Where have I been? I've been hangin in funkland as of the past week or two. And actually, I'm still there, but thought I'd pop out for a quick hello before retreating back to the funk.
While one is in a state of funkitude, one does not write lengthy blogs either. Funky Teresa apologizes.
Here's what is up:
1. Injury. The same one I've been dealing with for the past month or so. As soon as it starts to feel okay, I run on it and jack it up again. It's been 2 weeks since I've done a long run. My short runs have taken a major hit as well. Last run was a beautiful early morning 4 miler on Wednesday. The following morning I could hardly walk.
Solution: Going to go to the sports medicine walk-in clinic on Tuesday after work. It will be my first time actually getting medical attention for an injury... mostly because I'm desperate to get this fixed.
2. Because of injury, I'm seriously considering not running the half. Well, it may be that I really don't have a choice anyway (we'll see what doctor has to say about my leg). But even if I am cleared to do some running, I've not been able to do much training over the past few weeks and while I'm sure I could finish 13.1, I'm not entirely certain I could finish in the 3 hour time limit. This sucks. I'm really really disappointed... especially since there aren't any other half marathons locally until the Spring.
Solution: If I can do any running, I plan to run the 10k that day instead. Whatever.
3. Umm... I guess I can't think of a number 3.
Point being, I'm just mad. And I've also not been doing any other cross-training when I've not been able to run. So that just makes me feel lazy and like a pile of blecch. Hubby suggested I go for a bike ride tonight...but here I sit.
Solution: I know this is cliche, but seriously, beginning tomorrow I am getting back on track. PROMISE.
Since I have nothing positive to throw out to blogosphere tonight, I'm cutting this short. It's just a funk and will hopefully pass soon. I am interested to hear what the doctor has to say on Tuesday. At least if I am told I need to rest the leg, I will also hopefully learn some exercises to do to prevent this from happening again. There, that was a positive spin! Go me!
Let's hope tomorrow is slightly less funky!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
trying again
Morning workouts.... the bane of my existence.
For years and years since the beginning of time I have tried to turn myself into a morning worker-outer. For years and years I have failed. I have always been uber impressed with the people who drag themselves out of bed at the crack of dawn to tackle a workout.
Me? I can hardly tackle pouring a cup of coffee at the crack of dawn. I've just never been able to get myself out of the house at that time of day. Sometimes I am able to get out of bed at the appointed time, but somewhere between bed and door the motivation disappears... and I end up sitting or going back to bed.
And it's frustrating! It is frustrating to have SO much resolve and ambition as I lay in bed the night before. I lay there and carefully plot out the next morning's workout. It sounds so exciting and totally doable! I think to myself "FINALLY I am becoming an awesome morning exerciser!"
And then the alarm rings at 445am.... and then I hate the world. Why is it that my bed is SO comfortable in the morning? My pattern is that I'll try again for a few days and continue to fail at the morning workout, eventually resigning myself to the fact that I'm not a morning person and return to afternoon/ evening workouts.
But...here I am again. Trying AGAIN to do the morning workout thing. It just seems so appealing to have my run out of the way before anyone else is awake. Plus, it's wonderful running weather right now- no humidity and cool morning temps.
Last night I boldly declared that I would be getting up at the crack of dawn to do my 5 mile run. Last night I sounded very confident...but I was still 75% sure that I wouldn't follow through... because, hey, I know how I roll.
Today was different. I rolled alright... rolled my butt right out of bed. I'm not going to lie, there was some grumbling (quiet grumbles as I didn't want to wake the infant, the toddler, or the husband), but I dragged myself to the Keurig and slammed down a cup of coffee. Even as I stood there waiting the 3 minutes for my coffee to brew, I contemplated returning to bed for another 1.5 hours of sleep. But I just kept moving... and eventually made it out of the house.
And I was SO glad I ran. The weather was absolutely perfect. 53 degrees. No wind. No humidity. And at 5am it is totally dark outside. I've never done any running in the dark before... it was kind of scary, but awesome at the same time. The sky was clear and the stars were bright.
