am getting a feel for how much I should consume each day and am starting to more intuitively stay within those guidelines.

The hard part for me remains staying away from the junk food. If I just continue to eat good healthy foods in the right proportions, I seem to continue to lose weight. Sounds easy enough, but it is hard in practice.

Mizuno Wave Ascend 6 Trail Shoe Review

I have a couple of disclaimers before I get into this Mizuno Wave Ascend 6 trail shoe review.

First, I am no expert on shoes or trails or running or anything else in this area. I am just an average guy that likes to go jogging on the trails. So don't expect any deep technical details in this review. Instead, just expect my observations and feelings about the product during a nine mile trial run yesterday morning.

Second, these shoes were sent to me at no cost to evaluate and to give my honest feedback. So that is what I will give--my honest feedback.

For context, I currently run in Asics GEL-Kahana 3 trail shoes. These shoes work great and provide the support I like on the trail (although they are starting to fall apart). There are two things I love about my current  shoes: the traction and the cushioning at the heel. Now on to the Mizuno review.