Windy run? not so much

It wasn't as windy as the weatherman predicted yesterday. Did my 3.1miler in 24:35 w/ a 7:54 pace. That's my fastest 3.1miler ever( in both training & road races) since I've been running. I'm thinking there may be something to actually not running on my x-training days.

Before my ankle started bothering me & I saw a doc about it,I was running for about 1.5miles on the tread(in addition to 2.4 miles on the ellip) on my x-training days. Didn't think too much about it,just wanted to get my cardio in & burn as many calories as I could. Well once the doc told me to give up the tread on those days at first I thought "I'm not gonna burn as many calories,I'll have to do all my cardio on 1 machine..wahaa.." Well my calorie burn did go down a little but I do feel better when I do run. Imagine that.

Followed up the run w/ my Wed. lower body weight training. X-training at the gym today. I'm out.

Can't think(or too lazy) of a title

I've got a windy(14mph) 3miler today. Oh well I guess I'll be getting some resistance training to boot. Did x-training last night. Same ole,same ole. Not much else to say. Just counting down the days until Friday(again). Everyone have a good day.

Physical Therapy

Did 4 miles yesterday w/ the R.B. in 35:17 w/ a 8:43pace. Was supposed to be an easy run(according to my schedule & my R.B.) but for me an 8:43 pace is easy. Oh well. Finished up w/ some core work w/ the ball. Love that thing!

Thanks for stopping by Amy. Her site cracks me up!

I have my 1st consultation w/ the physical therapist next Thursday. He has experience w/ running injuries & also he's married(darn!) to another PT who is also a runner(lucky woman). Hey Red mentioned that I should just get a runner lover. I'm thinking about a lover who is a runner and a PT! My PT works out of the gym that go to for x-training on Tues. & Thurs. so it's very convenient. My R.B. thinks I should do my usual x-training(I do the ellip for 30min followed by upper body weight training) 1st then go to pt afterwards since I'm probably not going to feel like working out after doing the therapy.

Speaking of I've got x-training I've got that for today. Later.

Recap

I had my 5 mile tempo run on Friday. Finished in 40:40 w/ a 8:07 pace. Thought my left ankle was going to give me trouble in the beginning but I guess I ran it into submission. I'm waiting on the doc's office to let me know that my insurance covers physical therapy & then I'll be doing that 2x/week for 6 visits.

Ran some errands on Sat. & Sun. Picked up a new set of these at Linens 'n' Things..




My first real set of flatware! Since they are no marriage prospects on the horizon I thought that I would buy my own set. My former set I've had for about 10 years(since I moved out on my own) & they were the WalMart box of 20 for $10. The set above is really heavy & has a matte finish(which unfortunately you can't tell from the pic). Plus the spoons don't bend when I eat ice cream w/ them! They were on sale for $74.99(reg. $99) plus I had a 20% off single item coupon. Sweet!

I've got an easy 4miler today followed by some core work w/ my stability ball. I did manage to say on it Friday during my lower body workout. I may be getting better at it!

T.G.I.F.

TGIF!..Always nice to have a short week. Did x-training at the gym last night. I decided not switch ellips like Annette suggested. I figured that w/ me switching up the resistance every few mins or so along w/ my tunes is enough to keep busy for a while. But I will definitely keep that in the back of my head whenever I do get bored w/ it altogether.

I've got my 5mile tempo run today followed by lower body weight training. Hopefully I can stay on the ball this time. But we'll see.

Injury update: The topical cream(it's an anti-inflammatory drug) that was prescribed to me did not help the pain. In fact I think that it caused me more stiffness! Even though both the doc & the pharmacist said that's not possible,my doc wants me to stop using it. She did have me increase the stretching exercises she has me doing(I was doing them 1x/day..now I am up to 3x/day) as well as icing more often throughout the day. I am not feeling the stiff pain in my left ankle that I was a few days ago when I was using the cream. Also no pain in my Achilles tendon when I walk down a flight of stairs. I think the increase stretching is helping w/ that.

