Sawyer Camp Trail...

... how I've missed you! Sawyer Camp Trail in Woodside, CA was one of the locations in our run rotation when I trained with PacWest. This trail was always one of my favorites since it has mile-markers. Mind you, when I was doing endurance running 5+ years ago, GPS sport watches were just coming on the scene. I didn't have one so I loved it when I could easily keep track of my mileage accurately.

I also love Sawyer Camp Trail for it's beauty situated by a the Crystal Springs Reservoir. Yesterday, I decided it was time to introduce my new Vibram Five Fingers shoes to the trails. I completed a 4 mile walk and a mile run mixed it. My achilles started to bother me a little bit, but overall it was a great workout. Here are some photos I snapped along the way.

A pretty view of the reservoir

The shady spots were a welcome site

Look, a baby deer!

The Gym

I can't believe it, I didn't think I would ever do this again... I joined a gym! Way before my competitive running days, I always had a gym membership. Sometimes I was a consistent gym rat, sometimes I wasn't. When I moved back to the Bay Area from Salt Lake City, I lived with my parents in Lafayette for over a year before I got an apartment in the city. I used to wake up at 5am to be at Bally's Fitness in Pleasant Hill, CA by 5:30am. I would workout for an hour, drive home, shower, get ready for work and arrive at the BART station by 8am to commute to the city. Wow... I'm impressed with myself that I actually did that! It seems kinda nutty today.

The big reason why I stopped going to the gym once I moved to SF was that I discovered the outdoors! Between bootcamp, running on Crissy Field, cycling, and swimming in the bay, I didn't think I needed the gym anymore. Now that I've gone full circle with my injury, surgeries, and recovery, I've decided it's time to go back to the gym. I joined Crunch, a gym chain in the city and I'm hoping their group classes will inspire me to try something new. More than anything I need to start lifting weights again. I have to gain some muscle back! It's so good for our bones and overall health.

I snapped some photos during a recent trip to Crunch on Polk Street, about 6 blocks from my apartment.

It's an old theater! Walk on the treadmill and watch a movie! Pretty cool, huh?

I love this phrase. "A good workout is whatever gets your heart racing."

The Trail

One of my favorite places to walk/run is the Lafayette-Moraga Trail close to where I grew up. My first days of running were on this trail with my junior high cross country team at Stanley Intermediate School in Lafayette, CA. Was it a competitive cross country team? No, we didn't actually go up against other junior high teams, I think it was just a passion of my 8th grade science teacher, Mr. Boucher. He volunteered to coach the students who wanted to participate during the After School Sports program. We would run up to 5 miles several days a week during the cross country season. Along with this, and other sports I participated in (volleyball which I loved even if I was on the "B" team, and Softball where I sucked, but stuck it out), I earned enough points to get my block "S" before I graduated. : )

Stanley is located just past the 1 mile marker on the Lafayette-Moraga Trail and this was where we ran after school. To be honest, I think I just ran with my friends and gossiped. We certainly weren't trying to make PR's!

The Trail is also one of the places my parents ran and trained for marathons when I was a kid. They have taken advantage of the Trail, whether walking or running, as long as I can remember. When I was training for races 5+ years ago, I would go to the Trail from time to time to do a training run. It's so familiar to me, it's part of home! Recently, I went there for one of my run/walks.

Isn't it pretty?

Stanley Intermediate School. Go Wildcats!

A mile marker.

My Wacky Shoes

Check it out! These are my new "wacky" shoes, as my sister likes to call them. In the spirit of less-is-more for walking and running, I decided to purchase my first pair of Vibram 5 Fingers shoes. They're like gloves for your feet with a rubber sole. I've read about these shoes for years in running books and from running friends and they are all big fans.

It's all about "barefoot" running to strengthen the feet. The Vibram 5 Fingers shoes are a little tough to slip on, but the snugness makes them quite comfortable. The few walks I've taken in them so far, I've noticed people pointing at my feet with funny looks. They are a little strange to see! If they were green, they would look like frog feet, don't you think? As for how they feel while walking, it's taken some time for me to get used to feeling twigs and rocks under my feet, but that's the point. All those little twists and turns are getting my feet and ankle muscles into better shape! This should be better for my knees and hips in the long run (I hope!). While walking on Crissy Field the other day, a couple ran past me, both wearing V5F shoes. I hope I can get to that point some day too!

