U-G-L-Y feet.

Well, i definitely woke up in a better mood today.  I am slowly feeling more like a human and less like a slug, the non-stop tortilla chip river into my mouth has slowed to more of a small stream of tortilla chips, I have managed not to consume the ENTIRE jar of cookie butter (yet.) and i have mentally willed the high for Sunday down to 78 degrees.  (an improvement.)


Since I have this brief calm before the epic storm of pre-marathon insanity starts, i though i would use this time to review some products that were sent to me on account of my never-ending stream of complaints about the state of my feet.  Rumor has gotten out that i have the ugliest toesies this side of the Mississippi.

And this is the pretty foot.

ProFoot Care was nice enough to send me a few products to shut me up see if they could help.

They sent me a pack of moleskin sheets, insoles, and inserts for plantar fasciitis. 

First up is the Moleskin

I actually had to look up what this was over my concern that it was actually a moleskin.  (I assure you, it is not.)  As a general rule, my feet are pretty blister free.  They are so hard and callused that i am able to run great distances in cotton socks without so much as a problem.  One problem i have recently faced, however is moisture.  At the flying pig, i accidentally dumped an ENTIRE cup of gatorade on my left foot.  (In my defense, it was overfilled) And then this past weekend i did my 8 miler in the pouring rain.   Needless to say, my Pinky toes hate me right now.  They rub against the edge of my shoe when i run and it is IRRITATING.  Thats what the moleskin is for - you place it over spots on your foot that have a tendency to rub against something and become irritated, and it eliminates the friction.    

It comes in a large sheet so you can cut off however much you need - mine was just a tiny spot

And TADA!  my foot is happy again, and further irritation prevented.  Moleskin will be perfect for situations when i know my feet might get wet.  I might also use them for the two times a year i wear heels.


In my honest opinion, every runner should have some of this on standby.  If you know its going to rain, its better to slap some on and err on the safe side then to risk a blister fiasco.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.


Next up they sent me the Miracle Insoles.  As a general, i usually put insoles in my shoes at around 350-400 miles to help extend the life of them.  I am a cheapskate.  The insoles i had been using were from sports authority, and cost like $30, which is WAY pricey in my book.  I was excited to try these, because they retail for a fraction of the price.

I really like that these are customizable for any size foot.  Its hard to find inserts for my midget feet, and with these you can just trim them down to your shoe size.

They slip right into your shoes, and they actually make a huge difference!  For me, most inserts feel the same - they add some squish to your step (in a good way) and really helps cushion your foot for the long runs.  What i like about these in particular is that they are SO light.  The box says "2 oz" which is featherlight in my book - especially compared to the insole honkers i have now, which feel like 20lbs compared to these.  In short - they are comfy, and you can't tell they are there.  Exactly what i want in an insert!

My take on inserts?  I personally just use them to extend the life of shoes.  In general, i am a hard footed girl, so i don't need too much cushioning, but it did feel very nice, and made my old shoes feel like new again which i love (especially because my pink shoe is discontinued - i will run these babies into the GROUND.) If you have delicate feet, or like a soft ride, you will love these.


The last up is an insert for Plantar Fasciitis.

The only problem is, i don't have Plantar Fasciitis!  In fact, I have very high arches.

Do you have problems with Plantar Fasciitis?  Would you like to review these inserts?  If you're interested, just leave a comment.  The first person to call dibs, i will mail them to you, and you can review them for your blog (or, if you don't blog, you can just write a little note to them)


I really appreciate a company that reaches out to average runners like myself for feedback on their product. Because we're the ones that will probably at one point or another need these products to help our non elite feet adjust to the strain we put on them.  Their prices are really reasonable, and their line is available at Walgreens.  In the past i have gone to sports authority for things like this, but in general, Sports Authority has a limited selection, and their prices seem really high for inserts.  


And, on a personal note, as a packaging designer, i love their packaging.  Its bright and fresh, and lets you touch the package without exposing it too much.  But that is neither here nor there.

One of those weeks.

