Allergic Mama is no more

Allergic Mama is no more, please follow me at
www.runfastmama.com

Just sick of the allergy title and affiliation, would rather focus on the positive and my running and life!  I would get depressed every now and then with the Allergic Mama blog because, well, it just seems negative.  So away with it and onto the positive focus!
Thanks for understanding.

Getting there...

I had a good week as far as my Hamstring issue - assuming it is my Sciatic nerve so I'm doing some stretches and my awesome Chiro is changing how she adjusts me and things are looking up.  Just did 6 miles pretty much pain free in 1:02.

Also, got some decent running in this past week too!
Sunday - 5.11 Miles in 53 minutes - major pain in lower back area around mile 3.5, but felt like something released.  Walked and slowly ran a bit and threw the towel in and called for a ride home.  Once I got home, pain went away!
Monday - Rest, slight pain
Tuesday - 2 Miles, 20 minutes - mild Pain
Wednesday - 4 Miles, 42 minutes, pretty much pain free
Thursday - I Mile on Tmill, 10 minutes pain free
Friday - Rest
Saturday (Today) - 6 Miles, 1:02 mild pain

We were supposed to do Let's Move today but due to a ton of other conflicting things, we decided it would be less stress on all involved if we just skipped it.  I hate to skip on races, but perhaps I need to learn my lesson and not sign up for the local ones that do not sell out quite so soon.  Plus, with my nerve issue, I really need to get better before next month.  So, taking it easy was the top priority after a stressful week.

My allergies also have really been throwing me for a loop this week too.  I thought I was having an allergic reaction to wheat, but it turns out that perhaps the wheat is causing intolerance to quite a few foods I am "allergic too."  Now, I am still anaphalyic to nuts and corn, but I was given the green light to start adding level 2 foods back into my diet, one each week.  I am excited and confused at the same time.  All I have ever wanted to do this year is to be able to eat veggies!  Looks like I may be able to do that but might need to cut out wheat to make it happen.  So, lots of trial and errors, as from what I learned from a top allergy expert, that is the only true test.

What is on the books for this week you ask?  Hopefully I can have a repeat of last week and keep the pain down, we will see.  Lots of foam rolling and stretching for sure.


Have a great week!

Bummed Out

Been kinda bummed out lately over my Sciatic nerve issue.  Did 5 miles on Sunday and seemed to have worked itself out only to come back Monday night.  Going to try and run tonight to see how I do.

200 Miles! Week#7

Just noticed I hit 200 miles for the year!  I'm pretty excited with that and happy to be running again!  I had my massage on Monday and it confirmed to me that my Hammie is not torn or injured, it just needs to be stretched more.

Week#7 Plan (I think it is week 7, it is pretty early in the am and the coffee is still going down)
Tuesday (Yesterday) - 40 Minutes Harder Pace, Done (4.07 miles, 9:49)
Wednesday - 20 Minutes
Thursday - 40 Minutes Easy Pace
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Going to try for 10 miles as I'm scheduled to do the Let's Move Half Marathon and Relay with Rick in one week!

Have a great day everyone!

2012 Martian 5k and Kids Marathon Recap

Friday night, after returning from the Expo, I was busy with the usual pre-race preparations.  Getting every one's clothes ready in their own piles for the morning - socks, undies, shorts, top, sweat pants and jacket.  Making a bag of all "extras" that might be needed: rain ponchos, umbrellas, gloves, sun visors, etc.  This bag is usually pretty standard and I keep it full, but still like to check it the night before to ensure all is there.  I also prepare the food for the cooler so at 5 am, it can just be put in there with an ice pack and away we go.  I made sunflower butter sammies for Hubby and Kids, packed some organic grapes, sunflower seeds, homemade muffins, organic yogurt for me, water and some gram crackers.  Anything that could be put in the truck also was.

At 5:30 am, my iPhone promptly went off at the same time as Pea's lego alarm.  Hubby and I got a good chuckle, we did not know she set it the night before!  So cute, she wanted her medal and didn't want to be late to the party!  After getting dressed and a quick breakfast of oats and yogurt with honey and cinnamon for me, oats and honey for hubby and organic cereal and milk for the kids we were off!

We drove the new "Mama Mobile" down to Dearborn with the view of lightning in the distance and some rain off and on.  I thought I knew where I was going, I assumed we needed to get off Michigan Ave and head East, past the expo center.  We did this for a while, even stopped at a McDonalds for a potty break and headed east again. Pretty soon, it was evident the Mama Mobile was pointed in the wrong direction as it did not look very good.  We turned around and headed the right way, just as Hubby exclaimed I didn't think that was right.  Well, for someone who layed tons of concrete in the City of Dearborn as well as Detroit along Michigan Ave, perhaps speaking up sooner might have helped ;)  All was well though.