New Toy

I'm loving my new toy, the Nike+ app for my iPhone. I can be a little "OCD" about keeping track of how far I'm walking or my short stints of running. The Nike+ app is a GPS tracker. I open the app, plug in my headphones, click on START, and begin my workout. A voice tells me when I've reached each 1/4 mile and how fast I'm going. Once I've finished my walk/run, I push END WORKOUT and someone talks to me, like Lance Armstrong or Paula Radcliffe (champion marathoner). They say encouraging things like, "That was your longest run yet!," or "You've recorded a new personal best!" I tell you, it cracks me up, but it's also motivating. I then sync my run to the website and I can get online later to check my route and pace. It's fun! Here's an idea of what it looks like, this is my recent walk from work around the ballpark.

Crissy Field and Sports Basement

Today I visited my long lost friends, Crissy Field and Sports Basement! In my running and boot camp days, I used to visit this area of the city at least twice a week. My running team met at Sports Basement every Tuesday night to run for an hour and the boot camp location rotation included a few areas of Crissy Field. I figured my first walk/run in a loooong time should be in this lovely area with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Here it is on this nice day, not too windy, just the right amount of sun. I walked for 1 3/4 miles and ran for a 1/4 of a mile. My running was awkward, it was like I had forgotten how to run! I'm hoping it gets better from here. : )


After my walk/run, I went to Sports Basement to look for some track pants. Track pants are loose, lightweight pants to slip over my running tights or shorts. Ahhh... I love SB. It used to be my home away from home. I wandered the sections of clothing and shoes, just browsing and seeing what's new. I found some comfy track pants and barely pulled myself away from the cute athletic tops and jackets. Don't... need... those... now... but, I'll be back!

A Long Overdue Visit to Dr. Dye

It has been a long time since I've seen Dr. Dye, my knee doctor. I decided it's time for me to start running again, so I want to make sure I'm doing it the right way. Last time I saw Dr. Dye, he said if I could walk a mile every other day without pain, I was ready to run. Well, I've been at that level for quite some time now and realized I'm stuck in that rut... because I'm scared. I'm scared that I will experience knee pain again and am afraid all I have done over the last several years will not have helped. I have to say I'm tired of being scared. I was always afraid of losing my job and it just happened to me! I'm realizing that sometimes you have to face your fears. It was time to see Dr. Dye.

The majority of my appointment with Dr. Dye was how I expected it to go. He checked my knee, asked me questions, and told me it's OK for me to start running. "Take it slow," he said. He suggested I increase the amount of running I do at a very gradual rate, 1/4 mile at a time. The last thing I asked Dr. Dye before I left his office, was to look at my shoes. To my surprise, he told me he's not a fan of custom orthotics. He feels that the inserts that come with running shoes are plenty and the more natural the better. Really? Wow. The orthotics I've had in my shoes over the last 5 years were made after my knee started to hurt. I had it in my mind the special inserts were helping, but now, I'm not so sure. The more and more I read about running in less supportive foot gear, the more I want to give it a try. The theory is that running shoes have become too supportive, actually weakening the ankle and foot muscles. This puts more of the impact of running on knees and hips. I figure, what do I have to lose? As soon as I got home, I switched back to the inserts that came with my new cushy Nike sneaks and here I go!

A Run (with Hills)

Today I ran and walked through my neighborhood. It was a pretty day and I knew there was rain coming soon and my surgery pending. I may as well get in a workout! I chose to take the route all the way down Jackson Street until it dead ends at Arguello near an entrance to The Presidio and back. Yes, there were hills. No, I haven't run hills in some time, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be outside and burn some calories. 

I ended up running about 30 minutes total and walking a little more than that for about a 1.25 hour length of exercise. It was great to be out and about! I didn't even bring my iPod, I just took the time to work things through my mind and enjoy the outdoors. : ) I even brought a few dollars to run a few errands and the end of my workout. It felt good and I iced my knee when I got home. Sure, my knee was a little achy/burning afterwards, but that was to be expected. It was a nice time. 

