Heels, Milestones, Healing & Mermaids

After posting a very long run yesterday, I decided to just run 4 with the group today. It ended up we did an NPS (negative progressive split) today. And the damn calf muscle is still bothering me. Meh. I tried heat. Tonight I will try ice. There was an interesting article about nursing injuries below that you'll read about.

Ileana appears serious about doing this High Heel-A-Thon Race. It's the first of its kind in New York, and it's being held on my birthday. She's already deciding between pumps for this event and has practiced with a few. She leaning towards her Nina's right now (as if I even had a clue). Race rules dictate that the heels must be at least 3 inches or higher, and the heel width cannot be more than 3 inches in circumference. I'll give her credit for wanting to do this, but she has not been to a gym for months now, and has only walked with the club a few times

The race is for a good cause too. Proceeds will benefit the March of Dimes and its programs to give every baby a healthy start. It will start off with several 50-yard dash heats and I think the top runners from each heat will line up for the main event that starts at 8:30am. The final run is a 150-yard dash, and it will be televised nationally on ABC on the Regis & Kelly Show.

Entrants will not only compete against hundreds of other participants, they'll also go up against shoe-loving co-host Kelly Ripa herself, who provided inspiration for the event. "Marathon, schmarathon! Completing 26.2 miles in running shoes is nothing -- try spending a full day running errands, taking the kids to school and shopping, all in 4-inch heels," Ripa declared. "THAT'S what I call a real marathon! So our 'High Heel-A-Thon' is a way of showcasing a unique unsung talent for which most women are never recognized."

Here's a promo for the race:

Scarily, they're also holding a separate, men's race too. Uh... No thanks. I dressed up as a girl once when I was 15 years old. My parents had thrown a Halloween party, and I dressed up as a gypsy. At the end of the evening, one of the wives went up to Carmen (my then stepmother) and not only thanked her for a wonderful party, but mentioned how she must be so proud to have three beautiful daughters. 'Nuff said.

More from the Stevie Wonder concert: Apparently, people have been watching. Someone sent me an email asking if I had also videotaped the song "I Just Called To Say I Love You" because the girl that was on stage with Stevie Wonder was this person's sister. Apparently, she had won the right to sing with Wonder through a contest on Q104.3

I recently looked at my videos on You Tube. The video of Haile's victory speech that I filmed at the Nike NYC Half ceremonies last year is about to break the 10,000 hit milestone!

Here you go. Make it 10,001
(Scott, you should see this. He talks about Ethiopia. Had I known back then what I know now, I would have asked him about how much teff he is eating these days...)

Another milestone which I broke after yesterday's 14 miler is the 1,000 miles milestone (may I say that twice?) from my global online running club at http://www.runningahead.com/ website.
Through the same period (Jan 1-June 21), I had 651.1 miles logged in 2007, and 355.7 miles in 2006. My 1006 miles as of today is nearly a 54% improvement over last year, and about a 182% increase over 2006! My goal to reach 2,000 miles is so far on track however I've got to do more to avoid these nagging injuries like the one I've been not-so-nursing.

I was reading an article "Natural Cures" in the July 2008 issue of Runner's World. In it, Scott Jurek a ultramarathoner champion had sprained his ankle just 3 days before he was supposed to run the Hardrock Hundred-Mile Endurance Run in Silverton, Colorado. Instead of popping pain killers or anti inflammatory drugs (NSAID), Scott just focused on natural therapies consisting of consuming ginger and garlic and herbal supplements bromelain and arnica to reduce the pain. In addition, he used the athlete's traditional RICE treatment. Well not only did he well. He won the race, shattering the previous record by 27 minutes. I did some extra digging, and here is the finish to that race last year.

The article then shifted focus from Jurek, to different forms of treatment for injuries.

Acupuncture \\\ About 10 years ago the World Health Organization says this could be good for people with knee pain, plantar fascitis, lower-back pain, and osteoarthritis.

Sports Massage \\\ It's good for road warriors like me that do 35 miles or more. Massage can stop the damage from building up. Having oe within 24 hours after an intense workout can soothe muscles and enhance recovery.

Imagery \\\ Some studies had participants picture broken bones being glued together, torn muscle fibers reattaching, or cells regenrating. Visualization can help one deal with minor discomfort - like the final mile of a race. Imagine the pain leaving your body when you exhale or picture yourself smiling at the finish line. Or even better still, The New York Mets beating the Yankees in 4 straight to win the World Series.....at Yankee Stadium!

Herbal Remedies \\\ Herbs with anti-inflammatory powers can treat plantar fascitis, back and knee pain, sprains and muscle stiffness Spicing up your meals is the best and safest way to strt. And now for the same line the RW used to avoid lititgation...."Talk to your doctor before taking any over the-counter supplements."

Chiropractic Treatment \\\ Chronically injured runners may have the most to gain from chiropractuc treatment, says Dr. O'Connor, who credits his chiropractor with curing his calf-muscle pain. (WHAT DID HE SAY?) "Spinal misalignments and muscular imbalances can cause tightness and weakness," he says. "That can prevent you from fully recovering from an injury and make it easy to relapse".

Today was the 25th annual Mermaid Ball at Coney Island. I never heard of it before until Bonnie from our club, mentioned it. I really wanted to go, but I've had so much to do today, it was just impossible. It looks really interesting, so I might have to put this down on my calendar for things to do the next time these mermaids swim back into town.

Lastly, what happens when a switch-hitting batter faces an ambidextrous pitcher? The result is ridiculous: