Just do it!

Just do it! It’s so cliché but so true.

Yesterday, I did some aerial yoga at home. I worked on conditioning/strength and my flexibility. Both have taken a backseat to my running. I would probably even go to more classes but my running has made me a bit tired overall. So my aerial yoga has hit a bit of a lull. I need to get on that and keep improving my yoga vocabulary. Doing aerial yoga at home is nice because I can invert fully and use gravity to help me stretch. I’m frequently stiff when getting out of bed between getting older and myalgia. Doing some gazelles and downward facing dogs really gets me stretched out and ready to face the day.

This morning, I went for a run at the gym. Snow and rain fell last night and a quick look at the roads this morning showed somewhat slippery conditions. So far, I’ve made it with no serious injury and I’d like to keep it that way.

I got there earlier and I was able to park closer. As I was walking in, I wondered if it was ironic that I wanted a close parking spot to the gym entrance. Shouldn’t we all be parking as far away as possible in non-inclement or freezing weather? Mostly, everyone there was fit. There were “normal” people there but a lot of the people seemed very serious about their workout. There was a large turnout for the step class. It was encouraging to see all these people working hard to be fit or get fitter so early in the morning. It pushed me to sweat.

The run itself was hard. Not because of anything in particular but I couldn’t find a good, relaxed pace. I felt like I was breathing thru a scarf. Legs never hit a rhythm. Part of me wanted to quit, and do something else. Anything else. But I kept reminding myself to suck it up and enjoy my Netflix.

I still ran well. It was my second fastest pace. Maybe that’s why it was so rough. The only other time I ran that fast was during the Frosty 5k. I upped my speed running and ran a whole quarter mile at 7:00. My current plan is to slowly start increasing the length of my “sprints.” I’m also considering changing treadmills for my weekday gym visits, ones that have programs that have hills. This should help me with my road running.

I’m hoping some of this new treadmill running will translate into road running. The two are different and the same. I guess we’ll have to see.

In the meantime, I am waiting patiently for my dinner with friends tonight. Good food and good company. 

Birthday Week!!!

Welcome back. I’m looking forward to this week. Lots of social events. I’ll have to be sure to get my runs in the morning. Can’t be sure that I’ll be getting to the gym in the afternoons.

Friday, fiancé and I hung out. We both haven’t been feeling well. There have been some lingering colds and we managed to catch it. Plus, a mild flare for me. Achy joints, itchy and burning skin, plus a few other fun things. So I built up my Netflix cue. Also, we discovered that Karn does NOT like kiwi even though it’s supposed to be a popular dragon food. It reminded me of this video:

Saturday I to 11.3 miles in. I did it at the gym. I was lazy and I didn’t want to get dressed for an outside run. Plus, I feel more motivated to shower after. Sometimes, from outside runs, I just come back and crash for a nap. Again, I watched Jessica Jones. Last time I was there, I noticed that I could plug my phone in and watch Jessica on a bigger screen. I decided against after seeing some of the sex scenes. Small screen seemed like a better idea.

It took a while to fall into stride. A guy ran next to me for an hour and congratulated me on my persistence and distance. I played with the incline and the speed. My breath came easy but I could feel my body sucking up all the oxygen as quick as it could. My Brooks kept my feet comfy. I bought a revive Vitamin water when I get to the gym. I thought it a good idea after the 2 glasses of wine on Friday night. And strawberry GU Chomps. It’s my second favorite with watermelon being my favorite. A fellow runner complimented me on my distance and consistency as he headed off to a spin class. I enjoyed watching people get on the treadmill and then glance at me as they left.

My pace was 11:48. It was the best pace so far for that mileage. I don’t know if treadmill running is easier or not. I suppose it is in that you can set it and forget it but at the same time, very few people run at the same pace for an extended amount of time when running outside. It would vary on many factors, like terrain, weather, etc. I think for me, holding a pace is harder for me. And I’m lucky that I can lose myself in music or a TV show and forget that I’m running and getting nowhere. I was content being where I was and doing what I was doing. A long run really lets you get into your mind and explore feelings. There is no hiding from yourself when it’s just you and yourself for 2 hours.

This week should be fun. Stepdaughter-to-be’s birthday is today and we will being going out. Tomorrow, we will be going out for my birthday (on Weds). Wednesday, I have off but that was more incidental (Dr. appointment). I’m considering taking the dog to one of the good dog parks. 