Welcome 2009!

I can't believe it's already 5 days into 2009 and this is my first post of the year! I'll try to keep it short, but sweet. I went for my first run of the year last Friday, January 2nd. In comparison to the half hour run I embarked on about two weeks prior, it felt awful! Honestly, I really haven't put on a lot of holiday weight, I promise! My knee didn't hurt or anything, my body just felt like lead and I never really got into the running groove. Oh well, I guess even when I don't run nearly as much as I used to, there are still "good runs" and "bad runs." 

It ended up being a pretty afternoon, the second day of January. The morning was rainy and I headed down to the nice, flat dirt path thinking I would be dealing with the elements. Nope. It was beautiful, albeit a little windy.  This photo is of "Hoppers Hands" my turnaround point next to Fort Point. Some people make sure they touch the hands before they turn around. Me? I tap the paws prints at the bottom with my foot. I'm not normally concerned about germs, but there is something about touching those hands when I know hundreds of people have done so all day long. The paws are much more safe. ; )  

I Lied

So, I lied to my Mom yesterday (sorry Mom!). It wasn't a terrible lie, just one where I felt like keeping something to myself. Yesterday afternoon I told my Mom I was on my way down to Crissy Field to go for a walk. The truth was, I had been thinking about going running all week. I considered this carefully and decided, why not? Through all the research and doctors I've seen, it seems that running won't necessarily make my knee injury worse than it already is at this time. Sure, I may flare the inflammation up again and deal with that achy/burning feeling, but I'm not talking about running great distances here. Like any person beginning an exercise after an extended sedentary period, I planned to take it slow. 

I got down to Crissy Field with the intent of a 20-30 minute run. Heart rate monitor, check, iPod, check, Nike Free sneaks, check, Cho-pat knee strap, check, Boston Marathon jacket (for the added confidence boost I needed), check, long leggings for the chilly afternoon, check... I was good to go. I walked for 5 minutes as a warm-up and then picked the pace up to a jog on the flat, dirt path towards the Warming Hut. At first, it felt a little foreign to me. I hadn't run more than 5 minutes continuously since before my knee scope July, 2007. My ankles felt a little weak, my heart rate was high (even though I wasn't running fast), and I was running straight into a head wind. Ugh. Still, it was nice to be outside. I had my heart rate monitor on more for keeping track of time than anything else, although I do love looking to see how many calories it predicts I have burned after exercise. : ) After looking at my high heart rate at the start of my run, I decided to disregard my heart rate altogether. This reminded me of when I used to run outside before I ever owned a stopwatch or ran competitively. I never used to know how fast I was going or how far, I would simply run to some specific landmark, then turn and run back home. My run yesterday took me out to the "hands" on the fence by Fort Point. As long as I wasn't breathing too hard or was feeling any pain in my body, I let everything else go and simply ran. 

I turned at the "hands," my halfway point, and felt pretty good. I pushed away the annoyance of a woman that ran past me. Let... it... go... Having  the wind at my back was a help on the return to my car, but I also felt like my body was slowly remembering how to run. At first, my footfalls in my Nike's felt a little awkward and rough, but on the way back, I didn't feel any jarring to my body, my steps felt fluid and comfortable. There was a little ache in my quads and the Velcro from my knee strap was digging into the back of my knee, but all in all I felt fine. In the end, I ran for 30 minutes and walked for 10, 5 minutes at the beginning and end of my run. 

Today, I woke up feeling a little sore, but not too bad. I can feel it in my calves and my quads, but my knee feels fine. To be honest, I expected my knee would be OK. I iced it when I got home and followed the usual precautions. One 30 minute run on a flat, dirt path was not going to bother my knee. That said, my prediction is that if I keep this up and run 2-3 times a week, especially if there are any hills involved, my knee will eventually flare up on me and I'll have to back off on the running. I'm OK with that. This week I'm planning on scheduling my Synovectomy with Dr. Dye for early next year. After that scope, I am anticipating the slow recovery period he recommends, even as he claims the scope is a fairly gentle procedure. The slow and careful recovery is all part of healing and hopefully keeping the inflammation from returning again.

