Back In The Saddle Again

Here's a quick review of last week's happenings.  I finished the steroid treatment--what a nightmare.  I realized that there might be some side effects to the steroids, but I was sure unprepared for what occurred.  First, I got that rash on my achilles' heels, which then spread to my feet and went as far up as my calf muscle on my right leg.  I then got hit by an allergic reaction or a virus that caused my throat to be really tight and dry.  By the last day of the steroid use, my throat felt as though I couldn't fit a straw in there.  I've been getting better each day since finishing the steroids.  It wasn't until Thursday that I began to feel almost normal.  In case you didn't know, steroids act as a suppressant to the immune system.  I guess I found out what life would be like with a weakened immune system.  The lesson learned here is to get the shot if it's ever offered again.  In defense of the pills, they did do their job.  My heels feel normal again, and I've even been walking with my usual stride--for a long time, I was walking on the ball of my left foot to relieve the pain. 

Friday came and the rash had not gotten any better.  I couldn't get in to see my doctor, so I ended up at an urgent care.  I explained what had happened and it turns out that the steroid treatment causes a blistery rash in a very small minority of people--I was one of the lottery winners.  So now I'm using a topical steroid cream to get rid of the rash that was caused by steroids.  I was told that it should go away within a week. 

I ordered my shoes from RoadRunner sports last Monday evening.  They arrived Thursday afternoon.  There's something exciting about getting a new pair of running shoes.  If you haven't checked out RoadRunner Sports, they are definitely worth a look.  They have the daily deal which is one item that is usually priced around 50% off.  The Daily Deal features shoes, clothing, and gear.  I like to support my local running shop, but they had the NB 1225 shoe that I wanted for $140.  I got the same shoes from RoadRunner for $103.54 including tax and shipping.  I went to the New Balance store in town and picked up an insert.  I got the NB Pressure Relief insert because it was the only one that offered a substantial metatarsal pad.  As a benefit, it also features a deep heel cup and it felt really good in the store.  The only potential drawback that concerned me was that it took up a lot of room in my shoe.  I like a lot of room in my forefoot. 

I wasn't quite satisfied with where the rash was yesterday, so I decided to just do a walk.  My wife and I went for a 1.5 mile walk @ a pace of 19:00/mile.  I didn't feel any after-effects on my heels from walking, but still iced it later.  I'm an even greater heel striker when I walk than I am when running.  The rash is now about 90% gone, so I prepared for my inaugural run of 2010.       

I had been looking forward to getting new shoes and getting back on the roads, but noticed that I was kind of nervous. What if I started running and my heel began hurting again? I haven't run in a month, so how far or how long should I try for? I was really worried, but just like when you fall off of a horse, you have to get right back on. As I put on my running clothes and laced up my shoes, I was worried--just like before my first marathon 17 years ago.  Oddly enough, I wasn't really excited.  Instead I was lethargic--probably due to not getting enough sleep last night.

I set out around the neighborhood and felt really good for the first 150 yards.  After that, I began huffing and puffing like I was doing a sub 7 minute pace.  I realized that I was going too fast, so I slowed down and began to settle in.  I was waiting to hear the English man's voice telling me that I had completed my first mile.  I use CardioTrainer to track my runs and the voice that tells you the distance and pace is that of a proper Englishman.  I was thinking to myself that I had to have gone a mile by now when Jeeves (I call the English guy, Jeeves) broke into the music and informed me that I had completed one mile in 10:15.  I was shocked.  I'm thinking, "what happened to my conditioning?  Man, I'm in really bad shape to be breathing this hard while doing 10 minute/mile pace.  All I had to do was listen to the song that was playing over my phone--Katy Perry's Waking Up In Vegas.  She kept telling me to shut up and do something, so I thought I should shut up and put a smile on my face because that's what I get for doing no cardio training for a month.  I fininshed the next 2.25 miles in 18:38  The breathing was still hard, but I felt comfortable the rest of the way. 

I wrote in a previous post that I was looking for something to hold my Motorola Droid phone while I ran--it's the same size and weight as an Iphone.  I am glad to report that I did find the solution.  I bought an Ifitness running belt (ifitnessinc.com).  The neoprene mini sport belt solved the problem for me.  My phone fit in their very nicely.  I put the belt on and didn't notice it the rest of my run--no bouncing or shifting.  I didn't even notice that I was still wearing it 30 minutes after my run.  In my opinion, the belt is a winner.

The new shoes felt great.  The insert made it feel like I was running on air.  The only problem is that there was a slight rubbing on the upper arch of my right foot.  I'll definitely have to keep an eye on that--perhaps some body glide.  I felt much better after the run than before.  I still have to be cautious.  If I can go a month without the old problems rearing their ugly heads, then I'll probably be out of the woods and can look forward instead of worrying about the past.  For now, I am very happy to count myself as a runner again.     

Click here to see today's run via CardioTrainer.