Bone spurs, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, ankle sprains, IT band syndrome.  These are common injuries suffered by runners.

I’ve been fortunate to not experience a single running injury in all my years of running…until now.  People go through injuries all the time, but you can never really understand the magnitude of the pain until it affects you.  The pain that I am referring to is not just physical, it is emotional.

It’s been 2 weeks since my achilles on my right foot started acting-up.  A slight jogging step will trigger the pain. The sharp pain radiates from the base of my achilles to the sides of my foot whenever I take a step harder than a walk.  Imagine the effect it had on my emotions. 

“Oh-no, I can’t run!”

“What am I going to do?”

“My event is only a month away!”

“Will I have enough time to train for my event?”

“What if I can’t run my event?”

I’ve been feeling a bit down about not being able to run.  But you know what?  My injury has helped me realize that there are things you can control and things you can’t.  I can’t control the fact that I have an injury, but I can control how I feel about it.  I am telling myself that I will heal, and I’m going to do everything I need to help my achilles heal quickly as possible. 

I’ve been stretching my calf muscles, using my foam roller, icing my ankle, and putting a hold on my running until I’m completely healed so I don’t make it worse.

Instead of running, I have been biking.  Biking doesn’t hurt my achilles so I feel it’s a safe alternative to getting a good cardio workout and gaining strength.  My quadriceps is getting stronger and that will help me with my runs once I’m healed. 

I’m not going to let my injury beat me down.  I’m going to stay positive.  Optimism is good for the mind and soul.  

In life, I have choices.  I can choose to be depressed and bitter about my injury, or I can choose to redirect my focus on getting better.  I can choose to quit running or I can choose to try a different workout that will compliment my running.  It’s all about having a good attitude. 

I may be weary, but not defeated.

I may be in pain, but not destroyed.

I may be beat down, but not crushed.

I may be suffering, but not dead…

Keep on running my friends…

~Walking/biking-girl (for now)

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/avegiant09/rguittap

I sometimes run on a trail called Sawyer Camp. It is a recreational trail with a never-ending path of twists and turns. Every time I approached a turn, I kept thinking that the end of the trail was right around the bend. I get excited, until I get passed the bend and see another turn...and another...and another. Every winding turn starts to look the same. It can be very daunting.

Running can be tedious at times. There are a lot of people who don't see the joy in running- even runners themselves. They run because they have to or they make themselves run, because they know it's good for them. I know this because I go through this everyday.

When I find myself getting tired and weary, I try to redirect my focus. Instead of dwelling on the repetitiveness of my run, I focus on God's blessings by taking notice of the nature around me--from the moss covered trees, lush greenery, and blue skies that surround me, to the little creatures like the deer, rabbits, and blue jays that sometimes greet me.

There will always be other runners running the same trail. When a runner passes by, it is common courtesy to acknowledge each other with a smile or a nod. It is nature's beauty, the little creatures, and the smile of people passing by that makes my run enjoyable and worthwhile.

Life is like a running trail. It can be redundant. As the day is ending, another one begins. We feel as if our life is a routine. We wake up, eat, go to work or school, eat again, go to sleep. Everyday is the same. But it doesn't have to be.

What we fail to do is notice the little things in life. Ironically, the little things are what give life significance. So when we go about our daily lives, and life seems so routine, remember to enjoy the people that make you smile and the conversations that make you laugh. Sometimes if we focus too much on the routines of our life, we rob ourselves of the beauty that's around us. Be thankful for your blessings. Look at life in a new way--with a fresh outlook and a new vision. Create yourself a New Year!

Happy Running!

~Running Girl

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/aveGiant09/rguittap

On Sunday, June 1, 2008, at 6:30 AM, 17,828 runners at the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon, in 70° weather, ran 26.2 miles with an average time of 5:01:08 and raised $12.5 million for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I was one of the 17,828 runners at the San Diego Rock n' Roll Marathon. It was a beautiful day for a run, and I was thrilled to be a part of the event and be surrounded by people with a common interest. I was a little speck in the sea of purple, which is Team In Training's signature color. "Running-Girl" was printed on my running number. Bystanders yelled out, "Go team!" and "Go Running-Girl!" They even called out my real name, which was printed on my singlet in white letters, to show their support. Having strangers cheer me on was very encouraging, touching, and emotional.

Earlier on in the race, I found myself behind a man sporting a t-shirt with the verse: "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). It was the perfect prelude to my run. I meditated on that verse. For a moment, the cheer of the crowd was muffled by the intensity of my thoughts. As I entered into a world of my own, all I could hear was the cadence of my foot striking the asphalt. All I felt was my chest rising and falling with every breath. All I could taste was the saltiness of my perspiration rolling to the corners of my lips. And all I could smell was the freshness of the open air. I was beside myself. All my focus was on the quietness of the moment with my time with God. Each step was a thanksgiving with Christ, my Savior.

I thanked God for my health and for my ability to run 26.2 miles, especially during a milestone in my life. I declared my run in San Diego as a rite of passage as I entered into my 40^th year of life. Not coincidentally, San Diego is my birthplace.

I absorbed the beauty that San Diego had to offer. On my run, I enjoyed the sites as I passed by the Seaport Village, Petco Park, Downtown San Diego, Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, Fashion Valley Center, Fiesta Island/Mission Bay, and Sea World.

