Tag Archives: Chicago Marathon

No “I” in TEAM…..

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To succeed… You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you……….  Tony Dorsett

 

I was reading an article in Running Times this morning on Cross Country teams and how important it is to nurture the #7-15 runner.  The reason being that the top several runners are usually a lock and will perform accordingly but you also want TEAM success.  In a Cross Country competition, the overall place of the top 5 to 7 runners on a team will be added together and the LOWEST score equals the winning team.   So even if you have runners who will be first, second & third overall….you also really need a good finish from the fourth and fifth team runner too so that you score as low as possible.  And please remember that the further down the string, the more random the placements.  “Suzie” isn’t always going to be #4, so coaches have to be very careful to nurture all the runners in order for everyone to succeed to the best of their ability and therefore, secure the best result possible for team/school competition.

To me, this is easily transferred to partner/club running.  We each show up for a partner and/or group run for different reasons but the bottom line is that by showing up, we are nurturing each other.  Some run slower to help others come back from injury, build up fitness/mileage, etc….some run faster to try to keep up with the person beside them who might be a tad faster today.  The bottom line is that we ALL run outside of our comfort zone and as a result we ALL improve. 

I know what you are thinking…..”how is Brian P. improving by hanging back and running with me?”  Well, Brian P. may not have hauled his ass out of bed got up and out of the house this morning if he weren’t meeting up with the group for a run or he may have run 6 miles instead of 10 had he gone solo. I know some people are very disciplined but the rest of the world us need some help.  So, please know that when YOU get “up and out” and show up for a partner/group run, it matters.   I’d like to personally thank YOU for all of the partner/group runs where you  have made an appearance.

I would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to help form a TEAM for the 2012 Chicago Marathon.  Many are on the fence about committing to the marathon distance but a team concept is what may be missing for all of you who are scared leery of such a huge undertaking.  This isn’t something that needs to be done today, and I know some who have already committed are running for Charity and will have specific obligations thru those various organizations…but the rest of YOU are free to form a team.  Help me get better and let me, and the rest of the team, help you!  Our team would go under the “blue” team category, which is not competitive but fun.  The idea of this is really to foster strong ties amongst friends/runners and to nurture each other.  We will show up united and will be there for each other no matter what happens during the race so nobody feels like they are out there alone.  We train together, go together, crawl home together.  Team Shirts will identify us and also help us reorganize after the race.   The more the merrier….any paces welcome!  

Chicago Marathon Team Competition Rules

  • A minimum of four team members is required and a team can field a maximum of 10 members.
  • A Co-ed team must have a minimum of two men and two women.
  • All registered participants are eligible for the Team Competition; however the race organization has the right to declare ineligible any participant it views as having an unfair advantage over the other teams.
  • Each team must have a unique name and roster.
  • A participant can only be a member of one team.
  • A team may only compete in one division.
  • The race organization reserves the right to refuse entry to any team with a name it deems offensive or inappropriate.
  • The top three teams in each category in the Red division will receive awards.
  • The top three teams in each category in the Blue division will receive awards.
  • Winning teams are determined once the official results of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon are announced.

What do you think?  Want to form a team?

Happy Running,                                                                                                            Amanda – TooTallFritz

My Feet Hurt………Plantar Fasciitis – Part II

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At this point in my life, I don’t get to watch many movies.   Since we have a screaming busy toddler running the house, it’s difficult to do anything that involves sitting and quiet.  However, I frequently find myself going back to an “old” movie, Forrest Gump (1994) for quotes that fit quite nicely into my life.  The quote that has been the forefront of my reality for longer than I’d like to admit is…… “My Feet Hurt”.  I can clearly see the scene with Forest sitting on the bench, waiting for the bus, and talking to the nurse telling her that “those must be comfortable shoes”…..and her quite simple reply being “my feet hurt”.  Simple.  True.  Powerful. Forrest Gump Quotes

Forrest Gump: Those must be comfortable shoes, I bet you could walk all day in shoes like those and not feel a thing.
Nurse at Park Bench: My feet hurt.
Forrest Gump: My momma always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where they go, where they’ve been. I’ve worn lots of shoes, I bet if I think about it real hard I can remember my first pair of shoes.