Have you ever woken up on monday morning and thought "dear god, i cannot deal with life this week."  That was my morning.  While i am slowly feeling better, it hasn't been the miracle recovery i was hoping for, resulting in skipping two runs last week.  I am hungry all the time, but not for reasonable things like dinner, for tortilla chips.  More accurately, a never ending river of tortilla chips flowing into my mouth.  It's looking like and 85 degree day for my marathon.  (SHOCKER.)  I napped with waffles in a super weird position yesterday and now my back hurts (First world problem if i ever heard one.) My family just does not seem to understand the importance of my first marathon this weekend.  And i have a super busy and stressful week at work.


I am obviously demanding pity from all of you.  In all honesty, I just woke up on the whiny side of the bed.  BUT, i am going to suck it up and put on my big girl pants because:


1.  I am running a marathon this weekend, and that is awesome - even if its 85 degrees and takes me 6 hours.


2.  I just spent a whole weekend napping with my puppy and watching x-files, an indulgence i will not get to see again for a year probably


3.  Matt and i have a strategic healthy dinner plan for the entire week, so that i will be in tip top shape


4.  Just because my family doesn't understand , doesn't mean they don't care. 


5. And I have this jar of cookie butter on my desk.  Life is not that bad.

Time for me to stop whining and start rocking the big girl pants.  Today's post is short because i seriously do have a TON of work today, but i wanted to announce the winners of the Pro-compression raffle!  


Winner #1:  Bill F!  (I am assuming you would like the significantly more manly black pair?)


Winner #2:  Erin V! (hopefully you like pink! :) )


If you guys could just email me at Sara.marie.rockwell@gmail.com with a shipping address, i will try to get these in the mail tomorrow!
Thanks so much for everyone who donated - Just a reminder that all donations are tax deductible! I will probably have a couple more raffles this summer as well.  Thanks everyone for making fundraising a little less painful.  


xoxo,
G-Foxxx

It's Friday, Friday!

Today's fun facts are all about all the possible ways i can end up out of commission before next week, because i am sick right now, and its making me crazy.


(**It's important to mention that 1. I'm fine, seriously.  Its just a head cold, but i feel the need to be very dramatic about it.  2.  I am not a doctor, so i am basically making any medical knowledge up - If you do ever want some sound advice go check out RunnerNurse.)


So as i mentioned, i am sick.  I have the old sneezy, running nose, scratchy throat ailment going on.  So for fun, i went to Web MD to self diagnose myself with all the different things that might ruin my marathon.  :)


1. The Mumps.  My glands are swollen (which normally happens for me with any throat ailment) But there is the small chance that i could have the mumps right now.  That's impossible you say! We were all vaccinated for the mumps!  Wellllllll, i wasn't  and i have no idea why.  My mom just never ended up getting all the vaccinations.  In fact, paperwork was actually forged to get me into college, for reasons i will never understand (It is not a religious reason)  I just think my mom wanted to challenge us.  Like hey - on top of everything - try to survive the mumps sometime in your future.  <evil laugh>

2. Coxsackie Virus.  I have a sore on my tongue.  It is most likely from eating scalding hot soup, but why rule anything out.  This usually affects people under 10, but it's marathon week, and crazy things can happen.  


3. Catch Scratch Fever.  It's really a disease, not just a Ted Nugent song.  I haven't actually been attacked or scratched by a car recently (or ever i think) but one did give me a dirty look this week, and i swear, he was scratching my soul.

4. West Nile Virus.  I totally have a mosquito bite right nowwwwww!!!!!  And i run around a LAGOON!  I have all the symptoms....sore throat, joint pain, confusion.  It's over guys.  OVER.


5.  Sjogren's Syndrome.  It's an incredibly rare autoimmune disorder, but one of the symptoms is a sore throat.  I need to cover all my bases.


6.  Exercise or physical activity.  I just thought it was really funny that this was on webmd.  It looks like we're all sick folks.  