The wedges still have not come in even though the doc ordered them last Fri. Because the doc said that the wedge doesn't work for everybody & I may still need physical therapy,I've decided not to get the wedges when they come in & just do the physical therapy. I pray that this will help my injury.

Everyone have a good Fri. & catch ya later!

Ball & band review plus a 2miler

Yesterday I used the ball & bands that I bought over the weekend. I used the middle resistant band doing these exercises..

(pics courtesy of Sparkpeople-sorry if they're a little fuzzy)

The 1st exercise(guy lying on his back) is w/ the band wrapped around the ankle to work the outer thigh. I had to get the motion down but not too bad. The 2nd exercise(woman standing by the couch holding on to a chair) is w/ the band wrapped around the leg of the couch & the ankle to work the inner thigh. Very good workout. I could really feel it.

Next up I used the ball for these exercises..

(pics courtesy of Sparkpeople-sorry again if they're a little fuzzy)

Top left pic is for the hamstrings. Decent. I could feel it while I was doing it. Top middle pic is for the abs. Can I just say..owww! My knees were killing thru this one. Not sure if that's the purpose. May have to recheck my form for this one. Top right pic is for the quads. I did it w/o the additional hand weights. Not too bad. Definitely could feel it while I was doing it but I will add hand weights next time. My quads as you might have guessed are pretty strong from the running that I do so it takes quite a bit to tax those babies.

Bottom left pic is for the left back. Oh...my..gosh..!!!! First let me say that I had a little trouble staying on the ball. Once I was on,I only managed to get a few reps in before I would lose my balance & fall off. Thought my core & balance was pretty strong,but this exercise kicked my butt. But I look at it as a challenge. I will become one w/ the ball. Bottom right pic is for the abs again. I like this one even though I felt a little light-headed afterwards.

Red asked if I tried to the Bosu ball. I tried it once at my gym & I liked it. I think once I get a handle on the stability ball I will look into getting one for my home.

Lisa I am hoping the novelty doesn't wear off & I'll become unmotivated to use them at home. But given the fact the exercises are challenging right now should keep me coming back for more!

So all in all good lower body workout. My triceps are a little sore from where I had to balance on my hands for 2 of them. Don't feel any soreness in the legs but the ball & bands are a keeper.

In running news,I did just my 2 miles yesterday. Total time 17:04. Coolness..I've got x-training tonight. Thanks for listening!

Balls,bands & the ellip

31 mins on the elliptical last night..Actually it wasn't too bad. Maybe because it's been years since I've done it so it's the novelty but I managed to stay on w/o wanting to rip my hair out. Kim mentioned having tunes w/ her when she does it, & I do the same thing. I was definitely rockin' my mp3! Annette also said try moving to a different elliptical half way thru to fool myself into thinking I am going to a different machine. I kinda like that idea & may have to try it tomorrow. Also I am constantly changing up the resistance(ranging from 2 to 9) every few mins or so to keep body challenged so that helped break up the monotony.

I've got my 2 miler(just 2miles). Nothing extra. But over the weekend I decided to buy these..

On Wed. I normally do lower body strength training(my apartment complex has a fitness center) after doing my short run. On Fri. after 5 mile tempo run I do Pilates for the lower body. I realized that once I started training for the 10k my Fri. lower body weight training went out the window. Now I know some would argue,well you're running for 5 miles,your legs have gotten enough of a workout. But I know how important weights are for keeping those legs muscles strong & limber so you can do the distance. I bought the band & ball above to do strength training in my home(tired of using what my apartment laughingly calls a fitness center). I also wanted to give my body a jolt & move away from using nautilus equipment. I figured the ball would also be great for core work(which I do on Mon. after my long run).

So I'll be trying them out today. I have some exercises off the net but if any of you out there use these let me know what you think of them.

Back at work

Back at work after a 4-day weekend. Ugggh.. I was ready to go home when I got here at 7am.

Today is the 1st day of cardio w/o using the mill for part of my x-training. I'll be on the elliptical for 31mins rather than my usual 16 w/ the rest on the mill(I like breaking my cardio up w/ multiple machines so it breaks the monotony). My doc recommended that I not do any running when I'm x-training in order for my ankle to heal. She did suggest doing the bike but that kills my knees afterwards. So it's all elliptical baby..Say a prayer for me..