We headed back West now and found ourselves in some light traffic with police and barricades, this was the good thing.  Bad thing was it was 7:40am and both the 5K and 10K started at 8.  Miss Time Keeper in the back was getting antsy as we looked for parking.  We found a lot close to the starting area, but all sorts of signs were posted about towing, etc...  Well, we parked and reasoned, hoped and prayed that no tow trucks would be lurking around the new Mama Mobile for at least an hour so kiddies and Mama could run the 5K then come back and find a "legal" parking spot.

We got out, made sure all the bibs were in the right spots and headed to the start.  There was a light sprinkle, but nothing that needed any accessories.  The 5K and the 10K used the same starting line, so we all headed together towards the back.  Hubby in my 10K bib and me in his 5K as I was unsure how Hammie would behave and feel.  We were off, we walked to the starting line, slow going as usual and then right after, went up hill.  We rounded a corner to a street that turned residential and continued on.

Right before Mile 1, on Military St. the 10K headed straight and the 5k participants made a right turn.  We already gave Daddy the go ahead after the starting line to head out after about 1/2 mile with us.  Right after the 1 Mile mark, someone became hot and needed her coat off.  This required unpinning the race bib that I pinned over the zipper. Note to self in future, if kids start off with a jacket, keep the bib pinned to the inside shirt, not the outer jacket.  I'm sure the stop would have been much quicker.

The rest of the run was great and through some beautiful neighborhoods.  Monkey even exclaimed that each 5K he does gets easier.   Pea asked me to do a 10K with her and we should have enough time to get her ready for the Solstice so we set a date!  The kids crossed the finish line within 2 seconds of each other, and I did 10 seconds later.  They were battling it to the end!  Our time was just over 38 minutes. (remember the coat stop)

Once we were done, we quickly walked up hill, again to the Mama Mobile and found her right where we left her.  She was happy and without any stickers or warnings so we all hopped in and found an awesome spot in a paid city lot.  I had to use my cell phone to call and pay for the meter, need some change in the new truck, but we were parked.  We got into the cooler and grabbed some food to go and see Daddy finish his first 10K!

First 10K, Finish time of 1:01.6!

Hubby did great!  He laughed as the announcer said my name when he crossed, good thing 2 women were right by him.  (For the record, I asked if we could switch bibs at the Expo and were told we could)  We relaxed for a bit by the finish and had our snacks.

Now, we had over 2 hours to kill till the Kids Martian Marathon.  You see, they had to run and document 25 miles before April 14th and then run the last 1.2 miles at the race to get a REAL Martian Marathon Medal!  We walked, BOUGHT and paid for a Giant 8' Mama Martian, went to Starbucks, and hung out in the truck for a good 45 minutes during a downpour.  Those poor marathoners and half marathoners out there in the rain!

Around 11:40 it was still raining a bit so we put the kids North Face rain jackets on them with the plastic ponchos over them, grabbed our umbrellas and headed to the start area.  They were grouping the kids, all 1,500 of them, by grade.  For ease, I had 2 second graders today.  The rain slowed enough so we took off their ponchos and left the jackets on them.  The crowd was crazy, well with 1,500 kids, parents and siblings in one area it was to be expected.  We talked about letting the kids run it themselves, but after seeing the crowd and having no idea where they were going, I decided to run it with them.

Our wave was announced and we were off through the covered bridge, really small but it was cute!  We Squeezed through that then there was a quick left onto some grass covered with hay to try and reduce the mud.  Ok, not what I had pictured.  Assumed the kids would be in a subdivision or something (I brought the map with me but tossed it before I got a chance to study it)  We were in a park - yea, must be Ford Field Park!  We looped around the park, around the flags, up a hill, down a  hill, though a muddy trail and then out towards the main finish line.  Daddy was waiting for us and the kids got their medals!  They were so proud to wear them!

It was a great day and we plan on coming back next year! 

Monday

Hammy is improving. It feels more tight now than anything. Gave it a good stretch after the Martian this weekend, and it has continued to feel good. I have a massage with a sports therapist this evening, so looking forward to seeing if she can get it completely worked out for me.

Martian was great. I will do a race recap on the 5k and kids marathon later today, or tomorrow, as well as get my training plan together. Right now, 40 minutes is on the schedule for tomorrow.

Have a great Monday everyone!

Factual Friday

1) The 2012 Martian Marathon Expo had A LOT of Martians!  

They each represented a mile marker...

They hung from the rafters...

They were even passengers in cars!

2) I did not buy anything at the expo.  Shocking, yes!  Probably could have got a better deal on Muzuno at Hansons (not sure, but hedging my bets).  They did have a cool vest, but that is a fall, winter item.  Mama needs summer running stuff!

3) GM has awesome technology in their new vehicles!  Just picked up a new Mama Mobile last night and amazed I can lock, unlock and start from my iPhone and use my blue tooth to do voice dialing through my iPhone!  Not to mention, the vehicle is gorgeous!!!