7. Ricin poisoning.  WHO THE HELL IS POISONING ME RIGHT BEFORE A MARATHON???


8. Rabies.  Waffles has gone from trying to steal food out of my hand to trying to steal food out of my mouth as i chew it.  She has had a rabies vaccine, but maybe she is some kind of carrier, like that monkey in outbreak.

9. What the hell, as long as i am going crazy here, maybe its the ebola virus itself.  You never know with these things.

10. And finally, WebMD did throw in the common cold, just for the heck of it.  Treatment: Rest, Fluids, and stop looking at WebMd.  And with that, i am off.  Have a great weekend folks, and tell your mom's you love them! (and thank them for vaccinating you for mumps, seriously.)


****Also, don't forget to enter my raffle if you haven't yet!  Winners announced Monday!!***

My favorite race picture

This weeks Photo Challenge courtesy of Maggie is to post your favorite race photo.  Its really too bad it isn't worst race photos, because i have so, so many.  I ended up being torn.  I have a funny favorite from the Cincinnati half marathon last year where i crossed the finish line while hurdling a strategically placed banana peel, mario kart style (you can view it here at Kelsey's Blog).  In the end, I chose this as my absolute all time favorite race photo.

Technically it's after the race, but it was right after the Chicago Half Marathon 2011, and i had just finished my very first half marathon, and it just seemed like the most impossible thing ever at the time.  I had trained all summer, with no background in running, and involved a lot of difficult transitions to accommodate the training (hellooooo saturday 5 am).  My mom, brother, and all of my dads family, as well as Matt and my two best friends came out to cheer me on.  I know someone who was not me ended up winning the race, but i seriously doubt they had the crowd support that i did, so i consider myself the real winner of that race.

FWP

I suppose its that time.


1.  So Matt and I have a beer fridge (delayed maturation?)  Its mostly because he had a really nice mini fridge, and I let him keep it in his "man cave"  (the office)  When we went to Cincinnati, we smuggled back a bunch of Yuengling - not because its necessarily amazing, but mostly because we can't buy it in Illinois, so we feel the need to hoard it.  Sadly, we had just stocked up with the costco summer beer sampler, so the beer fridge was overflowing to start.  No more room in the beer fridge.

Such a FIRST WORLD PROBLEM.


2.  I used to really like Living Social and Groupon, because they would have really cool offers for things i would have never sought out on my own - cooking classes, new yoga studios, museum tickets.....but lately, they are attempting to profile me and send me more personalized specific deals...and they are all for liposuction and cellulite!!! WTF?

Maybe its because i always bought the $10 for $20 worth of food groupons....
FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS.


3. I usually sit and blog in the mornings with the pup.  Its our quality time where we hang out on the couch, and she is generally calm and cute and lovable.  This morning she wolfed down her food, jumped on the couch, and belched right in my freaking face.

FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS.


4.  So i just discovered the "Draw Something" game for smart phones (are you surprised?  I just figured  out instagram like 3 weeks ago.)  Its basically like digital pictionary.  Only i have no one to play with.  probably because my pictures are so terrible.  If you have it, please play with me - gingerfoxxx.  Also, if you have any idea what this might be, let me know, because you have totally stumped me Rachel.  I got nothing.

FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS


5. I don't know what is going on with butterflys as of late, but there is one in front of my window at work that has been harassing me.  He just keeps flying into the window over and over and over again.  I snapped this picture of him, but i am pretty sure he is dead, or at the very least unconscious.  I seriously can't get anything done at work though - i just keep watching him.

FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS


6.  I still have to wait two more days before i can start obsessively compulsively checking the 10 day weather report for Rockford.  Sigh.

FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS.


7.  Meow is dead, and i find the world a cold dark place now with no meaning.  You went too soon. RIP, Meow.

Stop. Over. Feeding. Your. Pets!
FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS


8.  There is some major trouble brewing in North Carolina.  As a strictly serious about nothing blog, i wont get into my views, but when we were growing up, and my brother and i couldn't agree on the way to approach something, my mom took away the privilege to whatever it is. 

