Ankle Biters

Good morning!  As I mentioned in my last entry, I have a little ankle pain and it has taken me out for a few days.  I have been cranky, bitchy, grumpy and just unpleasant, my poor husband!  It has been really aggravating to be out of my routine.  I usually don't like to take more than 1 day off in a row of running, and I had taken 3 days by Thursday.   I couldn't help but feel my progress would start to dwindle and worried it would set me back.  I had stumbled across a podcast at work called Marathon Training Academy and it's been awesome to listen too!  So full of advice for training!  And they even touched on my concern with losing progress and my mind was put as ease when they said it takes 2 weeks without running to start to lose progress.  And injury happens to every runner at some point.  All I can do is listen to my body and stay strong.
Yesterday I was chomping at the bit to get out for a run.  My ankle wasn't really bothering me so I thought if I kept it slow and short and just did a little test run, I would be ok.  I rushed home, thinking about how good it was gonna be to run the whole time, I didn't care that it was cold and rainy.  I asked Maverick if he wanted to 'go for a run'? and he bounced off the ground, which got me even more pumped up!  I dashed upstairs to change into my running gear and we headed out.  I kept my pace about 9:45 and was only going 3 miles.  I felt my ankle a little bit, but mainly because I was looking for it.  Other than that I felt great!  As we started our way home and up the incline part of our run, I held my head high and felt tall, the run was going great.

We came to the RV dealership and I saw a couple of the owners dogs out for their morning potty break.  No people in sight and no leashes on the dogs, I knew once they saw us, there would be conflict (we have delt with these dogs before)  I coached Maverick to keep going, and we were cruising along until the other dogs noticed us coming.  They charged after us yapping the whole way...

Of course this caught Maverick's attention and he turned and pulled towards the tiny ankle biters to see what the fuss was all about.  As soon as he confronted the 2 chihuahuas they scrambled under an RV, but continued to yap.  I once again encouraged Mav to 'keep going'!  and we were on our way once again.

So besides that small distraction, the run went well overall.  My ankle wasn't feeling any worse at the end and I think I will be fine for a long run on Saturday.  Most of the running group is doing the Eugene Marathon so it will be a very small group of us.  Still looking forward to getting back into my routine and hoping not to hurt myself anymore because I might go crazy if I have to take even more time off!

What's the longest time you've had to take off of running due to injury?  How did you cope?   

On the Injured List

Well now I've done it, I pushed myself too much and didn't listen to my body and now I have a sore ankle!  BOO!  I started to feel it Friday night, Saturday morning while working.  I had my run with the group after work and really didn't want to miss it, so I thought since it wasn't that noticeable, I would be ok.  The run started off rough, I had side stitches the first mile and I was trying out my new hydration belt and it was uncomfortably bouncing and I thought, 'this isn't gonna work for 9 miles!'  I decided to turn the belt around to have the water bottles in the front to see if that was any better, and it was a TON better!  No more bounce and I no longer noticed I was wearing a belt.  So I was just wearing it wrong, HAHA!  Once I got that all straightened out, and my side cramps went away I started to get in my groove and feeling pretty good, but I couldn't help notice my ankle was getting more aggravated as we went on.  I kept pushing, I was too far in to turn around now.

Here's a nice action shot of part of the group!  I'm in the middle-ish practicing my smiling while running!  I've had too many retarded pictures while running, so when I see someone take a picture now, I'm ready!   

I made it all 9.5 miles, and while my ankle was sore, I thought with rest it would be ok.  

Once I got home, it was so nice out I wasn't quite ready to go to bed, and Maverick was giving me the "let's go play!" look.  So I grabbed his chuck it and ball and took him to the church for a bit.

Always a happy boy when he has his favorite ball!!

And it feels so good to roll around on the grass in the sun!