For now, I'm just trying to keep some semblance of running in my life. A short distance here and there is not going to hurt me. If anything, I'm finding it may bring me a bit of hope for longer runs in the future. 

My Knee Hurts

My knee has been bothering me for the last week. I guess I did a little too much on my vacation and need to take one of those "steps back." Ugh. Also, it seems as if the swelling I once had in my knee has minimized slowly over time. While I once thought this was good, I now feel as if it was some needed cushion! Who knows what's really going on in there? I wish I knew. Here is a list of my workouts over the last week or so. For those of you athletes, you won't think this was much, but it resulted in pain and aches in my super-sensitive left knee.

Saturday, July 12: Westin Maui gym workout - 1 hour treadmill (46 min walk/14 min running interspersed) + lunges, push-ups, ab exercises, etc.

Sunday, July 13: Rest day

Monday, July 14: Ka'anapali shore path 1 hour walk/run (44 min walk/16 min running interspersed). In hindsight, I probably needed one more recovery day before I did another walk/run.... the shore path was so inviting.

Tuesday, July 15: Kayak/snorkeling/hiking trip - The hiking was not too strenuous and the kayaking was a great arm workout! I wanted one adventure day... it was vacation!

Wednesday, July 16: Rest day

Thursday, July 17: Ka'anapali shore path 1 hour walk, evening flight home to SF.

Friday, July 18: Rest day

Saturday, July 19: UCSF Mission Bay pool swim, 40 minutes.

Sunday, July 20: Rest day

Monday, July 21: Rest day

While I was lying by the pool on my trip (this is mostly what I did outside of the above listed activities) I was thinking of what I could possibly do next about my knee, if anything. Since I've been home, I've been doing more Internet research on anterior knee pain. You never know when something new could pop up, right? I am also considering making a follow-up appointment with Dr. Anderson. I wonder though, is there any more she can do? My guess is that she'll probably tell me how Pilates is really good for me, not high impact activities. Great. The more research I do, the more I understand that I'm dealing with a syndrome. That means it's a mystery, different from one person to the next. Whether my knee pain is patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS, sometimes called kneecap tracking pain) or Hoffa's Syndrome (fat pad inflammation), my experience is unique. The recovery of every person takes a different path and per Matt Fitzgerald's information in Brain Training, it's up to me to find my own path.

This past weekend I came across an interesting publication online, what I have read so far, there are similarities to Mr. Fitzgerald's findings, and then some. At first, I thought it was a scam. It is titled SaveYourself.ca and it's written by a Registered Massage Therapist in Vancouver, Canada named Paul Ingraham. A Registered Massage Therapist? O... K... I read on. The basic of it is that Mr. Ingraham has done a great deal of study on several common athletic injuries and has provided his findings, for a nominal fee. Hmm. PFPS, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, Plantar Faciitis, Lower Back Pain, etc. I wasn't sure of the validity of this information until I read he has included research findings from his work with Dr. Scott F. Dye of the University of California, San Francisco. Interesting, I've heard of him. I read an article in Runner's World last year about knee injuries and the many syndromes involved. Dr. Scott F. Dye was included in this article, among other medical professionals. Alright, I thought maybe Mr. Ingraham's online publication was reputable information. I decided to spend the $14.95. Maybe I would read something I hadn't heard before? Maybe not. At least it could be good to read if theories I have learned in the past are backed up and supported by additional research.

As usual, I will keep you posted on any new information I learn. You must all think I'm a bit off my rocker with all of these new books and articles! Hey, it's all I can do. Unfortunately, I'm dealing with knee pain that has no instruction manual for recovery. Per Paul Ingraham, I need to "Save Myself." I'm doing my best. Hopefully his article will help.

