Injured AGAIN!

YES, as a matter of fact, those ARE ace bandages on both of my feet! I'm starting to get really, really weary with the amount of times I have been injured since starting the training. My body is saying, really Kelly, do you REALLY need to be doing this race? Can't we just stay inside and have some tea? Today the problem is that my left achilles is acting up again, worse then ever (which surprises me since I wore the heel lifts all through the race) and my right ankle is now swollen and painful from twisting my ankle yesterday on a pothole. So it will be RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) for the rest of the day today, ie sporting the frozen veggies.

So far since training I have had the following issues:

Weird hip/pelvic tightness (the left front)- very odd

Left achilles problems- which sometimes goes to the right

Twisted ankle

Swollen ankles, which I think were caused by

Shin Splints

Calf cramps

Broken or sprained toe (which had nothing to do with training, just my basic klutziness)

Now I'm also having an odd thing that radiates up the inside of my leg, which I think is caused by overpronating- I wonder if taking out the inserts for pronation and putting in the heel lifts helped one thing but made issues for the other, do you know what I mean?

I think I am the role model that was used when they say that older women runners have issues with their lower extremities. Okay, enough bitching, I had to get that out!

On another note, had a very odd nightmare that woke me up this morning and thought I'd share it. No doubt it has to do with the fact that Amber Dubois's bones were found Saturday morning, and the speculation is that she was murdered by the same monster that murdered Chelsea King since it happened nearby.

I dreamt that I had come home and saw that the back door was open. Instead of LEAVING or getting into a small room and locking it behind me, I decided to call the police and unfortunately was attacked before I could dial out. I guess what my dream was trying to tell me was that if you feel like something is amiss in your home, get out immediately and call 911!

Run For Literacy 8K

Flash flood right before the start. Lovely.

Holly and Sara, two of my awesome teammates who are also running partners of mine.

Waiting for the start and hoping the rain would let up before the race. No such luck!

A portion of 163 South was closed to traffic for the race.

What a run! Run for Literacy 8K (just under 5 miles) is a fundraiser for literacy programs in San Diego. It started in Balboa Park, wound its way down Highway 163 and finished at Pantoja Park on G. Street in downtown San Diego. My race day plan was to beat the people walking with umbrellas and strollers!

It was POURING RAIN, specifically flash flood conditions before the start. Met up with about 70 of my teammates under the awning of The Hall of Champions museum in Balboa park right by the start, one of the only dry places to wait! The first mile went well, was fun to run through the park, by the museums and 6th Ave in Balboa Park. Saw one of the team captions Joe along the way, as well as my hubby who was trying to figure out where to park! My shin splints were REALLY hurting so I unfortunately had to walk for a bit- almost screamed out in pain when I stopped to stretch! Ran the last mile, twisting my ankle badly in the process on a pothole in the road. But was fantastic to cross the finish line and see my coach and teammates cheering me on. GO TEAM!

Bib: 3123
Name: Kelly Moncure
Gender: F
Age: 39
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Overall: 1677 out of 2110
Women: 965 out of 1286
F 35-39: 152 out of 198
Age/Grade: 31.44%
Place: 1753
Finish: 1:18:54 Pace: 15:53
Tag Time: 1:18:54
Gun Time: 1:21:07

15 minute miles are actually pretty good considering I only ran maybe 3? miles of it, and spent at least 10 minutes of the time waiting in line at a Sunoco for a restroom!

What I Get From Team in Training

I just entered the Gap's contest for non-profits, which is to tell the story of how you get more then what you give to a charity. The winning entry gets a gift certificate to the Gap, and the charity gets $10,000! Here is what I wrote-

I have been involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program for over 13 years now, and I am delighted to be training for the San Diego Rock n' Roll marathon with them! I became involved with TNT as a way to give back the love and support I got when my father died of Leukemia when I was 15. I coped with the death by running, so it seemed fitting to raise money in his memory through running.

Team in Training has been such an integral part of my life. It's wonderful to have a cause "bigger" then myself and spread the message of all that they are doing. I have met so many wonderful people through Team in Training, and it has always given me so much more then I give with each event I do...I even met my husband while training for the Westchester Triathlon with them!

What I was told at the pasta party for the Bermuda marathon, back in 1998, sums up the program for me. We were told the story of the warrior that ran from Sparta to Athens, 26.2 miles, to tell them the war was over. By being a member of Team in Training and running a marathon, we are acting as a messenger of HOPE- that there will be a cure for Leukemia.

Safety Tips for Women and Running

Just found this on the Hudson Mohawk Road Runner's club website, and in light of recent events thought I should share these safety tips-

Before the run:
· Try to get a running partner.
· Leave word with someone or write down where you plan to run and when you will return.
· Carry some I. D. and change for a phone call. Take a whistle with you.
· Do not wear a radio/headset/earphones or anything which distracts you so that you are completely aware of your environment.
· Avoid unpopular areas, deserted streets, lonely trails and especially avoid unlighted routes at night.
· Vary the route and the time of day that you run.
· Run in familiar areas. Be aware of emergency phones and how they work, note the
location of neighbors you trust along your route.
· Know where police are usually to be found and where businesses, stores, offices are
likely to be open and active.