Thursday, I will be getting some blue hair. And wedding stuff hopefully on Saturday.

I’ll be sure to be getting my runs in so I can clear my mind and enjoy all the fun things happening.

Falling Back into a Habit

I’m glowing

Yoga last night was so chill and fun. Girls Hanging Out. Maybe that’s what my class should actually be called. Indie music, getting things off our chest and sharing the joy. All while doing low aerial yoga. We focused some on the middle of the back and neck. Class flew by. I felt so peaceful afterward. I can’t be more grateful to have this outlet and such great people to help in their yoga practice.

And I ran this morning. Part of me was trying to make excuses. It had been a while and I was out of the habit. Once you are out of the habit of running at 4am, it’s really hard to convince yourself that it’s a good idea again. I took out my new Brooks for a test drive. I should have worn another layer on my legs. I’m still a little chilled on my thighs.

The dog was very excited to be out and running. She bounded from snowbanks to roads, looking back at me with a big smile on her face. I was criticized earlier this week about subjecting my dog to the stresses of running. This person obviously never owned a border collie mix. There was no subjecting here, she was loving every second of this..

My finish at the 5k convinced me to push a little harder. If I could run that fast for a 5k, what was another mile? I turned it up a notch. I ran to the beats of LMAFO and other fun party music. I needed music with energy to carry me thru. There was no Gu involved; this was a fasted run. Runkeeper kept telling me my pace was in the 13:00 range. I pushed a little harder. Then, 8:00. I had no idea how fast I was going. Taking out the first mile with all the potty breaks for the dog, my pace was 11:30. My shoes felt great. At first, they felt strange but by the end of the run, I could appreciate the extra cushion.

The streets were empty. The air felt nearly warm after the below zero temps. The wind was minimal. It was definitely cold. I put my hands in my shirt’s mittens. I felt the air cut thru my fleece running leggings. There was a sense of peace even though the music was energetic. The breath came a little harder but I didn’t fight it. My legs were tired after we turned around and my brain asked for Gu and then whined that I didn’t have any. But my mind, my mind was ecstatic. I had been missing my outdoor runs. The treadmill is a great tool but it cannot replace an early morning run. It can’t replace the camaraderie of the early birds.

A cop passed me on the road. I was wondering if I was going to get a ticket for not being on the sidewalk. But we are a bit of a running community and I think there is an understanding so long as we don’t impede traffic, and I usually only run on the road when I’m on a side street. I pictured him pulling over and calling to me as I approached. In my head, I wondered if it would be bad form to pause my Garmin and Runkeeper. He passed and I was left with alone with my dog.

It’s funny. I had no idea I was missing the morning runs as much as I was until I did it. When I went out, I felt at home and at peace in a way I don’t anywhere else, not even in the hammock during yoga. I hope that the weather cooperates and stays above zero and I can keep doing my outside runs.

Short Post for a Short Run

Confession: My running has totally slacked these past few weeks.

It’s been so ice and bitterly cold and trying to nail down a gym has led to a serious deficit of miles. And I haven’t replaced it with anything. I’ve just been lounging..

Tuesday night, I did a little more cooking. I made rigatoni with broccoli and turkey sausage. I’m finding the ratios to be a little off with the Runner’s World Cookbook. I had too much broth with the potato leek soup and too many noodles with the sausage. The flavor was wonderful and it looked nice too. Visuals are important when eating as well. It was rather simple. Noodles, broccoli, red pepper, chicken sausage which I replaced with turkey sausage and feta. I seasoned it with an Italian herb mix I had on hand. It call for basil which I did not have but I imagine would have added another dimension to the flavor. It was very good. Lots of flavor and easy to make. The fiancé enjoyed it as well and said it should be added to our menu. So far the cooking has been a good experience and relatively successful.

Last night, we tried a different gym just to check out a midrange place. It wasn’t our favorite. We got the tour. It felt cold despite the warm color tones on the walls. They kept pushing the deals on us and tried to apply mild pressure on the importance of signing up before we left to waive their large “registration” fee. The equipment was fine. Crowded and base level but fine. I didn’t like that the tread on two treadmills I tried was lose. I played around with the different programs and settings. Watched about some of a Jessica Jones. Discovered I am not level 7 anything. I was worried about slipping off the end with some of the hills. I did just under 2 miles before we left. It as fast but there wasn’t much to compare it to as I don’t usually go that short. Even as we left, they were pressuring to sign up today or we wouldn’t be able to avoid the huge fees.