Freezin' 7miler & wedge saga continues

7 miles in 1:05:20. Roughly 9:20 pace in the well below(12 degrees but no wind) freezing temps...Yeah..Let's just say the 1st mile was very speedy(mainly to warm up). Ran w/ the R.B. so misery loves company & all that. Thanks to Steve for cold weather running tips(I didn't forget my lip balm)! Go check his blog. It's slap your momma hilarious as well as slightly graphic. So you have been warned.

I mentioned about the wedge saga continuing. Well I called pharmacy today & talked to the guy in charge of ordering things like that. He said that he knew what I was talking about but all the had was a piece that would cover the entire heel. The wedge that I need is shaped like an oval leaf & only goes on 1 side of the shoe. So I called the doc's office & they said the would have more in on Wed. So that means I'll be spending a lunch break going across town to get them. Oh joy...

I did manage to get the topical cream that my sports doc prescribed. So at least I'll have that to relieve the inflammation.

Well it's back to work tomorrow. I'm out.

Angry errand running-Part 2

So where we last left off,I was leaving the compound pharmacy irritated but hopeful I could get my wedges..

Because the sports doc I saw yesterday was out of the left side corrective heel wedges that I needed,I thought I would go to my local pharmacy today to pick them up. I even called yesterday to confirm that they had what I was looking for. So I stroll into the pharmacy & ask the clerk where there heel wedges are. He points me to the home medical equipment section. I am thinking that this wouldn't necessarily qualify as "home medical equipment"-think wheelchairs,bars to put in the bathroom..ya know stuff for the home. Anyway I head back there & ask that clerk was the stuff was. He preceded to tell me that kind of thing isn't sold back here! To his credit he did walk w/ me to where they sold the insert stuff. We are both looking & all I see are heel cushions,gels & cups. No wedges. He tries to sell me on the cup & I'm like,"It's a wedge,not a cup". I then ask him to get an actual pharmacist out there. Then the pharmacist tries to do the same thing!

I told them both that I called yesterday & someone there said that they had what I was looking for. Of course they asked me who did I speak to. I told them it was a guy but I didn't ask for the name(mistake-on my part..I should know to always get the name..Easier for blaming..I mean uhhh..easier for accountability). Then I was told to call back on Monday when they head pharmacist was there. Of course he doesn't come in til 9am.

Now as I mentioned before in part 1 I've got an early(read: 8am 7miler) on Monday. I wanted to have the chance to use the wedges & cream then. And you know what blows? I sat around all day yesterday after my doc appointment & could have gotten both of these things yesterday. I was so mad when I left the traditional pharmacy that I was turning the air blue w/ all the cursing I was doing. If it wasn't for the fact that I just ran yesterday,man I could have had a heck of run today,M!

Kim asked whether I had my gait analyzed to find out determine whether I over or under or pronate at all. When I started running about year ago,I went to my local running store to get fitted for shoes. The clerk watched me run & determined that I didn't over or under or pronate at all & that I need a neutral shoe w/ lots of cushioning. So got these..

Then this past Thanksgiving I replaced those above w/ these..


They are the same model as the blue ones so I figured that I didn't have to try them on before I bought them. Big mistake! For some reason they didn't have as much cushion as the blue ones. Couple that w/ beginnings of what I know now I have(tendinitis),I bought these a few weeks later..

I thought that I could rotate between then green Saucony & Nike. Use the Saucony for x-training & the Nikes for my road running. Doc wants me to use Nikes exclusively due to reason I posted here. She believes that w/ the increased mileage(due to my 10k training & for some reason I tend to turn my feet inward when I run is what caused the tendinitis). Maybe if I had learn proper form & foot strike before I started running seriously it might have prevented this. But who knows.

