Three Things Thursday...and a special request

Several running blogs have a weekly series called Three Things Thursday. It's Thursday and I just happen to have at least three things to share, so who am I to not jump on the bandwagon?

1. I still have a lot to learn about running, so I look to more experienced runners who also blog and pick up tips and ideas from them. I always enjoy reading Chic Runner and Evolving Through Running because they're entertaining and instructional, and this week, I've snatched up some extracurricular reading ideas from That Pink Girl. She mentioned Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes and Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald, and since I know she knows her stuff, I ordered both books today. I can't wait till they arrive next week! If I spent half as much time actually running as I do reading about running, I would be AWESOME at it.

2. I have more races on my schedule! Even though I'm incredibly slow and would be happy finishing in the middle of the pack, I know I need a goal to work toward to motivate me to lace up my running shoes. So I'm running another 5K on Thanksgiving Day - the Turkey Trot  - mostly in hopes that the t-shirt will look like this:

Next on the list is a 10K at the Fayetteville Half Marathon on December 12. This is going to be a huge challenge, not only because of the distance, but also because of the course. The race starts and ends on the University of Arkansas campus - which alumni affectionately refer to as The Hill. Everything at the U of A somehow seems to be uphill, so I need to start training on hills now.

3. Ben Davis is a fellow Arkansan and runner, and his blog, bendoeslife.tumblr.com, has recently achieved international fame. He posted a video on YouTube of his journey to lose 120 pounds by running. Within just a few days, the video had thousands of views, and last time I checked it was up to more than 841,000 views. Since he's been discovered, he's gotten a sponsorship from Active.com and gets free running gear sent to him from major brands, like Brooks. He's gotten so popular that he has started selling t-shirts with his slogan: do life. He's a nice guy, so I ordered mine today!

And now for my special request. Technically, this is a fourth thing, but this isn't something that belongs on a lighthearted numbered list. A coworker, who I only know as an acquaintance, lost her husband to a terminal illness this week. She's also 8 months pregnant with their first child. She has been on my mind constantly in recent weeks, and my heart breaks to think of what she's going through. She and her husband sort of remind me of myself and Trea. Trea is my best friend, and I love him more than air. I can't imagine losing him at all, and certainly not at a young age, when our lives together are only just beginning. So hug your spouse, your kids, your best friend or your parents. Tell them that you love them and be thankful for one more day with them. And if you pray, please pray for Hannah.

Sidelined

I'm injured. There, I admit it. I've been running for weeks with increasing pain in my ankles, and I can't ignore it anymore. I began with pain in my knees, but that's gotten much better. I still notice a little twinge in my right knee when I run, but it's not constant like it was for a while. I thought the pain in my ankles would be the same way. I thought I was in pain because I'm new at this and the pain would decrease as I got stronger. I think I'm wrong.

I'm not sure when it started, but it almost never goes away. I haven't run since Sunday, and I'm growing very impatient. I was happy about making progress and the potential to lose weight and get in shape. Now I feel like I'll have to start over when I'm able to run again - if I'm able to run again. Are some people just not cut out for running? I certainly hope that's not the case. It seemed to take an eternity to build up my endurance to handle a three-minute sustained run. The thought of stopping for an injury and having to start over makes me crazy.

I have pain in both ankles, but my left is the worst. It hurts all the time when I walk - except when I wear heels! Oddly enough, I wore flats to work yesterday and was limping and miserable. Today, I wore heels and felt fine. I made sure to rotate my ankles as I sat at my desk, in case they only felt better because my shoes kept them from flexing as much as walking in flats. That gave me no problems at all. I thought maybe I had rested long enough and was looking forward to going for a run this evening. But as soon as I kicked off my heels and put my feet flat on the floor, all the pain came rushing back. So instead of running, I'm on the couch with ice on my foot.


I've been reading all kinds of scary articles about sprained ankles, strained ankles, stress/hairline fractures, tendinitis, and trying to figure out whether I underpronate or overpronate. I'm very confused and getting worried about potentially making the problem worse if I try to run through the pain. I know the obvious solution is to go to a doctor, but I'm hoping rest and ice will take care of it. When I feel better, I'm also planning to go to Rush Running to see if I need different shoes to control whatever awkward motion is causing me to have issues. I still can't believe that I'm barely six weeks into this, and I'm already having problems. Just call me Grace.

One of my Twitter pals suggested that I read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.


I ordered it today and am looking forward to checking it out. It's about a man who tries to run but can't understand why he has excruciating pain in his feet. After seeing several doctors, he seeks out an ancient Mexican tribe that can run for days at a time - with no warming up, stretching or even decent shoes. According to him, running is natural, and we should all be able to do it pain free. Mammals have been doing it for millions of years - why not me? I guess I'll find out. Until then, I'll be on the couch. Pouting.