Tonight is yoga, tomorrow is hopefully some gym time. I hope to get a run in in the morning too as it’s going to be above zero and the dog is getting restless. 

My First 5k- The Frosty 5k

Happy Monday! You survived the weekend and if you are by me, you survived this brutal cold.

Friday, I had planned on going to aerial yoga and stretch out before the race on Saturday. I went with my fiancé to pick up my stepdaughter to be (SDTB). She was joining me on this cold, winter 5k. Before we left, I picked up my packet from Fleet Feet in Brookfield. It wasn’t busy and I was in and out in a few minutes. When we picked up SDTB, she was excited to run. I was a little nervous as she was young and likes to run the shorter distances. How far would she leave me behind?

Race day, fiancé came down with a bug and stayed home. Girl’s Day! We got there early. It was my bad. I usually drive down to this area during rush hour and didn’t consider how fast we would get there. When we got to registration, the process was smooth and the volunteers were very friendly. I even got mistaken for a runner that another woman knew. Let me repeat that. I GOT MISTAKEN FOR A RUNNER. WOHOO!

There were roughly 190 runners and walkers. We all walked from the warm registration area to the starting line. The paths were a little icy. SDTB and I lined up close to the middle. We wanted to make a good start, not too fast and not too slow. The crowd of runners started to crawl, jog, and run forward. It felt like I was part of a river. I wanted to start kinda slow because I had started too fast at the Turkey Trot. SDTB took off. I saw her blond ponytail fly away.

Almost immediately, I started to past people. There were a few clogs on the paths with ice and only small parts of the path cleared. I was glad I wore my Xodus and Stance socks. My feet stayed dry and warm. I gave myself different pacers along the way. I kept going as pacers slowed down and some began to slow down, as others who started perhaps too fast began to walk. My feet were steady on the path. I caught up to my SDTB about a third into the race. We ran together for a while and then she was my shadow 20 feet back or so for the better part of the race.

I could hear my Runkeeper whispering out my pace. It started with an 11 min pace, and then a 10:30, then 9, and then back to 10 min pace. I thought it was lying again. I mean, I don’t go that fast. Do I?

The course was a loop and we had to come back thru the finish line. First time thru, the race coordinator encouraged the runners as they came thru. He called out their numbers and called out, “Water on the left.” As I came in, he added, “Jack Daniels on the right.” High fived as I went past, and asked “Where’s my Jack?” No Jack L

I started to feel my breath become a little labored during the last quarter mile. My left shin was unhappy with me. But I was almost there and added a little speed. I was hoping to beat a 40 min mark, wishing to beat 35min. I didn’t see my time but stopped my Runkeeper right away. It said 33:55. It had to be wrong, right? My Garmin didn’t save. It had run, but flipped out and didn’t save so I had nothing to confirm Runkeeper. While I was thinking this, I was trying to get my phone ready to take a photo of SDTB as she crossed the line but she was right on my tail. She ended with a 34:13. The race posted the results via email a few hours later. I was ten out of twenty one in my age group. My official gun time was 33:43:123. Runkeeper said my pace was 10:26 and it was my fastest time!

The race was great. I truly enjoyed it and look forward to my next 5k whenever that might be. I was concerned about the distance and not knowing how fast I should run. It all came together.

Sunday, I woke up and decided I draw the line at running outside when the temperature is below zero. Between that and the oh so prevalent ice, running another 10 miles was out. Our guest pass had run at out the one gym and the fiancé wanted to check out another place before we sign up. Hopefully, I’ll get some miles in tonight if we go look at the other gym.

In the afternoon, I had a chance to get new shoes. Some girls get excited about a new pair of heels, but I was giddy over my new pair of Brooks. I love Saucony. The girl who fitted me at Performance Running Outfitters loved Saucony too, but I mentioned I wanted something a little cushier since I was doing so much running and so much of it was on the road. We tried the Saucony Guide and Triumph. I tried a Nike and an Asics but the Brooks fit so amazing. When I took a test jog with the Triumph on one foot and Brooks on the other, the Brooks took the impact and I felt it so little, like I was on a cloud. The Triumphs were nice but not the same, and my heel was loose even with the special lacing. The Guides felt stark in comparison. The girl helping me said my stride look better and more sure with the Brooks.