Small World

I have a funny story to tell. This refers directly to a recent post in my blog. OK, I admit, sometimes I'm a little slow. I knew the last name Heinrich sounded familiar. A classmate of mine from elementary school through high school was Erica Heinrich. One evening last week I was riding the bus home from work reading more of Why We Run, by Bernd Heinrich. I got to a part where the author mentioned he lived in Walnut Creek, CA. What? That's where I grew up. Oh my, it dawned on me that could have met him when I was a kid. You see, the Heinrichs lived around the corner from my parents. My sister and I used to play in the valley behind our house with Erica and other neighborhood kids. I turned to the dedication page of the book and there was her name, among her other siblings. I'll have to find out how my Dad happened upon the book in the first place. I talked to my sister about it and we are not sure if our parents actually knew Erica's parents, maybe only her Mom since she may have been separated from Erica's Dad, Bernd, by then. Interesting... I'll get the scoop from my Dad soon. Small world, huh?

The ironic thing is that last week I had reconnected with Erica on Facebook. This was before the whole book author, childhood thing clicked with me. I wrote to her over the weekend and she confirmed that her Dad is Bernd Heinrich. I'm going to ask her if she knows if her Dad has a super high tolerance for pain. "Grinding" down a piece of loose cartilage? Ouch. Erica lives in Maine now and has two adorable boys. : )

ONE YEAR

Today is the one year anniversary of my knee surgery. Can you believe it? I hardly can, the year really seemed to fly by. At the same time, I definitely thought my running would be in a different place right now. I tried to keep my expectations low, but I never thought I would only be running 10 minutes at a time a year after my surgery. I was sure I was going to be back to my old running (at least an hour 3x a week) 3 or 4 months from the date of my knee scope. That is what I was told about the average recovery time from arthroscopic surgery. Well, I'm "unique" I guess. My recovery has been much slower than I ever imagined. The reality is that there is little I can do to change it. I don't want to push my running too fast and be setback with pain again, but I do want to progress towards healthy exercise. I expect continued trial and error the rest of this year.

I'm not sure where I first heard this quote and where it came from, but I've been repeating it to myself lately. "Life is not about what happens to you. Life is about how you handle what happens." I doubt that is the direct quote, but you get the gist. I could go in the direction of being depressed and negative about my knee, believe me I've had many of those days. I realize I could also head in the direction of hope and positivity. With help from my family and friends, this is what I'm going to choose for the future. Here's to an even better next year with continued recovery and health!

I Love my Run Skirt

What? A run "skirt?" I'll explain. Today was a hot day in San Francisco. It wasn't quite as warm as the last two days. Thursday and Friday were 95 degrees! All way above our average temperature for this time of the year. I've still been fighting my cold, but I have grown tired of being rather sedentary during the last week. This morning was time to get outside. I usually have a fear of being too cold when I head out into the city since sometimes we are deceived here in SF. You look out the window and it seems sunny. Then, a few blocks from home you realize the fog is coming in fast! Well, I had a feeling today was not going to be that day. I felt like it was a run skirt day.

From afar, I'm sure my run skirt looks like a pair of black shorts. Some people may even think I'm running in a tennis outfit. Nope. In the last few years attire for the female runner has gone girly. I think the first run skirt I saw was during a mini fashion show at the expo the day before I ran the Boston Marathon. Part of me thought, "That's silly. Who would want to run in a little skirt? Who would think I'm a serious runner wearing that?" At the same time, I considered the idea kind of fun. Soon after I returned home from Boston, I headed to the local Lululemon store on Union Street and tried on a run skirt. It was SO comfortable! I loved it. Of course, I haven't worn it much since I haven't been doing much running since then. I also wasn't sure if it would fit anymore! This morning I pulled it out of my closet and put it on. Yeah! It fits! OK, maybe I'm not nearly as in shape as I used to be, but it looks just fine. I added a white running tee, my Nike Frees, my iPod, and off I went.