If you have looked at my shoes over the last 6 months, you might think that I only own one pair.   Running shoes.  I have been switching my trainers with an identical pair of retired running shoes and I wear them from the time I get up until bed.  I have been fighting Plantar Fasciitis for quite some time and  previously posted on it HERE.  The fight has been tough because I don’t want to stop running lose fitness.  I have cut back on my mileage by quite a bit, running only about 20 miles a week since crawling to the finish of the Chicago Marathon in October.  I have even had further complications with Mr. Michael life and therefore had to cut back to a mere two or three runs a week.  I can’t seem to get him to sleep without his feet propped up on my throat or his head on my heart my presence.  Since I am now limited to such a few number of runs, I have been trying to keep each of those around the 10 mile mark so that I can at least hit 20 miles per week.  This new strategy has really inflamed the Plantar Fasciitis which had been starting to settle down a bit after the lab created these orthotics for me: 

I received them the first week of November and have been wearing them daily.  I am hoping the lab billed the insurance 2x or these babies are $600 each according the EOB from BCBS.   I haven’t paid a dime to the foot surgeon yet so that $$ reality is still looming.  I think he is waiting for me to jump up and down and say I feel great in order to send the shocker bill.  Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.  The left foot is good!  I really don’t have any further complaints there; however, I feel like I have an ICE PICK running thru my right heel and well, that would be a MAJOR complaint.  I’m limping, half walking on my toes, half floating……..I know you are trying to envision all of this but it’s really not as romantic as it sounds.  Quite awkward really.  And the hubby foot surgeon can’t really relate to running, or why I want to run and run long for basically no reason since I’m not currently training for anything.  Back to Forest Gump as my words would never be as eloquent……

[reporters ask Forrest his reasons for running all this time]
Forrest Gump: [voice over] They just couldn’t believe that somebody would do all that running for no reason.
Reporter: Why are you doing this?
Forrest Gump: I just felt like running.
Forrest Gump Quotes

And that’s exactly it.  I just FEEL like running………maybe because it is quiet, maybe because it allows me to feel at peace for a short time, maybe because it makes me feel like I am doing something good for myself, maybe because I can do it alone without any interruptions since I don’t even get to sleep or go to the bathroom shower alone. I don’t want to stop running and I certainly don’t want to have to rebuild my fitness from a prolonged break.  I have dug my way back from non-fitness land enough times to know that it sucks hurts.  Please, can we just fix this soon so that I can wear some pretty non-running shoes, run pain-free, walk pain-free in the days after a run and just feel good again?  I try not to be frustrated ,or bitch complain, but on days like today when friends are ALREADY talking about the 2012 Chicago Marathon, it makes me wanna cry. I struggled running 12 miles on Saturday and have basically been crippled/limping since I finished that run.  I can’t even contemplate more than that right now.  I think I’ll go back and reread the Baby Steps post and hopefully remember to think about today and not get overwhelmed by what the future may or may not bring.

Next week is a recheck to evaluate the “progress” I have made with the orthotics.  I think I am going to request the cortisone shot and take a week, or so, off to try to get this under control.  It hurts…..and that is an understatement. 

How do you handle injuries?  Do you bounce back fast of find yourself riding that injury train for a LONG time, like me. 

Happy, PAIN-FREE running!                                                                                           Amanda – TooTallFritz

Toenails are for Sissies

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I’m sure most of you have heard the phrase “Toenails are for Sissies“.  If you have been to a large expo, you have possibly even come across the One More Mile Running Company booth which sells shirts/hats/stickers which make us giggle, nod in agreement and ultimately purchase the merchandise because it is better to laugh at the situation than cry.

Unfortunately I can relate.  I have always had toenail “problems”, even before I was stupid crazy enough to try the marathon distance.  I can lose a toenail after a 10 miler for a million numerous reasons unless I have some of these…….

Those little buddies are gel toe protectors.   I buy mine at Walgreens because there is one on every corner in the city it’s convenient.  They are currently on sale, buy 1, get one 50% off.  Smoking deal if you go thru them like me.  They are normally $6.99 each and worth EVERY penny!

I encourage you to try some before your feet get all jacked up gnarled like mine.

Or you will pay some lady A LOT of $$ each year to paint your skin make them look somewhat respectable.

I currently only have 2 nails on this poor foot.  The Chicago Marathon really took its toll this year.  Normally, I only have issues with the big and second toe but since I am now running funny due to the Plantar Fasciitis, this year didn’t go as well.  So for the next 6 months I’ll be wearing protectors on all but my baby toe.  Yikes. 

Sorry, this is such a disgusting graphic post.  Sorry to my hubby for the first and last view of how gross my feet really look.  Allow this to be a warning, or point of encouragement, for all of you who may have this problem or plan to run a marathon in the near future.   And for goodness sake, if you have this problem do everyone yourself a favor and go get a pedicure!

For those of you bitches who don’t have this problem like my bitch ass sister, the rest of us real toenail-less runners hate congratulate you. 

Good luck & Happy Running,                                                                                             Amanda – TooTallFritz