It is time to retire my first pair of running shoes. It’s sad but they served me well. Maybe I should get them bronzed. Now it is Brooks Glycerin 13 to take me on the next part of my running adventure. My Xodus will still be a running shoe for tough terrain or sloppy weather, i.e. when I need sure and dry feet.

In the evening, I tried a new recipe from the Runner’s World cookbook. At my previous job, I had a favorite soup, potato leek. I was excited to try this recipe. It had just a few ingredients. I followed the recipe. It was simply potatoes, leeks, carrots and broth. Salt and pepper to taste. It tasted ok. It did not bring to mind in the least bit the soup from work. I would almost call it a stew instead of a soup. I added a little bacon and melted mozzarella over the top. I think it could have used less broth and more potatoes and a little bit more flavor. Still, it is good and low calorie. The potatoes make it very filling. No picture, I forgot. Here is Karn instead

This week I hope to step up my mileage. Not sure when and how considering the freezing temperatures, but I hope to get closer to what I was doing a couple of weeks ago. And do it faster

PreRace Report

It is the day before a race. In less than 24 hours, I will be forcing myself to run faster than feels normal. I’ve been so focused on distance, my speed is turtle speed. With the treadmill, I hope to improve my speed. I’ve been doing sub-12 min distances. This will be interesting. I have to laugh too because running three miles used to be an out of this world concept. Now, it's my warm up. It will be great and give me a good chance to push it. I'll be reporting in on the Frosty 5k at the Winter Jamboree probably on Monday.

Before I taught yoga, I dropped off our house guest. Jack fit well into our household. He slept in my arms lest he paced the house for the whole night. He gathered his treats and moved them to eat by my dog. He followed me around like a shadow. I think, he looked a little sad when I dropped him off at his own home.

Yoga had an unexpected visitor. The studio has two different locations and sometimes students end up at the wrong one. And sometimes, class are running concurrently. Wednesday night, we ended up with a lost student. The regular and I encouraged her to stay and try out aerial yoga. She did great. I hope it was a fun experience for her. It is fun for instructors and regulars to have new people. It reminds us to slow down and to really align ourselves in the asana. The class was very casual and we worked our shoulders and necks the second half of class. It felt very nice after as I cleaned up.

Thursday I slept in. I wanted to do a two a day but I needed to sleep. I’ve been tired later. Maybe it’s the weather, or maybe it’s related to the sniffles I’ve had for three weeks now. I went to the gym after work. It was not nearly as busy as the morning was on Wednesday. I’ve now got a treadmill I hope for. I was on one that was a little softer for distance running. Two down from me was a similar model but it had a tv screen and I could plug in my phone to watch Netflix. I will be aiming for that one next time.

It was a great run. It felt good. It was hard and I pushed myself. I again improved my speed and managed my third fastest time. A couple of people ran next to me and fell away. Thank you, Netflix, as I watched the second episode of Jessica Jones and the start of the third. I did catch myself looking at the time and distance but I would then adjust my speed and distract myself with a little Marvel action.

Karn got to finally come out and play. He will be getting a bath and crickets this weekend. But he came and snuggled after I got back from the gym. The dog is getting disinterested in him so far but we will keep a watchful eye. When I put him back in, he was rather photogenic and silly.

So I'm a Treadmill Runner Now

I’m joining a gym. It’s just too icey to run safely in the morning. I think I’d be down with the cold but I don’t want to take the chance with the ice. This means my mileage will suffer a bit since I have to drive to the gym and check in and etc, but it will be safer than ice covered streets. I am still waiting for a  good trip on the treadmill. I’m pretty sure it will happen. Anyways….

Cooking more is one of my resolutions. I got two cookbooks for Christmas. One is the Harry Potter Cookbook and the other is Runner’s World Cookbook. Both have some wonderful looking recipes. I already did a roast beef and cucumber/dill yogurt sauce. That was wonderful and so quick and easy to make. There was the curry egg salad too. I added dill to it. I think it would be good but I added way too much salt. Today for lunch I have a version of their tuna salad. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Last night, I delved into the Harry Potter Cookbook. There was a recipe for a honey dill poached salmon. The fiancé was unsure about the poach part of it. I was unsure of the whole thing. It looked rather complicated. He chopped the onions for me. I measured out the other ingredients. The salmon was as fresh as it can get from the grocery store butcher. I futzed with the pan afraid something would burn and make stuff taste weird. After putting nearly all the ingredients, I tasted the sauce. I was not thrilled. I added the wine and was less thrilled. I added some lemon juice (not in the recipe) that seemed to help. I laid the salmon in the pan, covering it, and said a little prayer that I wasn’t ruining the salmon with this sauce. In the meantime, I warmed up some frozen veggies and crusty bread.

