Simple as running

Happy happy

2007-05-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

To resume April:

Total 84 miles
21 days running, 7 days resting, 2 days failed.
The longest was 10 and made only one more of 8
9 were 3 miles runs, I don't want to see that 3 on my calendar anymore. If I run instead of 3 at least 4, I will add at least 9 more miles to the total of the next month. Still not even when I started running made those 3 miles runs as I was recommended to run for at least 45 minutes to really move the fat.

I ran on the beach Thursday, Friday and Saturday 5-4-3. Seems it helped to rest the my heels or to give them a chance to adapt.
Yesterday morning made my first attempt on the asphalt. It was successful, could run then stopped and started running again with no pain.
Maybe it was that the foot need some time to adapt to the cortisone new condition.
Today completed an 8 miles run feeling great despite the sun. We didn't had clouds anymore but still some refreshing breeze was blowing.

At the moment

2007-04-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

After the run on Friday I took Saturday and Sunday off.

On Saturday we had a party at home. It was Luis's birthday. Is not that I use to celebrate all his birthdays but this was his forty and I think this number is special. I became some nervous since this was the first "party" I do inviting more than 30 people -plus kids- from his work and friends. I hired a mariachi group to play our Mexican music live but as they were coming from Santo Domingo I was nervous for they to arrive on time and of course that they were good. Food and all the rest details were fine but I was spinning around all the time...
All this is said not only to let you know that we celebrate but because I have something to confess. As part of the celebration with all the excitement of the night I smoked 3 cigarettes. Awful. Last night when I said this to Luis he was disappointed -he said so-.
The good part is that I can handle this. This not a problem for me.
I use to be a smoker years ago but after I started exercising my body asked me to stop, I didn't even have to decide to quit.
I became a social smoker having a cigar if I had a drink maybe once in two weeks, until one day that this made my throat irritated. It was during my marathon training so it became a priority to maintain my health and not risking it for a cigar. I just stopped for about eight months to last December when I had a cigar on the 24Th eve.
In other occasion about two months ago I had another.
So this was the third time I smoke in this year and I say now, the last. It took me long to recover from it. I felt dizzy during Sunday and Monday and I bet it was for the cigar.

That didn't stop me from running of course. Monday morning went to the beach for a good run. Great cloudy morning that let me run with out too much hot.

Then yesterday morning for the first time in some days run here in the area where I live on asphalt. Started with Luis and we made a loop of 3 miles. Came home to drink some water and to catch my friend Nancy to run other 3 miles. It was when the pain started. Instead of running started walking for that reason, I could walk but uncomfortably. After about 8 minutes I wanted to change to running to see if changing the pace was a positive move. Useless, it was worst.
Still we walked about 3 miles.
This morning made a new attempt with out success. This is great. During the day I'm fine but now I can't run. It was happening exactly the opposite before the shot and I was running.
Hope this doesn't last too long. Hope at least I can be as I was before.
This makes me think how risking an operation would be. What appears to be a solution could make your problem worst. Now to wait when my right heel re heals. The left is fine.

This afternoon I will go to the beach with D and N. If I can't run I will be walking my feet better get use to this I don't want to be stopped.

Too much, too fast

2007-04-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

OK, what the doctor said was that before the spur operation we could try the cortisone shot. I've heard that some of you have had shots, but I'm not quite sure who and don't remember either if you said this was positive or not.
I think I remember Jen saying it was the last option....
The thing is that it was on Wednesday and yes, I'm feeling better. So much that I was even thinking last night to run a marathon in august like last year in Mexico city. But that is still uncertain. I haven't even tried to run long or even to start to train. I should have goals but is hard to make the decision if I don't really know how my heels will be.
This two days I've been feeling recovered. What still hurts is in fact the shot, not the spurs. Or if they hurt is more like a stiffness sensation.
The same day I got the shot, -on Wednesday- I walked in the afternoon 45 minutes, took yesterday off and this morning I went to the beach for a 4 mile run. It was very nice and my heels are behaving, will see how it goes.