The first 10 minutes of my walk/run was harder than I thought it would be. I planned my typical Jackson Street route out my front door. My breathing was more labored than usual and my heart rate was high. I realized the congestion from my cold was still there and was going to make things a little more difficult. No worries though, I thought, "Maybe I'll get some of this cold out of my system." The weather was great and even a little too hot. I ran 10 minutes total interspersed into my hour long workout. I had gotten up to 16 a few weeks ago before I felt a small ache in my knee, then my cold set in. I figured stepping back to less running and building up again would be a good plan. I took a different route at my turnaround point and went into the Presidio on the way back. This route was parallel to Jackson back towards home. One great thing I noticed is that Lover's Lane has been repaved! This is a hill repeat course within the Presidio I used to do in my early training days 3 or 4 years ago. The only problem with Lover's Lane (besides it is straight uphill) was the horrible, broken, falling apart path. Now, it's paved and even. Very nice! I realized this could have been done a long time ago since I haven't been through that area in some time, but I was still happy to see it. Hopefully, I'll walk or run that hill someday soon. Overall my walk/run was very good. Wearing my skirt was icing on the cake. : )

Long "Run"

Today I woke up to a chilly Saturday morning. My original thoughts of swimming went right out the window! The idea of swimming in a windy rooftop pool sounded terrible. On to plan B.

I decided to go for a long walk/run. Yes, still outside, but I could bundle up and be warm enough. During my past training days, Saturday mornings were our long runs. In non-marathon training weeks I would run an hour and half or an hour and 40 minutes. When training for a marathon a Saturday morning could involve a 3 hour run. Whew... it makes me tired even thinking about it now! Today I decided my walk/run would be one hour walking and 20 minutes run/walk. I headed out the front door, turned on my iPod and set out walking up Jackson Street. I live on the line between the Pacific Heights/Russian Hill areas of Jackson Street. During my walk I travel through Pacific Heights west into Presidio Heights. In Presidio Heights, the apartments go away and the large, single family houses pop up. Some of them are huge and many are simply beautiful. I dream about what it would be like to live in one of these houses. Along my walk, I had to laugh at one sight. I looked up into a tree and wondered, "What is that?" I still don't know the answer, but I call it Tree Art. Three arrows shot into a hanging sphere of stripped wood or bark. Interesting.

I started my run/walk intervals at the 30 minute mark. At 31 minutes Jackson Street dead ended into Arguello. I stopped, looked up the street at the Arguello Gate of The Presidio and for a few seconds tried to decide which way to go. I decided to run into The Presidio. Once I hit the dirt trails, I got so excited! Do you ever have those sudden, unexpected feelings of joy? That is how I felt when I was running up and down the hills and through the trees. I ran more of the 20 minutes than I walked for sure. It just felt good, mind and body. I stopped for a minute to take another picture. I love this area of the trail where it heads into an overgrowth of trees. Once I finished running through the Presidio I had a little run/walk time left. I wondered how far I was going to be off my planned workout time. How far off course did I run? I ran out through the Lombard Gate of The Presidio, then up Lyon Street. My plan was to walk east on Union Street, then up Van Ness to my apt on Jackson. I realized shortly before I reached Fillmore Street that today was the Union Street Fair. Picturing people stumbling out of the beer gardens, I changed my route to zig zag my way back. Up Broderick to Green, up Pierce to Vallejo, finally 3 blocks up Franklin to Jackson Street. Funny thing... right as I made it to my front door my watch read 1:20:00. Good timing. : )

Golden Gate Views

This is a photo I took during my Sunday afternoon walk/run on Crissy Field. I never get tired of this view.

Rainy Saturday

When I woke up today, I was surprised to see it was a rainy Saturday morning. Since I had been out of town for a few days, I hadn't been watching the weather back home. Wednesday night I flew to Los Angeles for work. After press checks on Thursday morning, I flew to Minneapolis to do the same on Friday. After all the flights, I was really in need for some exercise. I got up early Friday morning, threw on my sneaks and headed out for a walk around a nearby lake. I wasn't sure how far it was to Lake Normandale, or how big it was around so it would be a morning adventure. I figured I would do an "out and back" just by the time on my watch.

There was a bit of a chilly wind, but otherwise, it was a beautiful morning in Minneapolis. It took me about 17 minutes to walk to the lake and it turned out to be just beautiful! About 30 minutes in, I came across a sign with some history of the lake. There weren't any distances marked, but based on the "you are here" arrow and knowing where I started around the lake, I learned I was already halfway around. Great! I could see they whole path. Soon I started my walk/run portion of the hour long workout. The path around the lake was narrow and rolling and I just loved it. I wanted keep running up and down the little hills to see what was around the next corner. Still, I kept myself in check. I stayed with my 10 min walk/run, but ran about 7 minutes of the 10. It felt good. I'm looking forward to running around more of Lake Normandale on my next trip.