Running 26.2 miles doesn't come easy, but I cannot complain. There is someone wishing they could be in my shoes going through the challenges I am faced with on my run, rather than suffering through the emotional struggles of cancer and the physical pain of chemotherapy.

Mile 21 was the toughest for me. That's when I thought about my personal honoree, Minnie, and the strength and courage she had shown over the 4 years battling cancer. One of my team honoree, Gregg, once told me, "Cancer survivors and runners have one thing in common. They both have to find the inner strength to continue on, no matter what the circumstances."

At mile 23, my inner strength grew weary. Then, at the right moment, God sent me a messenger on foot. I approached another runner wearing a shirt with a message, "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Yes, the same message I read at the beginning of the race. I knew God was with me.

My finishing time was 4 hours, 26 minutes, and 43 seconds-a personal record for me. The fascinating thing about running is that it's really a race against oneself. Each runner has their own agenda. One runner said it best, "There can be tens of thousands of marathoners sharing the same course, experiencing the same weather, covering the same mileage, but no one runs the same race."

In a place where life began for me 40 years ago, I felt as if my life has only just begun. Running 26.2 miles reminded me that I am capable of doing anything. My run is a celebration of life. Through Team-In Training, I got to fulfill my personal goal and be able to give a part of myself to make a difference in this world. I raised a total of $7810 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with the help of family and friends. My run is not just for personal glory, but also for the fight against cancer so that others may celebrate life year after year.

The rewards for running a race through Team In Training are priceless. I've gained new friendships, helped raise money for cancer research, fulfilled my desire to mentor young runners, experienced the thrill of crossing the finish line, and gained a heightened respect for runners and the sport of running.

Now that my marathon is over, I can truly say that I had a great run. But the race isn't over yet. There is still research to be done. Until there is a cure for cancer, I will continue to run.

Happy Running!

Running-girl signing off....

To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit my fundraising page . Every penny counts. Thank you for making a difference!

Sometimes I like running alone to set aside time for myself to sort out the day's events. But for the most part, I enjoy running with a buddy. My top 3 advantages of a running with a buddy are as follows:

1) The conversations make the time quickly pass by and helps me forget about the distance of my run

2) There is always safety in pairs

3) When I feel tired, my running buddy is always there to give me encouragement

My last run was a 16-mile run in Woodside. I assigned myself a running buddy. After a few track workouts, I pretty much know who has been running my pace. So, I spotted him out in the crowd and stuck by him. My running buddy is a perfect running buddy. He's great company and doesn't talk too much, he's slightly faster than I am, and never tires. His slight edge in speed forces me to push a little harder, which helps build my stamina.

What is my biggest problem? Bathroom breaks!!! I hate when I have to go because it just messes up my momentum. It also sets me back so much that I end up losing my running buddy. Did you know that a "quick" bathroom break could mean a half a mile difference between my running buddy and me? Well, I never like to make people wait for me while I'm taking a potty break especially when time is important. So I usually tell him or her to go on ahead.

So now, my bathroom break left me all alone. More so because I had to wait an extra 5-minutes. There were 2 portal-potties, and it was my lucky day to have both occupied by people taking a dump! Now the 10-minute bathroom break made it a mile difference between my running buddy and me. All I could think of was the grueling hills, the intense heat, and the horse manure that lied ahead of me.

But you know what? The advantage of running in popular running trails or with large groups, such as Team In Training, is that you are bound to run into another runner along the route. And sure enough, I caught up with a runner who I assigned as my new running buddy. I kept my focus on her and tried to keep her as my pacer. The unknown person became my encouragement. She kept trekking along...I kept trekking along. I made sure I didn't lose site of her. Keeping one foot after the other was my mission. And it was my goal to keep up with her. After awhile, she knew I was following her. We acknowledged each other. She admitted that it was comforting for her to know that she wasn't alone on this trail.

We finally stopped at a water stop and introduced ourselves to each other. We made an unspoken agreement to run with each other the remaining 6 miles. "You go first," I said. "No, you go first," she said. Apparently, neither of us wanted to go first on the single path. There is something more comforting about following rather than leading when it comes to running.

As a follower:

• You don't have the pressure of worrying whether you are going too fast or too slow because the leader becomes your pacer.

• You don't have to worry about where you are going or where you are stepping. You just follow the steps of your leader.

• If you feel like stopping, you can stop without worrying about spoiling it for the person behind you.

• When the leader stops, you don't feel as bad as if you initiated the stop.

• It is easier to run behind someone, because the person in front of you makes pacing easier. All the follower has to do is put one foot after the other and stay behind the leader.

Anyway, to be fair, I led this time; but only up until we got to a 2-person trail. Then we ran side-by-side. So, in the end, the 16-mile run wasn't bad at all. I'm sure I would've walked more or have gone a lot slower if I wasn't running with a buddy. So, I strongly recommend a running buddy.

If you don't have a running buddy, you can use my stategy for self-assigning a running buddy. If my running buddy isn't around, I'll start on a course solo and after a few miles, I can pick out the ones who's been running close to my pace and run by them. Another technique I use is to pick out a person in front of me and focus on that runner. If I happen to catch up with him or her, then I pick out another person in front of me and focus. I sometimes even make a game of it and try to see if I can catch up with the person in front of me. It helps make the time go by.

Happy running!

-Running Girl

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light." (Hellen Keller)