Ideal weather at the ideal place

2007-04-17T10:00:00.001-07:00

What I missed is the ideal runner ;-P

I have to be prepared for days like this. Despite the spring is here there are many days during this season when is cloudy and it is so comfortable to run. I thought of running 4 miles today but still carried on my camel pack to drink water when ever I want. With hot days you never know even if it's cloudy.
The first miles were not that good, but didn't walk still. It is funny how many times I have to find out about how many miles I need to run to start having fun, -is like I always forget- is only the beginning that is not fun. Fun starts after mile 4. Yes, I am the same person who some months ago was saying that fun starts after the 8Th mile and the easiest and best mile was the 12Th... Hope those days come back at some point.
So, I was almost done at mile 4 feeling some tired. I was arriving at the starting point, close to it, when I see this dog. I hate dogs when I am running, they immediately star at me like wanting to play or barking. What I did was to go back on my way and run the route I've already made again.
Yes, I was about to loose the chance to run in a great day like this and all because I wasn't waiting to pass mile 4. Hope I find this dog when I need it.
Ended with 9.7 miles. Couldn't reach the tenth as the sun was already out at this point. I was sweating like a pig you can't imagine.
When will I carry my camera?

Now both feet are hurting me. I'm taking ibuprofen, taking a shower and will head to the doctor, today is the day to know if the doctor can help me operating me here or not. I made the decision finally, I didn't want to stop running and I can run, but during the day the pain is so bad that I can't continue like this without fixing this, wish me luck!

2007-04-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

After my "long run" last Monday I felt fine, so fine that as soon as I arrived continue with a weight session, but it wasn't such a good idea. During the week I felt too tired and along with my sleeping problems it made it impossible for me to wake up on time. I wish I could run at 8 but now it is soooo sooo hot you can't believe it. Specially at the beach.
So last week was very low in mileage and motivation. Fortunately there are always days ahead to change this and that week is over.
The good new is that a new friend wants to train with me. She will be coming three days a week in the afternoon and we will be combining weights and walking. We started yesterday.
Today it was a nice run at the beach. 4 miles. I was already there at 7 the start was nice, during the third mile I walk but it was so hot that the truth is that I didn't wanted to make a greater effort. Sun takes away more energy than we know. Then my friends the clouds arrive, I will be calling them every day.
I was there alone, my other friend Nancy is working and she is saying now she will try to run in the afternoon as it is so hot in the morning... By the way this morning I met another friend who told me she will go with me to the beach next Saturday. That plus Luis will make me be with partners often.
I am enjoying this, but to be focused I think I need to be by myself...
This afternoon I will be with Daisy my new partner at the beach! This will make me have like a double workout three days a week!!

Run + Bike!

2007-04-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

Great run this morning with Luis. Hope many days like this are on our future.
Enjoying running together is becoming nicer and nicer. Is like really sharing something while doing it at the same time. Luis enjoyed the beach to run and even wants to go back there at least twice a week, fingers cross.
We had time for a 35 minutes only run. We had to get back home as he works on Saturday and had to get ready. The only thing that I had in mind was to keep going. But I still wanted to keep my legs out of asphalt... suddenly the idea of mounting my bike aroused. In fact sun doesn't affects you so badly as when running. So I took it and stayed there for an hour. I could even feel the air through my hair and feel fresh despite the sun was so hot. The area where I live now which is a golf course has a loop of about 4 miles in total. There are areas that are still under construction and normally I don't go there, but this time on my bike I visited the area to have the longest route. I felt great, unfortunately I was not using my HR monitor but next time I will, to see how much it really makes me work. Here I can develop better speeds than at the hotel. Hope that works so it works also for a good workout. The only part where it was hard to speed up was in some windy ways, funny to ride against wind.
I think I will mount bike more often . This new area where I live works more for that than for running :P and I still have the beach...

Running in armony :D

2007-04-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

Oh how happy I am, -it is about running of course-, my runs at the beach had been great. Looking around and watching all the armony, the palm trees, the sand, the lovely blue of the ocean even some runners around besides Nancy and me!
This will have to be my route at least 2-3 days a week. After finishing there my knees feel great. I've been too long over asfalt only. It wasn't that bad on the knees but better not to agravete them and be cautelous.