It was so peaceful. My hobbled leg felt good for most of the run too. I saw several deer, what I am pretty sure was a bunch of mice, and a shooting star. I was afraid of being hit by cars on only a couple of occasions. I had just a few irrational thoughts about creepers and murderers hiding behind trees.
I am proud of myself for actually getting up and running.
I am also completely exhausted! I was ready for a nap by noon. I was ready to go to bed by 7pm. It's 9pm right now and I'm hardly able to string a sentence together (which is why this is ending in just a moment). Morning workouts are totally against my nature. But I'm going to keep trying to force myself out of bed, because I also kind of loved my run this morning.
Don't hold me to this though... I might beg to differ tomorrow morning.
For years and years since the beginning of time I have tried to turn myself into a morning worker-outer. For years and years I have failed. I have always been uber impressed with the people who drag themselves out of bed at the crack of dawn to tackle a workout.
Me? I can hardly tackle pouring a cup of coffee at the crack of dawn. I've just never been able to get myself out of the house at that time of day. Sometimes I am able to get out of bed at the appointed time, but somewhere between bed and door the motivation disappears... and I end up sitting or going back to bed.
And it's frustrating! It is frustrating to have SO much resolve and ambition as I lay in bed the night before. I lay there and carefully plot out the next morning's workout. It sounds so exciting and totally doable! I think to myself "FINALLY I am becoming an awesome morning exerciser!"
And then the alarm rings at 445am.... and then I hate the world. Why is it that my bed is SO comfortable in the morning? My pattern is that I'll try again for a few days and continue to fail at the morning workout, eventually resigning myself to the fact that I'm not a morning person and return to afternoon/ evening workouts.
But...here I am again. Trying AGAIN to do the morning workout thing. It just seems so appealing to have my run out of the way before anyone else is awake. Plus, it's wonderful running weather right now- no humidity and cool morning temps.
Last night I boldly declared that I would be getting up at the crack of dawn to do my 5 mile run. Last night I sounded very confident...but I was still 75% sure that I wouldn't follow through... because, hey, I know how I roll.
Today was different. I rolled alright... rolled my butt right out of bed. I'm not going to lie, there was some grumbling (quiet grumbles as I didn't want to wake the infant, the toddler, or the husband), but I dragged myself to the Keurig and slammed down a cup of coffee. Even as I stood there waiting the 3 minutes for my coffee to brew, I contemplated returning to bed for another 1.5 hours of sleep. But I just kept moving... and eventually made it out of the house.
And I was SO glad I ran. The weather was absolutely perfect. 53 degrees. No wind. No humidity. And at 5am it is totally dark outside. I've never done any running in the dark before... it was kind of scary, but awesome at the same time. The sky was clear and the stars were bright.
It was so peaceful. My hobbled leg felt good for most of the run too. I saw several deer, what I am pretty sure was a bunch of mice, and a shooting star. I was afraid of being hit by cars on only a couple of occasions. I had just a few irrational thoughts about creepers and murderers hiding behind trees.
I am proud of myself for actually getting up and running.
I am also completely exhausted! I was ready for a nap by noon. I was ready to go to bed by 7pm. It's 9pm right now and I'm hardly able to string a sentence together (which is why this is ending in just a moment). Morning workouts are totally against my nature. But I'm going to keep trying to force myself out of bed, because I also kind of loved my run this morning.
Don't hold me to this though... I might beg to differ tomorrow morning.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Back to the great outdoors
Because of laziness, less than perfect weather, and just habit, I have been doing my training for the last month from the comfort (or discomfort) of my treadmill. Laziness because it takes a LOT of planning and whatnot to do long runs outside. Less than perfect weather- my body rejects August heat and humidity. Comfort- I stream Netflix to the TV while I run, so it was perfect for catching up on some shows. And discomfort because I'm pretty sure that treadmill running kills my poor legs.