I wanted to thank all of you for the well wishes about my injury. I have been icing & doing my stretches today & will do them tomorrow as well. As far as the wedges & cream(now there's a road we don't want to travel down) I'll get it sorted out on Monday hopefully. I'll just have to take my 7miler slow & easy. And since I have been running this long w/o the stuff 1 more run is not going to it make any worse. Bex,my hair is the only thing that went right today. Imagine a female Buckwheat,& that's what I looked like before I got my hair relaxed & colored. Too bad I don't have a camera. Thanks for letting me vent. Good night.

Angry errand running-Part 1

Boy..I wish I could have ran today! Let's see how many ways that people can piss Dana off today,shall we?


So the sports doc gave me a prescription for a topical cream to help calm down the inflammation. But it can only be filled at a compound pharmacy(they actual make it from "scratch"-talk about your home grown drugs). Anyhoo,I happen to find one literally 5mins from my home. I walk in to get it try to get it filled. The clerk tells me that they will give me a call on Monday at 9am to pick it up. I think,"Monday,that's no good. I need it before then so I can use it before my 7miler at 8am". I ask her why can't it be filled today? She then tells me that the "lab" isn't open on Saturdays. Great! Just wonderful. She then asks what's wrong & I tell her that I've got an early run on Monday & need the stuff before then. She gives me a look.."like it's sucks to be you". She then tries to show me some alternatives to use until then but I refuse. Now I know that I could just postpone my run until I pick up the cream but I want to get the run in early & out of the way. A little irritated but I leave thinking that I could at least pick up my corrective wedges to use for my run..to be continued....

1st dark run & Doc visit

I did my first run in complete darkness this morning. Because of my re-scheduled doc appointment,I had to wake up at 0'dark thirty this morning & do a 5 mile tempo run in the dark. But I did have a little help w/ this. Also the subdivisions that I ran thru,most of the houses had their porch lights on so they also helped. I figured I would be running in total darkness. But between my cap light & porch lights it wasn't too bad. I did this tempo run a little slower(finish time 44:30/8:52 pace) because of the sleet yesterday & the freezing temps this morning. But other than the ground being wet there was no slippage!

Speaking of my doc appointment,Robin asked what was going on w/ my ankles. Well at the beginning of December of last year I started having a burning sensation in my left ankle on the inside. It would hurt some when I would run on the mill none when I was out on the road. But as time went on it started hurting no matter what surface I was running on. Also my right ankle started bothering(compensating for the left) as well. My R.B. convinced me to see her sport doc.

Fast-forward to today,I found out from the doc that I do have tendinitis. I brought both pair(read further down that post) of running shoes for her to look at. She asked me did I know that the shoes were completely different. I said other than the fact that one is Nike & the other is Saucony & the Nikes have cushion,how are they different? She mentioned that the Saucony was more rigid than the Nikes & given the fact that I want to turn my ankles in when I run,they get locked in that position. She wants me to stick w/ the Nikes,get some corrective heel wedges,do some stretching exercises specifically designed for my injury. Also I have to give up running on the mill(just do my cardio on the elliptical or something low to non-impact) on my x-training days until my ankle heals & I am done w/ my 10k training. I am NOT happy about that. Because I do about 30 mins of cardio(like burning a high number of calories),I would hate to have do all of that on one machine. But she told me that she just wanted for me to do it for 16 mins(which is what I do now before switching to the mill). I believe what I am going to do is 20mins total on the ellip(meet her halfway..sorta). I know that on x-training days it's supposed to be about x-training but it's hard not go all out for cardio too because it's what I'm used to.

Finally if the wedges & the home stretching exercises don't work then I will need physical therapy 2x/week for 6 visits. I am praying that the home stuff works,cause I am definitely not looking forward to spending more $$ for this thing.

Getting my hair done tomorrow(thank God!-I look like Buckwheat..) & doing general errand running. I hope everyone has a great long holiday weekend(I am off today & Monday-Lee/Jackson & Martin Luther King..gotta love those 4-day weekends) & catch ya on the flip side!