When you enjoy your runs people can tell. My daughters, when they see me in a bad mooth they even ask if I ran that day :D they know perfectly running means for me welfare, smiles and happines during the day. Those days are back now with my runs at the beach.
This beach is on the new side where I live now. To get there I drive 2 miles to arrive there, don't ask me why I don't get there running...
The beach is completely flat and even. Perfect to run. Tomorrow Luis is joining me, hope I can take some photos for you and that he enjoys as much as I do.
Ran 4 miles for a total of 20 this week -until today- still have tomorrow.
On Monday I'm planning the route for a long run around there.

My new partners

2007-04-04T16:40:00.000-07:00

Well at least I can say that march ended with 120 miles. That is 50% more than the last months. Also it means that I increased more than the usual 10% that is recommended. The thing was that I tried to continue training just in the point where I was supposed to be after suspending for about three weeks the scheduled long runs (thanks to my stomach problems).

Although I won't be running a marathon :( -it sounds awful- still I want to do some long runs, well not huge ones, but at least 12 or 14 miles.This week is slow, with kids at home, the bed in the morning is more comfortable than usual. I should go to bed earlier, but living here my days need about two more hours! Still I've been on the road running between 3-5 miles.

Tomorrow I'm planing to go to run to the closest beach. My legs need to relief some stress. A friend told the beach is in good conditions for running, hope is true.

Now during normal days I run with Luis for 30 minutes and when we finish Nancy arrives and run for about 45 minutes with her. She has being constant and now she can run for that time. Running with company is nice, still I miss my days running at Bahia Principe.

Still alive and on the road

2007-03-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

The next post was written 4 times and tried to posted 100 times. Blogger said my other blog has an error and can't publish anymore there. Thanks for visiting me here :D

It is being more than two months since the last time I posted, this is sad...

The first two weeks the Internet service failed -again-. Then we moved. As some of you know we were living in three rooms in the employees area of the hotel where my husband works. We were living there thinking that our stay in the country was going to be shorter, but after now almost three years in this area, -five in the country- we are still here and as a family we decided to moved to a real house. My girls are very happy with this change, that is very nice. Luis now is out of his working area and I regret we didn't do this before as now he is resting more and looks better -he started running a month ago :D-.

This has brought some changes to my life, now I am more busy, still have many good services I am not complaining, but this seems like I am loosing some focus on my running. I started what was supposed to be the marathon training and it was going fine. I thought my old injury problems were overcame, but seems like there is always something arising that has to be defeated. The problem was as said before, the lack of focus -I think- and it was reflected on my long runs. The first one of 10 miles was fine, but after that the next of 12 I felt very tired from the 9Th mile. Ended walking the last 3 miles despite trying to run many times. The spurs now in both feet were hurting me and my pace was 19, that is crawling speed. Maybe even a good crawler would bet me!

The next runs weren't that different.

I don't feel defeated. The thing is also about money. I was going to spend more than 1700US in this trip to run, not to walk. To improve, not to go worst than the last time. I don't want to, -cause I'm scared- but I will have to look for real help for the spur, I mean taking it off.

What I want to do now is to try to end this cycle of training as long as I can and find out how to solve this, of course continue running.

Other problems like the stomach are solved I am so happy for that! One of the main things the doctor recommended me was to sleep better as stomach receives all the stress and makes the symptoms worst.

We sett a small home gym and it has a nice view, so I'm working out twice a week. Also I'm biking once a week.

Note: This is the fourth report I write. The telephone and Internet service were connected only 4 days ago but as soon as I want to publish it fails, the company says this is normal, hope it works this time. You just can't imagine what living in the jungle means.
I missed you a lot guys and thought of you despite not writing or reading your blogs. Thanks for your latest comments they always mean a lot to me.
And one more think I have a guest room and is very comfortable, let me know if you are around or feel like coming to the Caribbean :D we could find a good place to run!