Now I'm back home in SF and am enjoying some rest and relaxation. Today is my Dad's birthday, so I'm heading out to Lafayette for dinner and a visit with my parents. Happy Birthday Dad!

Dreaming Start to Finish

While I was in Spokane, Friday night I had a very vivid running dream. I started and finished an entire 5K race! As dreams go, it was not your typical race. For one thing, it was indoors. The very few people that were running the race seemed to be inside of a very large gymnasium. The race was an obstacle race of sorts. I remember running around tight turns and bounding over the top of things, trying to stay within a type of marked route. I can't explain it much better than that, other than the floor was very clearly a hardwood floor with the characteristic varnished shine. I think it was the type of gymnasium that was also a multi-purpose room with a performance stage on one end. It wasn't much different than the "small gym" (as we called it) at my high school, but this gym was not one I had ever been in before.

During the race I remember feeling good and I was so excited to start and finish the whole race feeling healthy even if it was a short one. It's rare that I feel so accomplished when I wake up from a dream, but that morning I sure did. I sat up in bed and smiled. Good feeling. I took it as a sign that I am on the right track to my recovery.

I did get out for a walk/run with my niece Morgan while I was up North. Morgan enjoyed the scenery of the trail near Meg and David's house for about a half an hour, then she fell asleep with her green frog WubbaNub (a pacifier attached to a small stuffed animal). Morgan needed her nap so I extended our walk time thinking she might sleep longer while she was riding in her stroller. After napping for about 35 minutes, Morgan woke up and started to cry. I realized it was about time for her to eat and we were still walking on the trail. It was so hard to hear her cry and see her little tears. I was afraid her Mom and Dad would be angry that I didn't get her home earlier. I walked as quickly as I could back to their house. Morgan calmed as we got into her neighborhood, but she was super happy to see her bottle. Here's a photo of us during our walk.

Walking... and Running

I began this week in a completely different frame of mind than the end of the week. I was not intending to try to run at all. I was frustrated with my bike/trainer causing a flare up in my knee. I thought maybe, just maybe, it's best for me to skip the bike and try something else. Maybe the elliptical machine. It's funny how different things, or I should say people, inspire you when you least expect it. I received an email early this week from my old friend Matt. I haven't talked to Matt for many months, maybe since last summer. Matt is a running coach and was (and I think maybe still is) a part of my old training group, PacWest. He's had his own coaching business for a while now and that is his main focus. While growing his business, he's had his share of chronic overuse injuries. Plantar fasciitis (heel pain) had been a major problem and he even had surgery to help alleviate the pain. I learned he also has had some problems with his Achilles tendon. Matt is a 2:45 marathoner (very fast) so his injuries have been a major problem for him personally and professionally.

I have to say, I am thrilled about what Matt told me. Matt is now wearing Nike Free running shoes (just like me!) and they are helping him measurably. He also read the book "Brain Training" and is now a big proponent to wear the minimalist running shoes during easy or shorter runs. I asked Matt what he did when he started running again after his surgery. In his answer, he suggested I start running again, but very gradually and being very responsive to anything that feels awry. I do have my issue of my knee being OK during a workout, but not later, but I got his point. Matt thinks it's best to start with a 10 minute walk/run. Run for 2 minutes, walk for 1, and so on. Then, if that feels OK, then do it a few more times the first week. If that goes well, maybe the second week I do 10 min 3x/week with 4 min run/1 min walk. I thought about this and last Wednesday evening, I tried the walk/run at my gym on the treadmill. My gym has a 30 minute limit on the treadmills when someone is waiting, so I decided to start with 30 min total. I walked for 20 minutes, then pushed the button 'Jog 5.0" (five miles per hour) on the screen. I thought a 1 min run, 2 min walk would be a good place for me to start, even less than the suggestion from Matt. It felt good to run, but it was also scary. The fear came back. Will my knee start to hurt again? Maybe it won't hurt today, but will the ache and burning sensation return tomorrow? I tried to push those thoughts away and finish my workout.