I plated the food and set a plate in front of my fiancé. I held my breath. He took a bite and said, “Oh my God, this is delicious!” Success. I took a bite nervously. The sauce had transformed into something delicious. The bread was warm from sitting on top of the pan. It wasn’t nearly as scary of a recipe as I thought it was. Really, without the veggies, it was a one pan deal with easy clean up and readily available ingredients. I did have to add a little water to the pan as the sauce thickened too much. The lemon juice also lightened up the sauce just a bit. It’s something that I would totally make again. I think the fiancé would be happy to see this for dinner again as well.

This morning I walked the dogs. We have a Jack Russell visiting us while his home gets a new kitchen. He is not thrilled by the ice. Or the cold. Or anything regarding outside right now. My dog is bouncing thru snow piles like she were a malamute or something. While outside, I evaluated conditions. The sidewalks were still icy, some of the roads looked iffy with piles of salt and ice patches near the curb where I run. Treadmill it is.

I packed up my backpack which is my gym bag for the time being. I have a Nike bag some place. I’ll have to hunt that down. It took me a while to get out of the house. I think I need to pack up clothes the night before. I also need to get sandals because I slipped twice in the shower after running.

The run itself was good and tough. I varied my pace using songs as my timer. I ran between 4.5 and 7.5 mph. I had a wayward strap and untidy shoe laces when I first started. Pushing myself like that felt good and panic inducing at the same time. I’m improving myself but at the same time, I had fear that I wasn’t going to be able to keep the pace for a full song; that I’d fall or slide off the end. I didn’t manage 3 miles under 35 min. I hope I can do that on Saturday at the Frosty 5k. I’m trying to imagine the race doesn’t exist right now as I’m terrified I’ll be so slow. Truth is that I did good. I worked hard and got my third fastest pace for the distance category. There is room for improvement but there always will be. In the meantime, I just need to be grateful that I am growing as a runner.

As I see the snow come down putting a fresh, white blanket over the ice, I see another treadmill day in my future.

To Gym or Not To Gym

Happy Monday! We made it thru the weekend.

Friday I went to Level 1 Aerial yoga. Went with my stepdaughter-to-be (SDTB). She really enjoys it too. One of the actresses from Pretty Little Liars does aerial stuffs. We enjoyed the scene from Pitch Perfect 2. And of course, there is the fun and freedom of doing yoga in the hammock.

It was a nice class with familiar faces. I was feeling a little stiff going into class. Stiff and tired. I also got to finally pick up my Christmas presents from the studio. Which reminded me to actually purchase their presents sitting in my etsy cart.

I don’t know that we focused on anything in particular in class. It just felt like a good overall workout. I felt loose by the end of class. My flexibility is suffering due to the running. I need to recover it. I would like to eventually get my splits. I never had them even as a child. Backbends, however, I don’t really have any urge to improve. Anyways, the class reminded my why it’s good to go to other classes than my own. It gives me a chance to relax and enjoy class more. Not to say that teaching low aerial is high stress but you have to be aware of all the students in class and help them with their needs. We talked about running for a minute too, which I never mind talking about.

Not from Friday's class

Saturday, we drove the SDTB to the Madison area in the morning, when I normally do my long run. It felt good to sleep in. It was nice to get up and see the sun already up. At the same time, it did feel strange watching what I ate on Saturday. I think the dog was happy to take a rest even though she is a bundle of energy at this point.

My fiancé has been wanting to start going to the gym. I’ve resisted. I’ve got plenty of body weight and yoga exercises I can do at home and have all the equipment already. Plus, I’ve got running stuff for cold weather. What do I need a gym for? Hold that thought.

The gym he chose is a good gym. Close to the house and lots of equipment including a pool and lots of classes. The staff is all sorts of friendly. They even have a treadmill that is easier on the joints and TRX straps that I can work on aerial conditioning. There is even a nice hot tub, sauna/steam room, and roomy and clean locker rooms.

