FMM: Before Photos... or not...

I survived the weekend.  Walked just over 27 miles on Saturday.  My goal was 9 hours on my feet, and I was just a bit shy of that (I ended up at 8 hours, 48 minutes).  Whew!  18 miles with the pack on, 9 miles with just the vest.  But still carrying the full weight the whole time.  The absolute furthest I've ever gone in a day -- I think I'd maxed out around 26.5 miles before (NYC marathon, running from bag check to the start added about .3 miles to the full).  So a new PDR (personal distance record).  Crazy!

My ankle felt rock solid.  I now have 2 theories about what might have caused the pain -- either those side plank exercises, or indoor laps at boot camp (which include multiple left turns, including one sharp one that leads straight into an uphill).  I was running at camp this morning and I really felt it in my ankle on that sharp turn and incline.  I actually asked the instructor if we could reverse the direction for a while and he let us.  That seemed to help a lot.

I've always heard running the same direction on a short track can be bad for you.  Usually when I'm on a track, it's a quarter-mile outdoor track, and that's big enough that I've never had trouble.  But some of those indoor tracks are short (at my in-laws' gym, it's something like 8 laps to a mile!), and I can see how that would eventually build up to some problems in your body.  Repeated and frequent turns always the same direction just can't be good for you.

So for now, I'm going to follow doctor's orders -- kind of.  I think I'm going to wear my vest tomorrow morning for my run, but it will be slow and easy.  And then I'm taking a break I think while I'm on vacation.  This morning at boot camp it reminded me -- jumping rope does great things for my heart rate.  Almost like running, though I didn't do it long enough today to get it that high.  But I'll bring a jump rope with me, and maybe I can try to do some other exercises while we're gone, and maybe walk some.  But likely no running, and very likely no weighted running.

And I'd be lying if I said I hadn't checked out Bikram studios in Alabama!  Schedules aren't as good as the one here in Dallas (we usually have 6-7 classes per day to choose from, there at most there are 5).  But it might work around lunch time on Thursday.  An added bonus to that would be dropping some water weight before I have to wear an evening gown on Saturday night!

Anyway, the big pain from my looooong walk was the bottoms of my feet.  Again.  I blistered on the ball of each foot, basically right below my second toe.  About the size of a quarter on my right foot, about the size of a dime on my left.  Holy schnikees, that hurts.

And my hands and forearms swelled like crazy.  Hubby said that was from wearing the pack for 18 miles and perfectly normal.  I'm used to mild swelling in my hands on long runs, but this was unparalleled.  I was worried my wedding ring would snap off.  I had welts from my Garmin -- I always wear it in the same hole, and it's usually a bit loose, but it was hard to even take off this time.  I didn't even recognize my hands as I was driving home.

But after the rest of the day Saturday napping and keeping my feet up, then a pedicure (and sleeping in, instead of running) on Sunday, and I'm feeling better, aside from the blisters, and even those are getting better.

The plan is still to do one more 9ish hour walk on 3-3, and then taper down for the marathon, but keep the running miles fairly steady (and low, around 25ish per week).  

So I'm going to make a half-@ssed attempt at today's Friend Making Monday, though I can't bring myself to do photos...

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

FMM: Before Photos (or Not, in my case)

1. Are you on a weight-loss journey?  Have you lost weight in the past? Are you trying to lose it now?  I'm not really on a weight loss journey.  I was heavier about 5 years ago, and then in 2007 I added a boot camp to my running routine, and then in early 2008, I started to really clean up what I ate.  That all really changed my body shape for the better, and my weight went down a bit, but not as much as I expected really based on the changes in my body.  I guess it's the whole "muscle weighs more than fat" thing.  I'd love to lose some weight now, but at the same time, I'm more focused on meeting other health goals.  And if those happen, maybe the weight will evaporate away along that journey.  Though I weigh myself most days (and record the weight on New Year's and my birthday), I don't worry about the scale too much.  
2. Do you like being in pictures, or do you shy away from the camera?  I don't mind being in pictures, but I mostly love taking pictures, so I'm usually not in many.  I think I have a poor memory, which is part of the reason I like having photo memories.  
3. Does looking at old photos of yourself motivate you?  Not really -- I barely even identify with the old pictures.  I'm more motivated by looking at people who can do what I want -- watching the studs at boot camp, watching the people who pass me in races, etc.  I want to be stronger and faster, and I like looking at those people to motivate me.  
4. Weight-loss bloggers, do you post progress pictures on your blog? N/A
5. Will you share a before photo with us (even if you don’t have an after yet?)  Sorry..., can't bring myself to do it.  Plus, I've really been at the same weight-ish (probably within 5-10 pounds) since about Spring 2008, so I'm not even sure how readily accessible those pictures are.  But looking forward to seeing other people's progress photos!  

Now it’s your turn! Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments at www.alltheweigh.com!  Happy Monday friends!