The walk/run felt fine during and afterwards. I iced my knee too, my usual precaution after any exercise. On Thursday my knee was fine and Friday too, no delayed pain beyond minimal aches that happen more often than not. I experiences some what I am now calling "stress aches" on Friday, but I attributed that to my day, not my Wednesday exercise. I've noticed my knee definitely responds to stress. One thing is that I have realized is I keep expecting my knee to feel "normal" again someday. I'm thinking maybe I need to let this go. My left knee may never feel normal like my right knee again. As long as that horrible pain never comes back, hopefully my knee will be fine with a few aches here and there.

Today, on this beautiful Saturday morning in San Francisco, I decided to walk/run again. I drove the few miles down to my favorite SF location, Crissy Field. Just as I parked, I saw some of my PacWest friends just beginning a run from the same place in a different direction. I couldn't think about them just then, so I set off on my plan. This time I walked for 50 min, then did my 10 min walk/run, same 10 min plan as Wednesday. It felt good to be outside in the sun again! The Golden Gate Bridge was majestic in the distance. There was a walk for Cystic Fibrosis going on so I wound my way through the walkers and runners. It was a crowded morning!

I saw a few of my PacWest friends during my walk and waved hello. I decided to stop by the picnic table where they were camped out when I was done. It was good to see them! Of course, there were the usual questions about my knee and my answers were way too long, as usual. I realized one important thing this morning, something I didn't expect to. I may be ready to join PacWest again. Not as a member training for a race though. I think I can handle showing up for a Saturday "run" to simply walk. A year ago I wasn't ready to do this, it was too hard for me mentally to not be able to run with everyone else. Today, I realized the companionship is important to me, not just the competition. I miss my friends. Even if I show up to simply walk, it's OK. I admit, they have told me this is OK with them for a very long time. Up until now, it was not OK with me. Interesting what a week will do! You never know what can change in such a short period of time. : )

I Just Want to Run

Some of you may be asking, "What's up with Ali's knee? She hasn't mentioned it lately." No, I haven't. Don't worry, it's not because my knee is hurting or anything like that. I've realized lately that I'm afraid. I'm afraid to step up the pace and really test out my knee. I'm afraid it is going to hurt and there isn't really a light at the end of this tunnel. I have also realized all I want to do is run. I don't want to get on my bike that is latched onto the stationary trainer in the middle of my studio apt. I don't want to swim. I don't want to try out "running" on the elliptical machine. Ugh, it all seems so tedious. Again, don't worry... I'm not going to lace up my running shoes and run out of my apartment door tomorrow morning. That sounds great, but I'm sure in the end that would be a dumb thing to do. Still, it's dawned on me that besides being scared, I've also been a little bit lazy lately. I don't have my teammates to push me to be at a workout anymore and most people I know now, don't even know me as a runner. I don't get questions such as, "What race are you training for next?" People used to ask me that all the time. I have to admit, I am not unhappy with my life now, I've grown into it for sure and there are benefits to not being training obsessed. That is the honest truth. But, I do want some of my former life back. Hmm... being in shape would be good!

Enough of the fear and laziness! So who's going to hold me accountable? I was sick this last week, but that is the last of my excuses. It's time to see what this knee can do! Within reason, of course, and implementing a gradual build-up of exercise besides the basic walking I have been doing for the last two months. I'll plan on walking two times next week and how about two trainer rides, 20 to 25 minutes each? Then, one 30 minute swim towards the end of the week. How does that sound? The week of April 14 I'm traveling, but there are gyms at hotels in Minneapolis and Atlanta! Maybe if my walking/trainer rides go well this week, then I can try a "run" on the elliptical while I'm out-of-town. Remember, last Fall I tried it for 10 minutes and whoa... my knee was not happy! Aching, swelling, etc. Well, time has passed since then. It's time to give it another go. OK, you all heard me, right? I better hear some comments from you to see if you're checking in on me! ; ) Thanks friends and family. Glad you are here.