Learning to Run with Hardware

OK, so once again, I'm reminded that I have turned into one of those people I used to be afraid of. The first metamorphosis took place back in 2004, when bike gear started replacing the books in my trunk, and I went from not owning a mountain bike to racing downhill in the space of a year, at the tender age of 36. 


The second metamorphosis took place when I joined CrossFit and signed up for CrossFit Endurance, making the conscious decision to run on a so-called "pre-arthritic" ankle with five screws in it. Five years ago when the orthopedist at Balboa told me not to run anymore if I wanted to walk when I'm seventy, I just resigned myself to never running again. I didn't like running anyway. 


But the good folks at CrossFit told me they could teach me how to run with practically no impact to the joints, using the Pose Method. Intrigued, and wanting to keep up with my athletic 3-year-old daughter, I consulted another orthopedist who told me there has been no conclusive research on Pose Method Running, that she was familiar with it and saw no reason for me NOT to try it, but to stop immediately if I experienced hardware-related pain. 

Laura's left ankle, 2006. Hardware included since 1996.

I was never a real runner. I started running in 2001 because I was about 35 pounds overweight, didn't want to be overweight, and well, desperate times call for desperate measures. I was one of the slowest runners I knew and honestly could not run with anyone because I could not keep up. To motivate me to run, I would enter 5k races, because I knew if I paid the entry fee, I would train for it. I remember getting a postcard from one of the races, thanking me for participating and telling me my stats. "There were 24 women in your age category. Your place in rank was... 24." Thanks. Thanks for that.

I remember my husband telling me at the time, "It's OK honey! You did great! And you came in ahead of all those other women who never bothered to get off the couch." Ah, I love that man.


Before I stopped running five years ago, my best 5k time was down to a blazing 30 minutes, averaging about 9:40 per mile. Fast forward to today. I started running about two months ago using minimalist running shoes and following Coach Aubyn's instructions, trying to apply the Pose technique. The result?


I ran a 5k two weeks ago and I had no pain, even a week later. I was hardly even sore aside from general fatigue. But the best part was that I ran it in 28:24, averaging 9:09 per mile. It was so stunning, I felt I almost needed to run it again just to make sure the time was accurate.

And here's where the metamorphosis part fits in: First thing tomorrow morning, I'm going to go run four miles on the Coronado beach. It will be cold, and probably raining. 


And the inner argument begins:

Pre-athletic, things-happen-to-me me: "Are you insane?? You're going to get out of a warm bed on a cold rainy morning, not just to get coffee and crawl back into bed, but get up to go run? Four miles? On the sand? Are you kidding me? With nothing large chasing you, forcing you to do this insane thing?"
Post-2001, I-make-things-happen me: "Dude! You should do this! You will not feel more alive and grateful for the ability to run and breathe than in that moment in the cold and wind when you push yourself to do better than you thought you could."
Pre-athletic, things-happen-to-me me: (squints) "Who AAARE you??"


I've totally morphed into that person who used to scare me. Funny, she's really not so scary. 

Midnight Madness - How I Got My Cleated Pumps

This is a report from several years ago that was posted on the ridemonkey.com bike forum. It bears retelling. Enjoy!


Midnight Madness, San Diego
18 Aug 2007

"So, are you going to Midnight Madness?" my friend Lauren asked me.
"What's Midnight Madness?" I asked.
"It's this bike ride in downtown San Diego that starts at midnight and goes for like, 20 miles, and people dress up in costumes and there's a lot of general silliness."
"Cool. I'm in. When?"

As I thought about what kind of cool costume I could wear, the days ticked down to Saturday. Thursday afternoon on a group ride, I was telling one of the girls about Midnight Madness, and commented that I didn't have a costume, and that I might just have to go in bike clothes. But, as I thought about it, I realized that I go to the "office" (the bike shop where I work) quite often in bike clothes. So, it would only be fitting if I went to the bike ride in office clothes. And the little wheels inside my head started turning...

That night I came home and enlisted the help of my husband, who was only too eager to pull out the power tools.





I sacrificed a pair of old pumps for the ride, and took the seam ripper to the skirt portion of an old business suit. Totally worth it.



Although I tried to run the Time's that I'm used to, the SPD's with the adjustable spring tension were easier to get out of.





Here's the whole ensemble:




This is my Lemon fixie. It used to be a LeMond, but I got irritated with the comments the namesake had about the Tour... . It was almost an Emo Lemon, but... meh, there's always time for that.
(For you fixie aficionados, I'm geared at 64" - 38x16).

with the obligatory banana in the back


and of course, I had to pin my number on like I was in some crit or something...





Here's my friend Jon who rode with our group...


And my friend Steve as Cookie Monster. He was "petted" four or five times, and had no idea who in the crowd had done it...