But still why do should I spend money on a gym when the world itself is my oyster? The answer is this morning. It was -7 degrees and even the roads were shiny with a layer of ice. Because of this, I’m pretty sure I’ll be joining this gym.

While I was there on Saturday, I managed to get in 4.75 miles. Since I wasn’t going to be able to get in my normal 3 hours, I worked on speed. I played around with the pace and incline. I ran my butt off. I tripped a couple of times when I was starting out. It feels weird to run but go nowhere. With such a steady pace, I realized too how much my pace varies. Even though I average 5.2 mph, I definitely go slow in some spots and get a little more speed in others. It was tough to hold a pace. The fiancé checked in on me a couple of times, which made it hard to find my rhythm but I’m glad he did. He knows I can get anxious in new places.

So I’m joining a gym. I’ve got plenty of work I can do in the morning on my rest days. But on days like this morning, I can run safely inside. I wasn’t so worried about the cold, but the sheen on ice on the roads. Sidewalks were nearly a solid sheet of ice. We are also dog sitting a little Jack Russell and I don’t think he is up for runs in the morning. Right now, I’ve got a week pass. I will see about running in the morning and running/walking in the afternoon when I go with the fiancé. When I was using the treadmill, I had to admit that it could be a great tool, especially for me and my need for speed and ice free conditions. Now I’ve got some research to do on how to keep my skin and hair healthy with gym work outs. I might have needed to do it before but now I feel like it’s really important.

Saturday and Sunday, we watched football and I held Karn. The dog is getting disinterested in it as it seems to do very little and doesn’t move very fast. Karn hangs out under my sweatshirt or scarf or even hair where it’s warm and goes to sleep. He also got a new background of Monument Valley which looks rather spiffy.

Here is a shot of Monument Valley that I took this Spring

 

 The dog was also super snuggly. She was cuddled into whoever was on the couch. For a collie mix, she sure can be a couch potato.

That’s it. That’s my report in. Nothing too ground breaking or earth shattering. No epiphanies or wise words. Just staying active and happy. 

A Happy Run

This week you get to read a lot of my thoughts, apparently

Aerial yoga last night was very restorative. On the drive in, my back started seizing so I decided to wring us out in class. My one regular was missed but we survived. An original student came and visited us. We all agreed a nice, extra restorative class would be perfect. We spent time on twists, extensions and inversions. We added a few intensive moves just to keep the blood flowing. I think we all felt very relaxed after class and a little less achy. It seems like the cold weather can lead to stiff joints and muscles. A good restorative class can help regain some of that mobility. I want to also mention that yoga isn’t just about backbends and splits. Those are nice things but I certainly don’t have my splits and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do the wheel or wild thing asanas. It’s about meeting yourself on the mat and looking inward and focusing on your practice of pose, breath and meditation. In many ways, it’s like running where you focus on posture/form, breath, and mental games. Maybe that’s why I love both these things so much.

So, I ran again this morning. I had gotten around to accepting road conditions and figured it was time to get back on track. I was slow to get out of bed and get dressed. I maybe should get back to sleeping in my running clothes. Makes getting up and running much easier when I don’t need to change clothes at 4am.

I had been hoping for some snow. It was in the forecast, but there were only a few stray snowflakes. It was a nice forecast overall with mid 30’s and light wind. In retrospect, I would have left my jacket at home. I was plenty warm with my fleece shirt and leggings. I donned all my reflective gear and my led hat. This hat has been very useful in seeing all the ice in the morning.

When I first started I had a few “I don’t wanna” thoughts, but then I told myself we are going to have some fun. And I did. I sprinted, I walked, I pushed my pace, I ran at my normal speed, all in the hopes to enjoy myself and to increase my pace overall. I have a 5k next week and I’m a distance sorta girl. I don’t feel warmed up till mile 3. I’m hoping this will help me get ready for the short race.

Mental games tried to sneak in but I manipulated myself into a full 6.4 miles. It would have been 6.5ish but I took a wrong turn and missed my normal road. I told myself first that I’d just do 4 miles, and then 5, and then 6, and why I don’t I just do the full run. By the time I turned around, I was enjoying myself. I can’t speak for the dog though. She seemed tired, running next to me rather than in front. She barely needed any shushing as we waited for another dog to go by on the other side of the street. Fiancé mentioned that she is getting older. Being six, I wonder how much longer she’ll be keeping up with me.