 If we can't figure out who can and can't get married, we should just ban marriage.  That'll teach everyone to get along according to mom law.  If we ban all marriage, we can all be angry and miserable together.

Sue would rule with an iron fist.


FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS.


9.  I have a deep dark secret.




I like Jack Black movies.  I really do.  I thought "Be kind, rewind" was great.  I just discovered the movie Bernie which is a true story about a murder in texas where everyone took the side of the murderer.  I think it sounds amazing.  I assure you, no one will ever watch this movie with me....life is so hard.

FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS.


10.  They keep switching pace groups for the Rockford Marathon!  I am sure its because there just aren't a ton of people running the marathon, but its 11 days out.  You are starting to freak me out!!  Would i cross a line if emailed the race director?  What if i called the emergency information line....?

FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS.


We made it to wednesday folks!  And check out my Charity Raffle if you haven't already!!

Raffle time!

I have a few raffles lined up this summer to help me fundraise for my charity, The Huntington's Disease Society of America. If you haven't read my story, i strongly encourage you to do so, because i am the best. writer. ever. (ha)  HD has killed off a good portion of my dads side of the family (including my dad) but we have decided to fight back.  I ran the chicago half marathon last year, and raised money all summer, and honestly - it sucked. The running was a lot of fun, but i barely met my personal goal in the 11th hour, and basically no one wanted to donate because they had never heard of the disease, didn't emotionally relate to it, and just didn't care.


I am running the Chicago half marathon again this year (as well as the Chicago full Marathon!), only i took over and am leading the entire charity team, because i am a psychopath go-getter.  Rather than just beg for money, we are setting up fun events and raffles. May is actually Huntington's Disease Awareness month (did you know that?  Now you do!) so i thought it was a perfect time to do this awesome raffle.

The amazing folks at Pro-Compression have donated two pairs of their marathon socks to help raise some money for Team Run for HD!  What can i say about Pro-Compression that i haven't already?  You know i love them - i have three pairs (so far...)  I started wearing them as an extra layer during my brutal winter training, but i realized how much they help me run longer and recover faster.  (After i ran my first half marathon i couldn't run for a week.  10 days ago i ran a 20 miler, and the next day went back out for more!)  I have no proof that compression socks make you a better runner - i'm not a doctor.  or a scientist.  Its even debatable if i can really call myself a "runner"  but they do make you look cool, they are WAY easier to get on and off then other compression socks, they have fun colors, and they make me feel like a better runner; thats all that matters to me!**


**It's important that you know Pro-Compression does not sponsor me in anyway.  I actually just really like their products, and they were nice enough to help out with this charity!


So, thanks to Eric at Pro-Compression, i have not one, but TWO pairs of compression socks (which retail for $50.00 each) to raffle off:

Both are size S/M - one is hot pink, one is black.  Personally, i want the black pair!

To enter this raffle, all you have to do is donate to my charity page.  For every $3 you donate to HDSA you get one entry into the raffle! ($3 = 1, $6 = 2, etc.) You can get one additional entry if you blog about this raffle - (just post a link in the comment section)  and another if you go to facebook and like Team Run for HD (and comment below telling me).  


My charity page for donations is HERE.  The two winners will be announced Monday morning, so you have until Sunday night to donate and tell all your friends!!


**Also, if you have any desire to run the Chicago Half Marathon with us, or are curious about what else we are doing to fundraise/raise awareness please visit www.TeamRunforHD.com.  We're kind of a big deal.

I had to add this picture with me wearing my white pro compression socks.  Because i look awesome.

As always, thanks for the support!!


Sara/G-foxxx

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

As i lay here, wrapped head to toe in compression gear like some kind of sports mummy, i wanted to write down a few thoughts before i get too sloshed on my post race dirty martini(s)


**Sorry in advance for how long it is - it was a busy weekend!


We left late Friday night, because we didn't want to skip puppy class.  Waffles is brat, and really needs the class.  Plus, she gets to stay late and play with the trainer's dog because they are the same size, and i secretly hope he might teach her something.  She learned how to sit, which was awesome, but she also ripped into a bag of dog food in one of the aisles during the class, which was incredibly embarrassing. 


We left Chicago at about 9, and had a 5 hour drive ahead of us (plus one time zone change)  We were in a rush to get there, because it turns out Matt's race was on Saturday, not Sunday.  Because he needed the sleep to rock the Flying Pig 10k, i drove.  It's important to mention that i am fast asleep by 10:30  most nights.  Maybe 11 if i get really crazy.  In order to stay up until 3 am without killing Matt and Waffles in a fiery car wreck, i consumed both a 5 hour energy, and a redbull.  (saturday morning felt worse than any hangover i have ever had!  how do people drink that stuff???)  I got us to Cincy at about 3am, allowing me three hours of sleep before we had to get up to get Matt to his race.

Matt's dad, myself and waffles went to cheer Matt on.  It was cool and drizzling, and i would be lying if i said i wasn't super jealous - perfect running weather in my book.  Matt did great, and ran his race in about 54 minutes!  Matt's Dad was having a blast being a puppy grandpa and walked waffles around the entire time, so i could take these awesomely blurry action shots of Matt.

After his race, i had a HUGE breakfast, and we went to the expo.  This expo was CRAZY.  I thought the shamrock shuffle was over the top, but this was larger than life.  P&G sponsors the flying pig, and they had a huge sample area where they were giving away rolls of toilet paper, toothbrushes, diapers, etc.  There was a line, and Matt refused to wait.  But seriously, if you have an hour to kill, its basically like super market sweep.  

It's pigippides! The ancient greek pig who first ran the marathon!

The Pig has some really sweet swag - Other than the t-shirt (which i love) You get an official race poster, and a duffel bag!  Heck yeah!  They also offer customized race-bibs, which to be honest, make the whole race worth while in my opinion.

My favorite part!

Matt wanted to take me to a butterfly exhibit at the Cincinnati botanical gardens, but getting there we inadvertantly drove through part of the course.  Apparently, we were on Mount Adams.  Thats right, the Flying Pig course runs you up a god damn mountain.  As i stood on top of this mountain, i realized that i make terrible decisions.  Thats ok though - i think its what makes this blog enjoyable (to like 5 people...)  

RACE DAY:


I woke up at 5am (4am chicago time - ouch!)  I got dressed, had some coffee and a luna bar, and took some salt stick tabs.  The race had already been yellow flagged because i was running it of the heat, and they had even offered deferment (which i don't think many people took)  Cincy is known for it's heat and humidity, so the pig people knew how to deal with it (they offered deferrment, and added additional water stations.)  We barely made it to the race on time (true to Matt & Sara tradition) so i had to run the mile to the starting line.  I have to stop starting every race this way!  I jumped in after the race started, and was already sweating.  The race started at 6:30 am, and it was already about 70 degrees, with an impressive 97% humidity.  How does 97% humidity even happen when it's not raining??  I started off slow because i knew this would be a brutal race.  The first 5 miles are hilly (by Chicago standards) but i felt like i held my own.  You cross a bunch of long bridges into kentucky and back, so the hills weren't steep, in my opinion.  Mile 5 brings you through downtown, and it was the best mile ever.  I saw Matt and Waffles, i got high fives from kids, they were giving out popsicles, and two people said they loved my outfit.  I was feeling good, but the sun was up and blaring, and i was getting HOT.  

Then we turned onto Gilbert Ave, and proceeded to run up a f***ing mountain for three miles.  This is where i started to lose it.  I knew it was going to be hard, but i never in a million years imagined it would be that hard.  Part of me died on that hill, but i like to think it was the weak part.  At least 3 times  someone told me i was at the top and it was all down hill.  Each time it was a lie.  By the third time it happened i called the lady out for being a god damn liar.  I get so bitchy when i'm tired.  The main hill was about two miles of awful, followed by shorter, steeper hills.  What. is. wrong. with. you. Cincinnati????


