I called puro-who-knows-when this morning and got the same story from the customer service rep. Sorry .... we apologise ... nothing we can do... blah blah. I let her know how disappointed I was with the service and that I would never use them again.
6 minutes later my phone rings ... it's Puro-don't-want-to-lose-your-business, big apology, crediting our account. Success!
and marathon number three will be checked off the list.
Met up with P and D this morning for our second to last long run before Vegas. In shorts ... yes ... I ran in shorts ... in late November ... in Canada! Probably the last outing my shorts will have before they see Nevada.
We headed out for the loop of the park. The first three miles were tough. Tight tired legs, just as I remember the taper ... I'll feel worse before I feel better. I figured by mile 4 things would be warmed up and loosened out ... nope ... maybe by five ... hmmm ... not happening. Okay six, that's the magic number ... not so much. Finally around mile 7 I started to feel good. The rest of the run back was much better.
We got 14 miles done in the end, which I was really happy with. The last double digit run before the fireworks in LV!
I spent the afternoon doing laundry and attempting to pack, I'm off to Balitmore and Washington this week for a conference ... aka shopping on company time! Looking forward to running in a couple new cities and seeing some sites.
First I have to have a rant. I signed off on the final proofs for our winter brochure on Tuesday morning, the printers won't go to print until they have the approved version in their hot little hands. So I called Purolator (they are our courier through a work contract), they collected the envelope Tuesday AM for a 48 hour delivery ... that would be Thursday, brochure scheduled to go to press Friday afternoon.
At 2.36pm yesterday (Friday) I get a call from the printers ... no package. I call Puro-sometime, after 4 minutes of automated hell I finally get a service reps who informs me the envelop was rerouted three times to the wrong depot. It is now in the right depot, but because it has a 48 hour tag on it ... it won't be delivered until Tuesday!
Sorry ... What ... When?
"Can you contact the depot? I need it there today ... actually yesterday!" silence ... "No, we have no way of contacting or getting the envelop."
Is this depot in a shack in Siberia? How can you not contact them?
So I had to call the printers back, pay a screw you royally fee to have the proofs signed off on electronically so it could go to print on time!
What made this even more stressful was I had a 3pm appointment with the massage guru. Seriously, no work emergency was stopping me from my 1 hour of blissful torture.
I was only a couple minutes late for my appointment. Not only did he rid me of much unwanted stress due to the crap service of Puro-whenever-the-hell-we-feel-like-it, but he also worked on my aching muscles. These include and are not limited too ... hip, butt, back, shoulder, neck, hamstring, calf ... oh and the IT Band. Which I think he took a little too much pleasure in ripping through. The man is a hot beach volleyballing playing massage genius, there should be a national day in his honor!
In shoe news, the new ones (newest) are doing good. I ran just under 8 miles in them on Thursday night, no blisters, no swollen foot, could walk the next day ... all good things.
Two weeks to go ... I will be in the midst of livin' large in vegas!
My new, two week old adidas supernovas are cursed.
I am totally blaming them for all my recent foot problems, as well as anything else I can think of. I'm not 100% sure it is them, but I feel so strongly that I can contemplate even wearing them to the grocery store never mind for a marathon.
Here's the evidence.
First wore them Nov 2, couldn't walk Nov 3 .... maybe something wrong with foot
Nov 4 short run in them, Nov 5 long run in different shoes but foot in pain .... don't see connection
Nov 6 go to physio ... no running for four days
Nov 9 run 5k in evil shoes ... tender the next day, but nothing terrible
Nov 11 run 5k ... sore the next day
Nov 12 long run in shoes ... swollen foot with blood pooling under skin ... foot seems really screwed
Nov 13 pain ... now looking at new shoes with distain
Nov 16 5k in old shoes ... no pain next day at all
Nov 17 6k in evil shoes ... can barely walk
Nov 19 38k in old shoes ... today I feel great
It is so those shoes, I got suckered in by their pretty blue strips and comfy cushioning.
So today I bought yet another pair of shoes. I told J, he is not to sell me anything except Brooks, no matter how pretty all the other shoes are, I can't have them, even if I beg.
I love the colour!
I feel great after yesterday's just 4k short of a marathon run. My legs are slightly tender, but nothing to complain about, I should be ready to lace up my pretty new pink shoes tomorrow night!
it's all downhill now to Vegas.
Today was big run day, the longest run in training for Vegas. 38k or 23.6 miles. I'm ready, bring on the taper and bring on the marathon. I'm not sure if it was the weather, the company, the training or the planets just aligned ... but today's run was by far the best training run I have ever had ... ever!
I started just after 6.30am, so early the sun had yet to come up. Met up with D, P, K, J and S about a mile later, then we all headed down the road. We chugged along only stopping for a toliet break at 7k and to take a picture. J brought her camera, so we stopped at the distance to PS signs, snapped a pic to prove she did it. Port Stanley ... 31k
Our first offical waterstop was at 11k, complete with everything your heart could desire, water, gatorade, candy, chips, bananas, oranges, bandaids, body glide, tissues and a smiling waterstop attendant who took attendance and let us know if we were on pace. I took my first gel here, just like I plan to in vegas.
My foot was tender for most of the run today but not sore, I spent a lot of time concentrating on how I was landing. I consumed way too much candy at the first two waterstops ... mainly cause it was there and it's so pretty and colourful. By the third waterstop, at the halfway point I had banned all candy. Our group started to spread out a bit after this. D and I stayed together until the next waterstop, then I kept going by myself. I could really feel a difference in my foot after stopping, it would take a km or so to warm up and stop hurting.