Surprise

Ok. So I am out running my 2 miles(so I thought) yesterday. Feeling chilly at the start but good overall. Finished in 21:03. Started to think back on the route that I took. Getting a weird sensation that I made a boo-boo. So I pull up Map My Run & chart the exact route that I took. Realized that because I took the long way around on the half mile to my home that I roughly added an extra half mile to my total mileage! Apparently I did that last week too when I felt worried that I was slowing down on my runs. Because I keep so many different routes in my head I was adding distance when I didn't need to. So that finish time that mentioned for yesterday puts at approx. an 8:20 pace. Which is what I had been doing on my longer runs.

Talk about feeling a sense of relief! But I am glad that I had what I thought was a bad run last week. Because I got the same finish time this week,it wouldn't have occurred to me to look at the route that I was taking & realized that I was going further than I needed to. Not that there is anything wrong w/ that. But right now I need to stick to my running plan & w/ my injured ankles I don't need to be adding more distance when my plan doesn't call for it.

I've got x-training tonight. No danger of going further than I need to on the elliptical & mill cause those are on timers! Please tell me it's Friday already....

Pain

Did my x-training at the gym yesterday. Both ankles were killing me yesterday on the mill. I iced last night but didn't take any drugs. Woke up this morning w/ the back of my right ankle feeling really tight. I was supposed to go to see a sports doc today(1st time ever seeing one) but my appointment got moved to this Friday(due to the doc having an emergency today). My R.B. recommended her & outside of bringing my running shoes,is there anything else I should in preparation for this visit? I have to admit I am little apprehensive. I am hoping that the doc doesn't tell me just to ice & take pills because I have done that,& it doesn't fix the problem & barely treats the symptoms. But I'll keep you all posted.

Robin since I'll be 35 in less than month I'm already ahead! Do they count as hot flashes if you only have them at night?

Annette I hear that admitting that you have a problem is the first step. But I am not sure if I want help!..lol I haven't had a Pop-tart since I was a kid. Your talk of having them as a pre-run snacks gave me happy flashbacks. I am seriously thinking about getting some for my 10k. Any fave flavors you suggest?

Got a 2miler today followed by lower body weight training. Happy hump day!

6 miles...Alone

Went out for a brisk 6miler alone yesterday. Normally I do my long Mon. runs w/ my R.B. but she had to go out of town for work. So it was me,myself, & I(& my mp3). Went out easy & pretty kept the same pace throughout. Total time was 52:28.

I got a little shock about halfway through. You know how you'll map out a run that you have never done before & you start running it but because Map My Run(which is what I use) doesn't give show all the landmarks you might think that you're running in the wrong direction? Well,that's what I felt like yesterday. I came to what I thought was the end of a road(Map My Run showed the road continuing) but it actually went thru a small wooded area w/ a sidewalk to end up in another subdivision. The road did change names but I managed to find my turnaround point. Whew! I hate that feeling when you think you're lost on a run. You don't want to turn around too soon because you may short your mileage. But you afraid to keep going because you may not want to add on miles to try to find your way.

As far as the linen addiction that I admitted to yesterday,I got a comment in regards to what's my fave. Red,I'm not much for flannel sheets. Too warm. I know,I know during this time of year you would think that would be a good thing but I like to be cold when I sleep. And since flannel tends to trap heat that wouldn't work for me . I tend to suffer w/ night sweats a lot. So it's cotton all the way baby. I buy no less than 250-thread count. Egyptian cotton preferably. The ones I got over the weekend are actually a cotton sateen. So shiny like satin but not nearly as slippery to sleep on. Have you tried sleeping on satin sheets? You're slipping all around like you've been greased up w/ Vaseline(now there's a mental pic). As far the guys none,in my life right now that I would even divulge that info(my addiction to linen). But hey if you know of some single guys willing to relocate to the Richmond area,then let me know.

And to Rae,1st thanks for stopping by my blog! I haven't gotten into down comforters(a little out of my price range-and yes I know this is coming from someone who has 7 sets of linens for 1 bed-but to my defense I buy everything on sale) yet but I agree that they are nice.

Got x-training at the gym this evening. I hope everyone has a great day!