Sunday is normally a rest day for me, but I had woken up at 5am feeling bloated and heavy from the BBQ and beers I had had the night before with the neighbors.  So once it was daylight I decided I would just go for a quick 3.5 mile run with Mav.  It was such a beautiful morning, I couldn't pass it up!  Sore ankle or not. And that's just what I had, a sore ankle that was more obvious on this run.  I took it easy and kept it short.  Once home I thought it was a perfect time to start some yard work, pulling weeds and moss.  Another mistake.  By the time the afternoon came and Bryan and I had gone out to run some errands I became more vocal about my sore ankle.  I didn't want to admit it was hurting, because that meant I would have to take a break from running and take it easy.  And Bryan said just that.   Crushed, I agreed.  So now I'm on the injured list and on a break until it feels better, hopefully only a few days!  But I won't push it.  Working last night also was rough and my ankle became more and more sore as the night went on.  So I'm certain resting will be best.  I'm bummed and mad at myself at the same time.  I should have listened to my body and not have pushed myself earlier.  But all I can do now is work on getting better so I can get back out ASAP!  

I hope everyone has a good week and gets some good runs in!   Stay injury free and keep running!

Have you ever sustained an injury that required that required you take a break from running?

How long did it take to recover?

I Just Felt Like Running!

Yesterday was a great run!  I had a potluck at work that night, so when I got home I felt after all than indulging in cupcakes, mac and cheese and pulled pork sandwiches among other not-so-healthy foods, I better get some miles in so I could sleep better!  It was a comfortable 45degrees outside and I was in the mood for a little bit longer of a run.  Our first 3 miles took Mav and I to our favorite view point.  We always stop to take in the view and get a drink of water.

You can see the Sandy River from here and on a clear day, you can see Mount Hood.  It's pretty amazing

They even have a water spout for dogs!

After a quick water break we headed off.  It was starting to sprinkle a little and by mile 4-5 it was a steady sprinkle that turned into steady rain.  I was planning on taking us home on the Tickle Creek trail and was trying to get there fast so we could get some protection from the rain from the tree coverage!  We made it to the trail about 6 miles in and although we were already soaked, it didn't stop Mav from jumping in the creek at every opportunity! 

The rain let up and our next obstacle would be the hilly "stairs" that stand between us and home.  I rely on Mav to take the lead when it comes to hills, he helps pull me up them, LOL!  Especially these hills, they are a killer!  

That last quarter of a mile is flat and we push ourselves to pick up the pace, even tho my legs are burning by this point from tackling the hills.  But we made it for a total of 8.2 miles!  It felt good to make it home and hit the shower and I can say I slept great!

I got some new running items I'm pretty excited to try!  I decided to go with a hydration belt for now, I think I will get a camel back a little later.

It's nothing fancy or even cute and pink, but I think it will do the trick!  I wore it around the house jogging a little with it filled with water, and it did bounce more than I thought it would, not sure if that's common or not with most hydration belts...but I'll give it a real test run tomorrow on my longer group run and let you know how it goes! 

I also got a harness for Maverick!  Like I said, I like him to take charge on hills and help pull me up, but I feel bad that he is pulling with his neck.  He has gotten a lot better about pulling when I don't want him to, I had to use a gentle leader with him for a while to try to break the habit.  Now I don't have to use it anymore, and although harnesses are made for pulling, I think Mav and I have a good system down while running and he won't be crazy pulling me everywhere.  Hopefully just when I need a little extra push! (or pull )  :)) 

Doesn't he look so handsome?!  He didn't fight me at all when I put it on either!  I thought for sure he would be rolling around trying to get it off!!  Looking forward to taking our new gear out for a test run!  I'll let ya know how it goes!!  Wish me luck!

What necessities do you take on your runs, like a hydration belt?  Ipod?

Do you have experience with harnesses with dogs?  And what do you like/dislike about them?

Born to Run

Well hello!  I hope you all have been doing well the last couple of days!  I have been busy sleeping, working and running.  Sunday was my rest day after the 8 miles I did Saturday with the group.  Monday I did 5 miles and today I did a 3.1 miler followed by my leg pyramid workout.  So a good start to the week, and I always look forward to Wednesday, which is a rest day so I can get some stuff done around the house!
I just finished the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

  It highlights ultra runners and tribe runners and what makes them such good runners.  It's insane the runs they do!  100's of miles!  It also talks a lot about how big companies have changed and almost hindered how we run by designing shoes that alter the way we naturally run.  This really resonated with me.  I've been hearing more and more about barefoot running and seeing the crazy, weird shoes out there with the toes and thinking, 'that's just bizarre'.

