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



Comments

Rudy, huh? I never came up with a name for my Garmin. Now I feel obligated to. Oh, the pressure! Sorry to read about your heel pain. I've had one cortisone shot in my heel, and that was my last. They hurt like heck, as you know! I've run the "Jingle Bell Run" here in CT. It's fun running and listening to everyone's bells ringing as they run. I'm boring though-no costume for me. By the way, I'm glad you liked my post about "Hookers!" :-)
Michelle said…
Sweet!

Sorry to hear about your heel - ouch! Hope you are able to get to the doc soon.

Yay for Saturday! This will be my first Jingle Bell - should be a blast and I'm hoping the weather holds out - we had snow here in TN this Sat.

Good luck!
joyRuN said…
Glad Rudy's treating you well :)

Sorry to hear your heel's being catankerous though.
Anonymous said…
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Unknown said…
regarding the jingle bell run - DO IT!! :-)
RunToTheFinish said…
My garmie is FLASH..makes me think I'm fast :)

Sorry about your heel, hope they will let you get another shot!

thanks for the well wishes on the race
Mel-2nd Chances said…
ouch on the shot, but i'm a big wimp for needles. if it helps you run comfortably, then hope you can get another! Like the name Rudolph... he's lighting your way for you!
Tyly said…
You are making me want one more and more. I am thoroughly convinced having my own Rudy would help boost my motivation! I am having such a hard time crawling our from under the blanket to work out.
Anne said…
I love running in Kit Carson Park! There have been some creepy encounters lately, including one of a homeless guy who grabbed a high school runner who fell back from her pack. Scary.

Glad you and Rudy have become fast friends. Hope the heel is a quick-fix...trust me, I know what can happen when it's not.
X-Country2 said…
My Garmie really changed my running too. Sounds like you and Rudy will be veyr happy together. :o)

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