Easy weekend

I hope everyone had a good weekend. I just took it easy all weekend. Picked up this book at Borders. Tried their Chai tea latte w/ a carmel shot. My goodness was it good! Went to the Body Shop to load up on the Vanilla Spice body wash & lotion. They were having their semi-annual sale & I got the stuff for like 50% off(reg. price $16). Score! I also picked up some new sheets & quilt at Linen's 'n' Things. I am soo addicted to bed linens. I have about 7 comforters/quilts & sheet sets to match. Did I mention that I only have 1 bedroom? Yeah, I know I have a problem. I get it from my mom. I can't stand to see/sleep on the same set of linens year in & year out. I change my bed at least a few times a year. I wonder is there help group for those addicted to linens? "Hi, my name is Dana & I am addicted to linens.."


Anyway I hung out w/ R.B. yesterday. She is in the process of moving & I helped her get some stuff at Walmart. I've got 6miles to run today & this will be the longest run(previously it had been 5) I have done by myself(normally I'm doing the Mon. runs w/ R.B.). Is it Friday yet?

Humbled

I have to say that I feel truly humbled by my 2miler on Wed. Not that I thought that I was invincible or I could never had a bad run but I have to say that after almost a year of running that was the first time that I had one. Where I thought that it would be great,where I thought that I wasn't struggling & apparently according to my time,I was. It definitely made me appreciate today's 5 mile tempo run. I listened to my body & paid attention to my form & ran light & relaxed. Yes there were times towards the end of my fast pace where I actually felt nauseous but I kept myself calm,slowed my pace a little & got thru it. I kept my attitude positive. I kept same mantra running in my head over my music,"Run light,run light". For my effort,I finished in 41:17. You would think that I would have jumped up & down for joy but I took it in stride. I didn't necessarily feel it was a victory but a good run that made me appreciate what I learned from the bad one. That every run good or bad in the end is all good because all of us runners are blessed that we can get out there & run.

Thanks Annette for stopping by my blog & the kind words. It's that kind of attitude(versus what you received) that will make you a GREAT personal trainer.

I'm doing Pilates in the a.m. before my usual Sat. errand running. I hope everyone has a good weekend & good runs.

Thanks

First off I wanted to thank everyone for the kind comments on my crappy 2miler on Wed. M you're not pathetic. The fact that you got out there & tried puts you ahead the many others that didn't. And Red, had I looked at my watch during that run I probably would have ripped it off my arm,flung it the ground & stomped on it into smithereens(trust me I felt like doing that after my run-only thing that stopped me was that it's my heart rate monitor & I would have to shell out $100 bucks for another one). But I do agree that for all the bad runs we have that when we do have a good run it does make it all worth it in the end. Robin you know I went round & round yesterday trying to figure out what went wrong what could I change so that I could have a good run in the future. Finally I just had to just chalk it up to a bad run & let it go. I figured no good could come continuing to focus on the negative aspects thus affecting my future runs.

But I did come to a conclusion yesterday. I realized that I may have been pushing myself too hard on the cardio portion of my x-training. See,I do a total of 31 mins of cardio split up roughly between the elliptical & the tread. I do an average of level resistance 6 on the elliptical going for a total of 2.40 miles in 16mins. Now that's not bad considering there is no impact w/ the elliptical. However,when I'm on the tread I was going about 7.5mph for a total of 1.71 miles in 15mins. Even though the tread provides some(read: very little) cushion it's almost like being out on the road. I've gotten so used to when I run regardless as to what surface I'm on, to run fast & hard. Which is fine when I'm on the road. When I'm on the tread,I am supposed to be x-training. It needs to be less about trying to get in x amount of miles in x amount of time & just staying w/in my aerobic training zone.

So last night I payed close attention to my heart rate(max 166/I was at 168 for the last min of my run) while I was on the tread. Even though both of my ankles were bothering me throughout the run,I felt better overall afterwards. My overall avg. pace was 6.7. Total miles 1.58. Now I don't know if me going fast on the mill contributed to my less than stellar 2miler on Wed. but I figured that w/ my injured ankle(s) & the miles that I am putting on the road that I need to take it easy when I'm supposed to.

I've got my 5mile tempo run today. I don't have high expectations but I will pay more/better attention to my form & run relaxed & easy. I will try my best not to let what happened a few days ago affect me(but I'm not gonna lie & say that I'm a little apprehensive about today's run because of it). Thanks for listening.