After a week and a half off from running and worries creeping in about my ability to do the half marathon in October, I was ready to take this show outside and test out my legs again.
Self doubt always tries to sideline me, and there were more than a handful of times I considered skipping out on the run. Luckily I know this about myself and made sure that I had a running partner for the morning. It is much harder for me to flake out on something if there are other people involved.
I met up with my friend Nicole yesterday bright and early (7:30am on a Saturday is early for this girl). But before meeting up with her, I had to gather all of the "stuff" and pace around my house making sure I'd done everything I needed to do before setting out to run 10.
First (always always first): coffee. Some don't like to drink coffee before long runs (probably out of fear of a mid-run pants pooping extravaganza), but I MUST get in a cup or two of coffee.
Second: breakfast. I'm not much of a breakfast eater, so I almost forgot this step, but I figured I best eat a little something. Had a couple of mini muffins. I never know if I am under-eating or over-eating, but it seemed sufficient.
Third: water. I am a terrible terrible water drinker. Friday night around 10pm is when I realized I'd hardly consumed any water that day. So much for hydrating the day before a long run. I did my best to drink a ton of water before bed and then had a little more before my run.
Fourth: get dressed. It was partly cloudy and cool. Forecast called for rain, but it looked like the sun was coming out. Forecast also called for wind (which is one of the reasons I considered flaking out that morning. I HATE wind). I settled on shorts and a t-shirt even though it was cool and windy. I would only be cold for a minute and then knew I would heat right up as I started the run.
Fifth: gather my GU (jet blackberry is my favorite... it has 2x caffeiene and tastes okay...for GU anyway), electrolyte tablets for my water (we use NUUN tablets), and my water bottle. I don't carry my bottle with me when I run because it's too heavy, but I need it for my car ride home.
Sixth: Body Glide. I chafe on runs that are longer than 5 or 6 miles.
And then I gather all of the etcetera items: iPod, headphones, headband, iPod armband, Garmin, fanny pack thing that holds my GU and tablets and check card... blah blah blah.
Seriously, this is why I have been doing so many runs at home on my treadmill! It's like packing for a week long trip to leave the house to run.
Anyway, so I finally got out of the house and met up with Nicole. The sun was shining and no hint of rain and the wind was not terrible. Still a little windier than I would like, but not awful.
We chose to run some of the route for the half marathon. The route goes along the river (which is finally below flood stage for the first time since March pretty much). It was a really beautiful morning and we saw lots of other runners along the way. I think that's one of my favorite things about running outdoors is seeing other runners and feeling that sense of camaraderie.
I was really nervous about my ankle/shin crap that's been bugging me, so we took it pretty slow (13:30-14:00 miles). And my leg ended up feeling great! A few twinges here and there after about 7 miles, but still bearable. We picked up the pace at the halfway point though and continued to feel good.
One thing I never include in my overall time, but probably SHOULD, is the gas station pitstop. At 5 miles we stopped to use the restroom, have a GU, and buy a Gatorade. I always stop my watch during pitstops. Techinically I suppose I should keep it running. Oh well.
In the end we ended up with 9.25 miles because we didn't go exactly the same route on the way back and ended up short on mileage. I knew that was going to happen as we were coming up to the end, but I just didn't feel like doing a loop or two around the block to make up the mileage. It felt close enough to me at that point.
All in all, it was a wonderful run. No more treadmill for me if I can help it. It is beginning to feel like Fall and it is absolutely perfect for running.
One thing I WILL warn against, however..... after the run, I drove 5 hours to see Black Eyed Peas in concert. We had "Standing Room Only" tickets.... AND the walk from our car to the concert had to have been close to a mile.... my legs are WRECKED this morning. I can hardly walk, they are so stiff and sore. Not a great idea to put my legs through all of that in one day, but the concert was amazing and makes this terrible pain worth it. :)
Hope you're all having a great Labor Day weekend! I know I am!