Up first big hill, no problem, then it's flat for the next 10k. A second group of runners, faster paced than our group had left about 45 minutes after us. I figured they would catch us around the 7k to go. I pulled into the waterstop, checked behind me ... nope he wasn't there ... but I knew he wasn't far behind.
The second and thankfully last hill of the day was ahead of me. My plan was to keep running up the hill until they caught me, once they'd passed me I could walk. Half way up and glanced behind me ... nope can't see them yet. There was a slight bit of disappointment because I really wanted to walk ... I mean really wanted too. Then I thought, if I can't see them, could I possible make it all the way there without them catching me? Could I? 5k left ... I think I can, I think I can.
All the way to the top, a quick nose blow and drink at the last waterstop then downhill to PS. I kept going at the turn I checked behind me ... no one ... but I knew they were close. Last k, turn the corner start heading for the beach. I had kinda relaxed at this stage ... feeling rather cocky and holding them off. Then I saw Paul and Jordan, they were cheering and waved, then they looked behind me ... why ... what could possible be back there, then they said "oh look there's mom"
... what!
I turned around ... they were right behind me, Terry and Janice ... they must of taken a cab! Okay I'm not being taken out in the last 500m, I picked up the pace, he was closing in on me ... damn him and his fast long legs. I would never have thought I would of had a sprint (it felt like a sprint) left in me at 37.5k ... but I did ... thanks to Terry.
After everyone finished we had an awesome brunch. Everyone was really happy with their run, they all agreed they could do another 4k without a problem. More importantly, we have a plan of attack post marathon ... quick shower and start drinking. I'm so excited!
update: Terry just sent me this which I think is more accurate ... cue music .... roll film in slow motion .... Terry relentlessly pursued you; his long speedy legs (made of Spaceship metal) carrying him forward closer and closer to his nemesis ...
for organizers!
I suggested having a destination run as our final long run before vegas, now with only a few days too go, I am working out the logistics. I have so much admiration for our coach that does this 3 times a year for 150+ runners.
There are 14 runners taking part, we all leave at different times so that we all arrive in PS at 11.30am. Friends and family meet us there, cheer us in, then it's off for a slap up lunch. Finally we carpool back to where we started.
I'm just waiting find out everyones start times. If everything works out we should have 7 waterstops along the route. After the first 10k there should be one every 4 -5 km. So if you don't like wearing a waterbelt like me, you shouldn't have too.
I can't believe how anal retentive I sound ... and it gets better
I made a map (I have too much time on my hands) the blue numbers are distance in KM to PS.
I can see the end, I can feel it and almost taste it. Today's training run is the one I like the least, it's the second longest run, it doesn't have that wonderful feeling of the longest run. You know when you complete the longest one, it's woo hoo I'm ready, or now it's all taper taper taper. Nope this run is just a really long prelude to the next. But it gets those much needed miles on my legs.
Today's run ... the second longest in my epic vegas training, was not dreadful, it was awesome. Today I really felt the benefit of all the mileage. I didn't feel the benefit of it in Niagara, my legs and me ran out of fuel, not a lot of fun with 5 miles still to go ... 5 long miles. Today, we ran 19 miles, I felt strong throughout. Even when we finished I could of been talked into another 2 miles, no one tried, but if they did I would of!
My foot was sore, I kept running slow on it in hopes of not hurting it further. Then around mile 13, I thought lets see if I can pick it up. Surprisingly it felt better (almost not sore) when I went faster. I think I land differently, more to the front of my foot.
So, one more long run, one more longish taper run to go ... oh I can definitely see it!
I'm kinda a bit lost with "Lost" the show. I loved season 1 & 2, but now I'm all confused. It reminds me of Twin Peaks, it was really good weird, then it was just too weird. Season finale is tonight, it's November, I'll never remember what happen when it starts again.
My foot is feeling a lot better, the stretching seems to be working. I will test it tomorrow night when I go for a run. I've had four days off, I'm expecting a major miracle ... i know miracles are possible ... KFed got the boot ... anything is possible!
at least for a few days.
I did my 18 miler Saturday morning, my legs felt great, cardio was good, but my foot was a problem.
It's the outside of my foot from the mid point of the heel to the mid point of the arch. It not plantar fasciitis, there is no pain on the bottom of the foot in the arch. It's the opposite side of the foot from the heel spur pain that's been there for the past two month ... the good news is this pain has overthrown the other pain! It hurt so much on Sunday I actually thought about going to the ER to have it checked out.
So I went to physio this afternoon. He doesn't think it's a stress fracture which is what I was fearing. It has something to do with the heel spurs and some big word I can't remember. I have to ice, do stretches and exercises with a band and no running for two more days. Monitor the pain and go back on Thursday.
Tonight I am off to see Sir Elton John! Hold me close now Tony Danza or (Tiny Dancer) as some like to say!
I'll be on the plane bound for Las Vegas sipping cocktails and eating peanuts!
On Tuesday I bought new shoes, I've been wanting to try Adidas Supernova's so that's what I got. I took them for there first outing last night. They felt pretty comfortable at first. Then around 6 miles I felt a blister starting. By the end of the run I had 3 break in blisters, maybe 8 miles is too long a run for their first run?
This morning I could barely walk on my left foot, I almost had myself convinced it was broken. It seems to have gotten better, but now I am worried it is my pretty new shoes. I have 18 miles tomorrow, so I'll wear my old-not-so-pretty-anymore shoes and see how they feel.
Long runs on Saturday throw up routine into confusion ... must remember to eat ... beer is not a food group ... leave out running clothes ... buy food to eat tomorrow morning ... set alarm
there are days when I think life is the same as it was on the playground, the issues are pretty much the same, the faces are just old.
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