My mantras for this race was "You bitches are crazy" up until i started to feel sick, when it became "at least i didn't sign up for the full marathon..."


At about mile 10, i was basically in blackout mode, but i remember going downhill. And people playing the beastie boys.  My plan had been to book it and gain back some of time i lost, but i had nothing left.  My knee felt like it was on fire (maybe from the uphill?) and i was burning up.  I took water and gatorade at every single aid station and it just wasn't enough.  I tried to take my pulse, but i forgot how to count.  I knew i was struggling though and just shuffled along at a slow but safe pace.  I started to see collapsed runners, and vowed not to be one of them, even if i ended up with a three hour finishing time.  I had brought a gel, but i was so nauseous the second half of the race that i couldn't stomach it (it was like Get Lucky all over again, only without Kelly to keep me going!)  The last two miles were flat, but in full sun.  This was the point i had to walk/run until the finish.  This was also when people stopped telling me i looked cute, and just started telling me if i finish it, it will be over.  I saw Matt and waffles again at mile 12, and was near tears.  I hugged waffles and gave matt my uneaten gel.**  I spent the last mile dry heaving my way to the finish line.  It was pretty rough.  My final time was 2:09:something.  

** Apparently Matt ate the gel because "it was open" and going to make a mess. He said it was disgusting and threw it away, thus WASTING my gel.  When i asked how it had gotten opened, he admitted to opening it because he was hungry.  Seriously?


I was pretty sad that i had yet another shitty race plagued by heat.  I really think i could be a good runner someday if i could choose a race that isn't yellow flagged.  I took extra measures to be as safe as possible on this race, but i still finished it about 5lbs lighter than i started.  I really maintain that it was a huge success for me however, because it is a hard course, and it was really hot.  My time wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible either, and i now have this experience to benchmark all my other races (spoiler: every other race will seem easy.)


THE REVIEW:


The cost:  It's pricey unless you register early, but there are a lot of perks, and i feel like i got more than what i paid for.


The destination: Despite my hatred of skyline chili and the Cincinnati reds, i really like visiting Cincy - It's a really fun big small town.


The weather:  Unpredictable.  Last year it rained, some years its freezing.  This was the hottest year for the pig ever.  Also, Cincy is ALWAYS humid, and somewhat of an allergy nightmare. 


The course:  It's hard.  The hardest race i have ever run, by a significant amount.  But maybe i just choose easy races.  I can tell you, there is nowhere in Chicago to properly train for those hills.  Could i have gotten a better time?  Maybe.  But that it is for another day.  I have a marathon in two weeks to get ready for.

Doesn't look bad at all on here.  When you see it in person you WILL PEE YOURSELF.

The crowd:  So amazing.  Those people are amazing.  I don't think i ran more than 100 feet without someone cheering me on.  Best crowds i have ever seen.


The finish:  The medal is amazing.  My favorite is the pig butt on the back of the medal.  An extra perk is that each race (5k, 10k, half, full) has a unique medal.  

Support:  I know that Cincy can't control the weather, but they sure know how to prepare for it.  Other than emails warning me about what to wear and how to cope, they added extra water stations.  Thank god.


Food at the End:  Tons!  I used my mylar blanket as a hobo satchel (like i needed to keep warm?) and left with protien bars, fruit, a bagel, hohos, gogurt, chips, dried fruit!  It was amazing!  SO MUCH FOOD!!


Overall:  I know it's not close to Chicago, but its not far either.  This is not an easy race even in perfect conditions.  It takes a lot of tough stuff, a lot of which i realized i am missing half way through.  There is a reason why Cincy runners always win the pig - they are the few people who can handle those hills!  As painful as it was, it was a great time - especially the first 6 miles before it got really, really hot.  In fact i was really feeling like this could be my race for the first half!


Will i ever run it again?  When pigs fly.  Which is May 5th, 2013.  (i don't know about the full though, i might need a couple years!)  Whose coming with me?