And my friend Lauren (who got me into this) with her friend Les



Just before the ride, DHS, Kranked, and I get on our bikes and go to the Gas Lamp district of downtown San Diego in search of food. Of course there are lines to get into everywhere. We finally decide to cut our losses and go to Hooters. The guys want food; I'll settle for French Fries, even though it's not really food. After a quick meal and minimal libation (because it was so slow trying to get a pitcher of beer), we head back to the venue. I don't want to miss the costume contest. As I understand, no one has done this ride in pumps before...

Alas, I didn't win. But the one who did win was the bicycle built for six, with people in grass skirts on it, with a cooler in the middle. Yep, they did more prep than me.


Here's the staging area



A bicycle built for six, complete with bubble machine...


Brent in a kilt, looking for trouble


The ride about to begin




They count down the start time, and riders take off. It's a really slow start with so many people trying to squeeze through the entrance. Unfortunately they are not letting us run traffic lights, so the groups of people get separated. The first light we come to, I call out, "OK, everybodeeeeee... Trackstand!" Just then the guy to my right falls over clipped in. Ooops.

So Steve had brought a small flask of some libation... it wasn't around long enough for me to find out what was in it. It's gone before his two cubes of ice have time to melt. He's feeling about as fuzzy as his costume, and finds the rickshaw too much of a temptation to pass up...

Steve K skitching a ride


The rickshaw driver was not happy...

More interesting people... (yes he did the whole 20 miles on that bike)



Fat suit guy


Girl wearing her teddy...


Mostly it was fun talking to people on the ride and just enjoying being out amongst the craziness, and being a part of the craziness. The looks on people faces when they saw me in a business suit was pretty good, but seeing the look when they realized I was clipped in with the pumps was priceless! And while it was really rad to do a 20-mile ride in cleated pumps, by about mile 18, I was feeling it.

"Aw, man, these have got to be the WORST cycling shoes I have ever worn!" I exclaim to no one in particular.
"Hmmm, whatcha got?" some guy asks me.
"Prada," I answer, and clip out for him to see the cleat on the bottom of the pump.
He nearly fell over.

It was a great time. Thanks Lauren, for convincing me to go, and thanks Steve K and Jon for being great riding buddies. 

Pammy's Ride to Support the Efforts of the Breast Cancer Fund

This is an appeal. Hopefully you found my last blog entry on reducing your cancer risk helpful and informative. The Breast Cancer Fund does an amazing job of researching, exposing, and working to eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer.

Their work is especially important to friends of mine who are cancer survivors, like my Team LUNA Chix teammate Pam, who was diagnosed 12 years ago with stage 3 breast cancer. She underwent a year of chemotherapy and radiation and lost all her hair, but never her spirit or determination. 

 

You probably know someone a lot like Pam that you admire, respect, take courage from, and love. You might have lost someone to cancer and spent some time angry that more could not have been done sooner.

We, Team LUNA Chix and the Breast Cancer Fund, are here to tell you that people are working to do more, sooner. 
Focusing on prevention, we are working to educate the public, effect legislative change (for things like getting BPA out of children's sippy cups), and spread the word that you are not without resources and the ability to reduce your and your family's risk. 

The ability of the Breast Cancer Fund to continue ongoing research and bring data like The State of the Evidence, scientifically linking breast cancer to chemical and radiation exposure, is dependent on contributions from people who support their efforts. 

Pam felt the moral imperative to act, and asked the team to ride Pammy's Ride with her, a 26.2-mile bike ride to raise funds and awareness for the Breast Cancer Fund. The marathon distance represents the enormous challenge facing cancer patients that requires exceptional endurance and spirit. It also represents the anticipated news of victory at the end of the struggle, just like Pheidippides news to the Athenians after his 26-mile run from Marathon in 490 BC, that the Greeks had been triumphant!

Team LUNA Chix will be riding Pammy's Ride on Sunday, August 7, 2011.  Together we can conquer this epidemic! 

Please take a quick moment to contribute to the Breast Cancer Fund and help further their efforts. Your donation is tax-deductible, and no amount is too small. 

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/pammys-ride/pammys-ride2011

Thank you for reading all this, and for any donation you can make. Full ride report coming Aug 14!

Here are some helpful links about the Breast Cancer Fund: 

Breast Cancer Fund 

• Presenting the Science behind the Data
• Tips for Cancer Prevention 
• Resources
• Info on How to get Involved

Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database. - Catalog of over 65,000 products rated according to the chemicals they contain.

By becoming aware of the chemicals you come into contact with and making healthy choices, you can improve your health and reduce your cancer risk. 

Currently, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Yet only one in ten of them will have a hereditary history of cancer. The Breast Cancer Fund (BCF) is dedicated to identifying and eliminating the environmental causes of breast cancer. By educating people about the risk factors and harmful substances that may be found in cosmetics, lotions, sunscreens, food, and the chemicals we use in our everyday lives, we can stop this disease before it happens.