20:30..WTH?!?!?!

So apparently the funk that I was in yesterday carried over into my 2miler run last evening. That's right folks,2miles in 20:30. We're talking roughly 10min/mile. And no I wasn't walking. I realize that some who runs slower than that would love a time like that. But this is me. Someone who just week ago was running the same distance in 16:59. I am the same person who did roughly 8:40min/miles this past Monday for my 6miler. What the....? My right ankle was a little tight in the beginning but loosened up w/in a few mins. My left ankle not a peep. The weather was 10 degrees cooler than it was on Monday but still warmer than what it should be for this time year. I don't know. I know we can all have off runs. Where you think you did everything right & you're feeling good but the running gods decide to have a laugh at your expense. Red knows what I'm talking about. So I am going to try in keep it in perspective & not go cry in a corner(besides I'm outta Kleenex). So instead I offer a plea to the running gods/karma:

Dear Running Gods/Karma,

I know that I don't always do what I am supposed to do to ensure a good run. I may not always get enough rest the night before. I may not eat the best things(although could you give me points for my pre-workout snack of fresh fruit & fiber-filled cereal? Thanks). I may not change out my shoes when I should. Or not stretch enough before/after a run. Or listen to my body when it's pain. While I don't expect to get rewarded for bad behavior w/ a great run,I don't feel it's necessary to thumb your nose at me when I do get it right. This may be asking a lot but I will try from now on to respect the distance(any distance no matter how long/short) & realize that I cannot take you for granted any more. Thanks.

Dana

So w/ that said I am headed to the gym tonight for x-training. And Red,to be fair I do get to the gym about an hour before 5:00 clock crowd. I am not there during their busiest time. While I am hoping the few new faces I saw will keep coming(cause think about it,while we regulars hate this time of year, if the newbies stayed then they would become us & we get used to the crowd or either continue to curse the day they walked in) I know that at least 1 or 2 may not come back. Good luck to all those on the road today & remember respect the distance.

Nothing to say

X-trained at the gym last night. Nothing too exciting. Waded thru a few New Year resolution folks but that's it. Ho-hum. I've got a quickie 2 miler tonight followed w/ some lower body strength training. Doesn't get any better than this folks. Isn't that sad? Obviously I don't have much to say(but a lot on my mind right now). Sorry to be in a funk. I pray that tomorrow will be better.

6miler in a circle?

Ok. So running w/ the R.B. yesterday. She had 9 miles to go & I only had 6. She mapped out a 9 mile course that would drop me off at my car at 6 leaving her to finish 3 by herself. Apparently either her Garmin was doing something weird or she didn't write down the complete route cause we were back at my car at mile 3! I think her Garmin was right because I looked at my heart rate monitor & we had only been running for about 27mins. So I think that she may have had a senior moment & didn't write down the entire route. Thus began us running around in circles to make up the additional 3(for my total 6). I was sooo ready for the run to be over w/. Finally finished up in about 54mins. I was never so happy to be back at my car as I was yesterday.

Anyway to answer Kim's comment about my buying fleece gloves over the weekend. I know the yesterday's(low 70's) & today's temps(same as yesterday) for that matter would not cause me to need those gloves but when temps are where they should be here in Va for this time of year(we're talking high 30's to low low 40's w/ wind chills make it feel about several degrees colder) then I will need them. My fingertips are kind of sensitive to the cold. But not as severe as Red. Trust me I felt weird about buying them given the fact it seems we are going thru a heat wave in Virginia but hopefully it will get cold again. If not I can use them for next winter.

Also to Robin's invite to do the Ultra in 6 weeks considering the fact that longest distance I have run ever is 7 miles,methinks I would keel over on the trail at mile 8 & she & rest of the group would be running over my carcass. No seriously,I know that w/ proper training I could physically do the distance I just have no desire to put in the that much time to train for it. Believe me running for about 1 hour is a lot different than running for several. But thanks for the invite & I would totally crew for you,Robin!


Got x-training today at the gym. Byeeeee!