  But now the more I look into it, I think they are onto something and are actually figuring it out!  Less IS more.  All that cushion and padding they add to prevent your foot from its natural pronation is actually hurting us!  All the great tribe runners that can beat our greatest runner without braking a sweat usually only wear a thin animal skin sandal just to protect from rocks and sticks, ect.  No padding or springs.  Although I'm not ready to go crazy and buy those ugly shoes, I defiantly see where less is more when it comes to shoes.  My newest pair I got are minimalist and have made a huge difference with my runs than my previous running shoes with the shocks.  I feel like I have more of a natural stride and have less aches and pains.  Shoes really do make a big difference!  I suggest the book to any runner or anyone who is thinking about running, it would be a great starting point!  And who knows, maybe my next pair of shoes will be those crazy barefoot ones!  If it improves my runs and prevents injury,it only makes sense, right!?  We'll see!
Hope you all have started off your week with a good run or two!

What do you think of the barefoot shoes and theory? 

An easy 8

Well today has been busy and successful!  Yesterday was a rest day and I did just that, went out to dinner with Bryan and got all my flowers for my hanging baskets to plant today.  I worked 5 hours last night and then met up with the group for an 8 mile run through the beautiful Hollywood district neighborhoods in Portland.  It was a whole new look at this area and the houses and yards made my jaw drop.  Perfectly manicured and it made me wanna run home and do some yard work!  The run was awesome and 8 miles was a breeze.  I ran with another runner in the 10:30 pace group this time, but there was just the 2 of us.  We ended up keeping a 10 minute pace and that felt comfortable.  It felt so good at the end and I felt like I could have kept running, and I could have, the group was doing another 8 miles for a total of 16 for the day, and I was tempted but knew I had some things to get done and eventually needed to get some sleep.  So I headed home.
The weather has been cooperating and it's been perfect for running.  Hopefully it will stick around, but there are showers in the forecast.  Looking forward to resting the rest of the weekend, maybe a BBQ!  Hope you all have a great run this weekend too!

You'd think he ran 8 miles today!  

Playing in the mud

Well the weather has been fairly nice this week and I have been able to make it out for some good runs in between rain showers.  Yesterday Maverick and I did a quick 3.75 mile run on one of our regular routes through town.  We had a great pace of 8:39 average per mile!  I'm always amazed when I see my pace get faster and faster.  I don't physically feel like I'm running any faster than the day I started running.   It's such an accomplish to see my improvements!
Today I just wanted to get out and not focus in pace, but explore a new trail my neighbor had told me about.  Mav and I headed out and it was about 2 miles until we came to the trail.  We followed the trail around and it wasn't very long and didn't seem to really go anywhere.  It ended up taking us to the high school track where there was track practice going on.  The coaches would fire off guns for the runners to start and Maverick wasn't a fan of that.  But it's good exposure for him.  He didn't freak out too much and I didn't pay any attention to his reaction, just kept running and he quickly got back into focus.  We tried to avoid all the school kids by running on a trail that was above the field and about half way in we came across a big mud pit with no way around, about 2 steps in, as I was sinking down I thought about my new, pretty shoes!  Mav was ready to charge through the mud, but I decided we better turn around.  So that meant we were gonna have to go through the swarm of high school students.  We made it through and got back on the road and headed home.  While stopped at a crosswalk I looked down and noticed my legs were splattered with mud and Maverick's belly and legs were pretty covered.  He looked up at my with his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth and a big grin on his face and I just smiled back at him and gave him a "good boy!".  It was a pretty fun run after all!
One of my favorite things about running in Sandy is the view of the mountain I get on my way home.  I try to focus in it and take my mind off the fact that I'm running up hill.  Today is was especially beautiful.  The sun was hitting it just right that it made it look illuminated.  It was a crisp, bright white and I couldn't take my eyes off of it.  Wish I would have taken a picture for you all to see it!

What's your best pace so far?  And what's your goal average pace?

First sweat of the year!

. 

Happy Monday everyone!  Hope you all had a fabulous Easter weekend.  Mine was filled with family and yummy food!  I made a cake for dessert.  It's always fun to decorate and be creative with a holiday cake!  

