Running with Rudy

Sunday with Rudy in the Park
Rudy and I had a good run today. We went five miles on the trails at a local park. The weather was amazing! It was nice and cool and cloudy. Perfect!

There were plenty of hills to remind me that I need to run more hills. There were enough flat areas to remind me that, yes, I can run and breathe at the same time. For the first four miles things were going great! Slow, but great.

A view from one of the hills at Kit Carson Park

Another view from a different hill
I was trying to get a picture of this hill because it was very steep.
You can't really tell from this photo, though.

I decided I would push myself for the last mile in order to bring my average pace down. Or is it up? Anyway, I wanted to go faster. Rudy was reliable and let me know when I hit the four mile mark. I picked up the pace and my plan was working well. Until mile 4.1, when my fussy heel decided to pitch a fit.

Ow!! My heel never feels pain-free but usually it is a low-grade pain while I run. Not today. Not after four miles. I kept running and even tried to keep my pace up but the more I ran, the more my heel hurt. I finished up my five-miler with a "rump". Rump is a word I came up with today to describe my running limp. Or is it a limping run? Anyway, I haven't looked that pathetic since struggling with my bum knee while training for the marathon.

I gave my foot an ice bath when I got home. I took my Naproxen. It still hurts.

I'm going to call my doctor tomorrow to see if I'm eligible to get another cortisone shot. I don't know if there is a limit to the number of cortisone shots one is allowed to receive in a certain period of time. Maybe I should ask him to put several shots in my foot until it's numb. As long as I don't grow hair on my chest from the steroids, I'll get as many shots as I need to take away this heel spur pain.

More about why I Love Rudy
If you missed my last couple posts, I better clarify that Rudy is my Garmin Forerunner 305. I named him Rudy (short for Rudolph, as in the Red Nosed Reindeer). Prior to last week, I ran blindly... never knowing how fast or how far. True, I could map my route on Daily Mile. As great as Daily Mile is, it's hard to map runs on trails. Also, it was always a surprise when I got home and discovered that I ran more slowly than it felt.

Rudy has changed all that. I know when to start and stop. I know when I need to work on my speed. Rudy inspires me to run faster, stronger, better than I had before. I'm so glad Rudy found his way into my heart... via Amazon and the UPS guy.

Jingle All the Way
I'm pretty sure I'm going to sign up for the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis 5K. It's taking place on Saturday and sounds like so much fun! I love the idea of running with bells on my shoes. I'm going to see if I can get that cortisone shot this week. If so, I'll sign up for sure. If not, I'll have to see how my heel feels.

Any of you San Diego Bloggers doing this 5K? If you're not signed up- sign up!! I want to get dressed up and run with other goofy people.

HBBC Points for 12/06
Running: 5