Recap

Another weekend come & gone. Did a short 'n' sweet 3 miles w/ the R.B.(running bud-tired of typing out the whole thing). 25:30 time. Got my hair done Saturday morning. Picked up some fleece running gloves at my local running store. My spandex lighter weight ones just aren't cutting it in the barely above freezing temps. Ran some errands & just hung around for the rest of the weekend. Exciting stuff folks.

Thanks to Robin for the advise about not having to do speedwork on a track. I do have some speedwork on my training sched but I have been avoiding it like the plague & just doing all tempo work instead cause the the though of running around countless times on track makes me want to tear my hair out.

I've got 6 miles today & it's supposed to be in the 70's(of course this is after I buy some warmer gloves)! We were just in the mid 40 temps late last week. Craziness! But that's Va for ya. I'm out.

New Year resolution gym folks

Yesterday at the gym. Tons of people but strangely the cardio area was fairly empty. Weight machine area was crowded. Had to wait for a couple of machines but not too bad. Actually the machines I had to wait for was used by someone who had been coming to the gym for a while. Not a newbie! Too be fair I get to the gym about 4pm(so before the 5 crowd). Saw a few new faces but that's it.

My gym does have programs like it's own version of The Biggest Loser to keep people coming back. So they are not all about just taking your money not caring if you come in or not. Too bad they don't have programs for those of us like myself who have lost the weight & are maintaining. It took me a year to lose about 60lbs & I have kept that off for about 6 years now. Now I am not saying that it was easy. It was very hard & there were times when I was close to my goal weight where I would gain a few lbs as if my body was saying, "I know that you are NOT trying get to your goal weight!,That's it,I'm done." But w/ all that said trying to maintain that loss over a lifetime DEFINITELY has it's challenges but for different reasons. You have those that will congratulate when you are initially at your goal weight but it becomes the norm. Over time people around you just get used to you looking like that. And even though this country has made huge strides in trying to change it's unhealthy habits we still have a long way to go. Because we still are constantly bombarded w/ super-size everything because a lot people have a hard time saying "Enough!".

Anyway sorry for the long post. I've got a 3 miler w/ the running bud today. Gotta keep up that 60lb loss!

Running sick

Well I decided to listen to my head(even though it was congested & in excruciating pain) & run on the mill. 3miles in 25:45. Not bad. Due to the endorphin rush I felt a little better right after my run but by the end of the evening I was done. Good thing was I didn't need to drug up before hitting the sack. Exercise truly is the best medicine! Got x-training at the gym today. Can't wait to stand in line at all the machines due to all the New Year resolution folks. Not! Like everyone else I applaud those who want to change their lifestyle & get healthy. But the sad fact is about half if not more will not be there come February or March of this year. I know it's hard to start & even harder to stick to exercise routine but you know that some of those "newbies" just go just to say,"Hey I started going to the gym" but they won't stay w/ it for the long haul. Still I guess something is better than nothing. I'll get off my soapbox now. Later.

Sick

Yup.. I.is.sick. What started as a scratchy throat & a little sniffling has turned into a full-fledged head cold. Plus(guys who may be reading you might want to skip this part) it's that time of the month. So add cramping,bloating & a migraine. Fun times people.

Of course I've got 3 miles today. Debating whether to run it on the road or the tread. Weatherman calling for snow showers today & as much as I would heart running in the snow don't think it would be smart to run in it w/ a head cold. So we'll see.

In other news,hung out w/ my running bud for New Year's Eve. We started at Friday's(in retrospect it probably wasn't a good idea to be in a bar w/ a cold-but hey I'm crazy like that) & was going to head to Bar Louie's but found out they were charging a 15 cover charge(they normally do not have one) for the New Year's festivities. My friend was shocked. We just wanted a couple of drinks at the bar but didn't want to pay the cover charge. She admitted that it's been awhile since she's been out for New Year's. So we kicked it at my place w/ a dvd(The Nanny Diaries-cute movie) & pizza. I was in bed by midnight. Didn't even watch the ball drop.

I hope everyone has easy 1st day back at work & I'll catch ya later.