But of course all the indulging on Easter meant I had to get a good run in on Monday!  Luckily the weather was still nice and warm.  I decided we would go on the Tickle Creek trail so Maverick could take a dip in the creek if he got too warm.  And once we got going and on the trail, I was hot enough I felt like jumping in with him!!  Yesterday was the hottest of the year so far, even tho it was only in the low 60's, but I think today was even hotter!  It defiantly made me feel sluggish (which also could have been from all the champagne yesterday too) and for the first time on a run this year, I was dripping sweat!  Lovely image, I know, but I had forgotten what it was like to run in the warmer weather!  Which made me think I was also gonna have to start getting my runs in when I get home in the morning while it's still cool out.  Once we got to the end of the trail I decided we would just take the trail back home instead of our normal way which takes us through town, just so we could stay out of the sun and stay in the shade to help stay cool.  I usually don't like going this way home because there are some difficult hills, when you're at the bottom looking up, it looks like stairs you're about to climb!  Going through town is more of a steady incline up.  We made it to the top of the "stairs"  and only had a half mile left until we were home, so we picked up our pace, thinking about getting a drink of water the whole time!  The 5 miles I did today felt harder than the 12 I did Saturday!

Which brings me to my next thought!  As my runs get longer, and the weather gets warmer I'm looking into getting a hydration belt or camel back.  Most runners use a belt, and I tried one on at a store and it was light and comfortable, but trying to get the water bottle out of the holder while running, wasn't so easy.  I also tried on a camel back, and the water is easier to access because you have a straw, and you can carry more water, which would be nice for longer runs and hotter days.  But it would be heavier and I think would make me hotter having something on my back.  It's a tough decision and at the end of the day I think I will end up with both, but will start our with a belt :))

What do you prefer to use while running to stay hydrated and why?

12 miles in the bag!

Today was another milestone for me as I surpassed my longest distance of 10 miles with 12 miles!  The weather was clear and sunny, which was a nice change from rainy and rainy.  It was a bit cold to start tho, about 33 degrees.  I met up with Coach Jim's group at 8am in Downtown Portland.  I was really looking forward to running along the water front, I've been wanting to run it since I have started running. And I couldn't have pick a better day to do it!

  Last time Jim had suggested I run in the 11:15 group, but this time I decided to go in 1 group faster which was 10:45 pace.  It was still slow, but a good pace for long distance.  I was tracking my run with the Run Keeper app I always used, but it glitched on my run and ended up saying I went a total of 16.58 miles!  I was disappointed in the app, but glad I had other runners that were tracking without problems so I knew our pace and distance.  I felt strong the whole run and it was nice to have sun and blue skies!  The weather is suppose to continue to warm up, but it looks like the rain will be back tonight or tomorrow.  So I'm glad I got a good, long run in while I had a chance!
Next week is two 8 mile routes with the group for a total of 16 miles.  I think I will only do the first 8 miles next weekend.  But I will see how I feel when I get there!
Hope everyone else had some good weather to run in this weekend! Have a great Easter!  Eat some peeps and keep running!

Not looking too bad for running 12 miles!

Where's your favorite area to run?  The beach, country, along a river?  

The rolling hills of Sandy

April snow showers bring May...wait, what?!?  Snow in April?!  Yup, that's what I came home to after work last night!  Big old fat flakes too, and that stuff is no fun to get in your eyes, so I decided I would hold off on a run until the afternoon.  My rhododendrons got the memo that it's spring time, so hopefully the weather will figure it out soon!
Once the afternoon became dry and the sun was peaking out, I thought it was prime time to get out!  I had been thinking about going a new route for a while now that involved some beautiful country scenery, but I was hesitant since the roads have no shoulder and cars travel fast.  But at the same time, there isn't a lot of traffic so as long as I kept my music down and was observant of cars, I figured I could give it a try!  I can't think of many things more beautiful than the country!  But one thing I had forgotten about, is how hilly the back roads of Sandy are!  It was like a roller coaster!
While running along taking in the sunset and country air Maverick saw something out of the corner of his eye

OH PLEASE CAN WE STOP AND SAY HI?!?!

I wasn't sure how Maverick would react to a horse, or if the horse would even come over and say hello.  Mav has seen horses before, but never up close.  He was pretty interested in meeting him, so I thought we'd try. And what do you know?!  They were quick friends!  Mav greeted him with lots of kisses and the horse didn't seem to mind.  After a few minutes of meet and greet we said our goodbyes and promised to bring a carrot next time!  