After a week and a half off from running and worries creeping in about my ability to do the half marathon in October, I was ready to take this show outside and test out my legs again.
Self doubt always tries to sideline me, and there were more than a handful of times I considered skipping out on the run. Luckily I know this about myself and made sure that I had a running partner for the morning. It is much harder for me to flake out on something if there are other people involved.
I met up with my friend Nicole yesterday bright and early (7:30am on a Saturday is early for this girl). But before meeting up with her, I had to gather all of the "stuff" and pace around my house making sure I'd done everything I needed to do before setting out to run 10.
First (always always first): coffee. Some don't like to drink coffee before long runs (probably out of fear of a mid-run pants pooping extravaganza), but I MUST get in a cup or two of coffee.
Second: breakfast. I'm not much of a breakfast eater, so I almost forgot this step, but I figured I best eat a little something. Had a couple of mini muffins. I never know if I am under-eating or over-eating, but it seemed sufficient.
Third: water. I am a terrible terrible water drinker. Friday night around 10pm is when I realized I'd hardly consumed any water that day. So much for hydrating the day before a long run. I did my best to drink a ton of water before bed and then had a little more before my run.
Fourth: get dressed. It was partly cloudy and cool. Forecast called for rain, but it looked like the sun was coming out. Forecast also called for wind (which is one of the reasons I considered flaking out that morning. I HATE wind). I settled on shorts and a t-shirt even though it was cool and windy. I would only be cold for a minute and then knew I would heat right up as I started the run.
Fifth: gather my GU (jet blackberry is my favorite... it has 2x caffeiene and tastes okay...for GU anyway), electrolyte tablets for my water (we use NUUN tablets), and my water bottle. I don't carry my bottle with me when I run because it's too heavy, but I need it for my car ride home.
Sixth: Body Glide. I chafe on runs that are longer than 5 or 6 miles.
And then I gather all of the etcetera items: iPod, headphones, headband, iPod armband, Garmin, fanny pack thing that holds my GU and tablets and check card... blah blah blah.
Seriously, this is why I have been doing so many runs at home on my treadmill! It's like packing for a week long trip to leave the house to run.
Anyway, so I finally got out of the house and met up with Nicole. The sun was shining and no hint of rain and the wind was not terrible. Still a little windier than I would like, but not awful.
We chose to run some of the route for the half marathon. The route goes along the river (which is finally below flood stage for the first time since March pretty much). It was a really beautiful morning and we saw lots of other runners along the way. I think that's one of my favorite things about running outdoors is seeing other runners and feeling that sense of camaraderie.
I was really nervous about my ankle/shin crap that's been bugging me, so we took it pretty slow (13:30-14:00 miles). And my leg ended up feeling great! A few twinges here and there after about 7 miles, but still bearable. We picked up the pace at the halfway point though and continued to feel good.
One thing I never include in my overall time, but probably SHOULD, is the gas station pitstop. At 5 miles we stopped to use the restroom, have a GU, and buy a Gatorade. I always stop my watch during pitstops. Techinically I suppose I should keep it running. Oh well.
In the end we ended up with 9.25 miles because we didn't go exactly the same route on the way back and ended up short on mileage. I knew that was going to happen as we were coming up to the end, but I just didn't feel like doing a loop or two around the block to make up the mileage. It felt close enough to me at that point.
All in all, it was a wonderful run. No more treadmill for me if I can help it. It is beginning to feel like Fall and it is absolutely perfect for running.
One thing I WILL warn against, however..... after the run, I drove 5 hours to see Black Eyed Peas in concert. We had "Standing Room Only" tickets.... AND the walk from our car to the concert had to have been close to a mile.... my legs are WRECKED this morning. I can hardly walk, they are so stiff and sore. Not a great idea to put my legs through all of that in one day, but the concert was amazing and makes this terrible pain worth it. :)
Hope you're all having a great Labor Day weekend! I know I am!
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