During the Run:
· Always stay alert. The more aware you are, the less vulnerable you are. Think about
possible escape routes in case of a confrontation.
· Take notice of who is ahead of you and who is behind you.
· Know where the nearest public sites are with some general activity there is usually
safety in numbers.
· When in doubt, follow your intuition and avoid potential trouble. If something seems suspicious, do not panic, but run in a different direction.
· Run clear of parked cars, bushes, dark areas.
· Run against traffic so that you can observe the approach of automobiles.
· If the same car cruises past you more than once, take down even a partial license
number and make it obvious that you are aware of its presence (but keep your distance).

If Confronted:
· Run toward populated areas, busy streets, open businesses.
· Ignore jeers and verbal harassment. Keep moving.
· Use discretion in acknowledging strangers. Be friendly, but keep your distance and keep moving.
· Do not approach a car to give directions, or the time of day. Point toward the nearest police or information source, shrug your shoulders, but keep moving. If you feel you must respond, do it while moving.
· Do not panic. Do not run toward a more isolated area.

If Attacked:
· Keep as calm as possible. Try to fix a description of the attacker in your mind.
· Do not show fear or plead this intensifies aggression in most cases.
· Try to talk to the aggressor and look for an escape opportunity a moment of indecision or distraction on the attacker's part.
· Do not fight or struggle with the attacker unless there is clearly no other way out, especially if you are untrained in self defense.

Matching Gifts

What are Matching Gifts?

Many corporations and businesses offer a matching gift program, in which they agree to match the financial gift of a contributor to a nonprofit organization. The amount of the match, payment schedule, employee eligibility, and requirements may vary from company to company.

How do I know if my company offers a matching gift program?

Please contact your employer to find out if your company offers a matching gift program and if The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is an eligible recipient. Then, obtain a copy of your companies matching gift form.

What if my company does not have a matching gift program?

Many small companies do not have official matching gift programs. However, when approached, many companies are willing to match contributions to charities by their employees. Please check with your employer to see if they would be willing to match your contribution, even if they do not have an official program.

Some of the companies with matching gifts include:

ADP
Aetna
Alliant Energy
Altria Group
AMD
Applied Materials
AT&T
Bank of America
Brinks Home Security
Caterpillar
Chevron
ConocoPhillips

Dell’s Direct Giving Campaign
Dell Foundation
Emerson
ExxonMobil
Freddie Mac
Freescale
Google
Hewlett-Packard
Hospira
IBM
Johnson & Johnson
KPMG

Microsoft
National Instruments
Oracle
Safeway
Silicon Labs
Spansion
Sprint Foundation
Sun Microsystems
UBS Financial
Verizon
Wachovia
Wells Fargo

Wednesday Treadmill Run

Today was an okay run, had a rough start...wanted to run at the Canyon for a soft surface because of my poor abused shins, but it was closed because of the rains. I was a little iffy to do it alone anyway because of the Chelsea King murder that happened just 20 minutes north of me. YIKES! I HATE that as a woman I can't run a trail alone in the middle of the day without worrying that some psycho might come and rape or murder me.

From the trail I went to Lake Miramar and went less then a quarter mile on the pavement before my shins starting screaming at me- NO WAY! So, the treadmill it was. Ran 3 miles with another 1/2 mile walk (1/4 mile warm up, 1/4 mile cool down) with negative splits- ran 5 minutes, walked 1 minute and increased the speed each run interval. Started with 4.0 and ended with 4.6 (?) I think a 14 to a 12 minute mile pace. I've GOT to run a bit faster, this completely back of the pack thing is getting a bit old. I don't mind being slow, but I don't want to be left behind. While I was running I saw on TV live news coverage of charges that were brought to John Gardner and I applauded to see he would be held without bail until his trial in a couple of weeks.

Went to a launch party of the San Diego Rock n' Roll marathon and half marathon at the House of Blues where the race director went over the course and Steve Scott, who has run 136 sub 4:00 miles spoke. The person that won the NYC marathon last year, Meb Keflezighi, will be heading up the 1/2 marathon too! We were told how lucky we are as marathoners, because what other competition would we get to be in the same race as some of the top athletes in the world?

Monday Night Run- UCSD

Had a great 3 mile run this evening at the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla. Ran with a teammate who kept me talking and running much faster then I'm used to, I must have been going a 10- 12 minute mile? I was shocked at how easy it was, although we were going downhill for the majority of the first half of it. I'm also amazed at how good I felt during and after the run, because the arch on my right foot was acting up all day (that's new) and I figured I would just run until it was unbearable. The pain actually went away after the first 1/4 mile running with heel lifts in my sneakers- who knew running could actually help with a running injury? Bizarre!

I think I have finally become- gasp- a runner!