It made my day to meet the horse too :))

We loved our new found route and am looking forward to running it again!  Maybe not as often as I'd like since it is more dangerous than I would be comfortable with doing regularly.  

And did I mention the hills???  Yea, they were brutal.  I have only ran with Coach Jim's group once, but he has already taught me something I find very valuable and useful for hills.  He said there are 3 things to do when running up hill, 1) look up, which I already do, 2) Shorten your steps, also something I do.  But the third was the one that has changed it all for me, 3) pump your arms like you're trying to elbow the person behind you.    Could this really help?  Is this the answer to powering up hills??  The answer is YES!  I have been doing it ever since he told us and was amazed how much easier it makes hills!  I almost look forward to hills just so I can try this new found method!  So next time you come to a hill, look up, shorten your steps, pump your arms like you're elbowing someone behind you and KEEP RUNNING!

Do you have any tips or tricks for powering up hills?  

Don't forget my carrot next time!

A Little Change

Hello!  If you have been reading my blog regularly, you probably are wondering, "What the heck?  What happened to the name?"  Well like I said before, this is a new territory for me and when I originally created the blog I didn't think about making the web address the same as my blog title.  So I thought before I had a million followers (I hear you laughing) I would make the change now and hopefully make it less confusing to find and follow!  So, Run with Me and Mav it is and it will stay :))  Hope you all like it as much as I do!  I love to encourage others to run and especially run with their dogs, and if I know you, I encourage you to come run with me and Mav!  So I thought that title was perfect :))
Well on a runners note, we have had two good weather days to get some miles in!  Monday started my week with a sunny 60 degree day and I couldn't pass up a run.  So we got out and paced ourselves, which I'm learning the importance of, on a 4 mile run.  Today came and I wasn't really in the mood to run.  I was sitting around trying to talk myself into it when Bryan mentioned he wanted to go to the movie store.  I love to run places in town and meet Bryan there, because it gets me out for a run and I get a ride home! LOL!  So I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to get a little 2 mile run in for the day.  I was glad I went, and yes Mav came too!  They love him at the movie store.  I'm happy my week has started off strong and I am looking forward to a rest day tomorrow!!  Although, I may do some leg exercises.  Gotta get my stems looking good for summer!
Hope you all are having a good start to your week too!  Keep running, even when you don't feel like it, "The only runs you'll regret are the ones you don't do!"

Coach Jim's Elite Runners in Training

Well it's a little after 2am and of course I can't sleep!  So I thought I would talk a little bit about how my Saturday run went!  Earlier in the week I discovered a FREE runners group.  They meet every Saturday and I thought I'd check it out.  They train you for half and full marathons and they will even customize unique runs tailored to your specific level!  Really a great program.
So I met up with the group in the morning and walked in like a lost puppy, there were probably over 100 runners there and had been running with the group for a long time.  Coach Jim welcomed me with open arms and talked to me about my goals and where I was currently at as a runner.  After talking with me he decided to put me in the 4 hour group (4 hours marathon time) which was about an 11:15 pace...I was like, 'but, but I'm around a 9 minute mile!' He assured me he knows what I can do, but expressed importance on pacing for long distance runs.  No way I can run a marathon with an average 9 minute mile.  I understood it is important to learn to pace myself. So I reluctantly held back as the faster pace groups took off.
I brought my Iphone and earbuds with me ready to listen to some tunes to get me through my run but ended up running with a Chatty Kathy who was also being held back in a slower group due to injury.  Talking with her really helped pass the time.  And after a while of trying to avoid giving our pace leaders flat tires we eventually broke off from the group and upped our pace a little.  I know I know, I was suppose to go slower, but we still were keeping it around a 10:45 pace.
Our run was just under 9 miles and we went up Mt Tabor, which is about a 2 mile uphill run, It was my second time running Mt Tabor and it was a lot easier this time!  It's such a great satisfaction making it to the top!  Oh did I mention the rain??  Yea, we tied a record set back in 1957 for the month of March for total  rainfall!  And the last day of the month took no mercy on us!

See my hair?  It was beautifully straightened ponytail before the run, and this is what it looked like after!  That was a fun mess to brush out!  
But overall I had a really successful run and I'm really looking forward to more runs with this group and going on some longer runs!  
Hope you all have a successful run this weekend too!   Keep Running!