I’m glad to be back enjoying runs. I had to learn to adapt and not have expectations. I beat my mind at its own game. I stretched my limits. I’m still nervous about next Saturday. But that’s ok. Adrenaline is good for speed. J 

Falling in Love All Over Again

I fell in love with running all over again this morning. The past few runs I’ve not enjoyed much. They have been hard and slow and while it gave me a sense of accomplishment and reaffirmed my determination; I wasn’t enjoying myself much.

Even this morning, I was tired. I’m still flaring but feeling a little better. Getting up this morning was tough. There was lots of inner whining. Getting ready, I felt like all thumbs. Today, I thought I would try pairing my heart monitor to my Garmin again. It was an immediate success. More thumbs as I gathered up my reflective gear.

The dog was rather uncooperative this morning, running slowly directly in front of me. She also has not gotten the hang of the ice. We have more ice in the forecast tomorrow. I don’t like the idea of running on a treadmill but these super icy conditions might require it. Outside just feels so peaceful, especially in the mornings when so few people are up. It’s so still. It’s just me, the dog, and the road in front of us.

I ran with the intention of pushing myself with a little speed work. Run quickly between ice patches. I think it might be best described as a fartlek day. What is a fartlek? It’s a Swedish word meaning speed play. It’s an unstructured workout like running and then increasing your speed up a hill, or to the next telephone pole. There are fartlek workouts that are much more “organized” but it seems to me that it defeats the purpose.

And that’s where I fell in love. It was fun. I got to run hard and take it easy. I got to work around the ice rather than it be a detriment to my intent. I didn’t have the fastest work out. But I feel like this will help my overall pace. I have a hard time with short distances. I don’t feel like I warm up until after the 5k. My time didn’t really reflect how hard I worked, and neither did my Garmin or Runkeeper. But it allowed me to work with my conditions rather than be frustrated with them. It’s freedom.

Short post but I was just so happy to love running again, I wanted to share.

Wandering Around in my Mind

So I didn’t run this morning. I didn’t suck it up, buttercup. I accepted my situation for what it was/is.

Yesterday, I was experiencing sharp pain in the palm of my left foot. Out of nowhere, I felt like someone was stabbing my foot. Someone once told me if it’s a dull throb or ache, you can keep going but if it’s a sharp pain, stop. Sharp pain can be the sign of something wrong, more so than an ache, or that feeling you can get with tendinitis.

When I woke up I didn’t feel the pain but I was wary. Also, I don’t think I really woke up, even now I feel foggy. Exhausted in an way that did not reflect energy output over the past couple of days. My skin burned like I had sat in a tanning bed too long. My collarbones were sore to the touch. Among other things, these were red flags. Yesterday, I had had issues remembering words. I was flaring again.

Normally, I don’t let my autoimmune affect me and interfere with plans. I did that when I was first figuring how to live with it but now I would like to think it has minimal effect on my life.  Unfortunately, there are days I just need to slow down. Even normal stuff, like the time of the month, can put me down for the count if I’m not wary. Take normal stuff and then magnify it. Everyone hurts, everyone is uncomfortable sometimes. People with forms of myalgia are no different. It just seems like our bodies response to it is…exaggerated. And it can get in your head. You can feel betrayed by your body. You can feel defeated by your constantly shifting limitations. One day you can do thirteen miles, and a few days later, walking to the car is a serious effort. People who don’t have these issues try to understand but support from other people who have similar issues helps a lot. Or friends that understand. I have both and it helps tremendously.

Another thing that helps is acceptance. There are a lot of things I have no control over. People get to do what they want, weather gets to do what it wants, the creek gets to do what it wants. I can express influence, but I don’t have control. I don’t get to make people do what I want, even bosses I think can agree with that. I can curse the rain but it will still fall. I can ask the creek to go away but it will still flow. I can do what I can to avoid flares, but they will still happen on occasion. I have control over how I respond to them. I sometimes get cranky and whiny. What I should do is get rest, eat well, and focus on what isn’t wrong or outside things, like the new bearded dragon, or my new wool socks. I can enjoy time with my fiancé and have a delicious dinner.

Which brings me to my next thought for this post. Food. I love food. My love of delicious food helped bring me to high weight. I ate food with the disregard of a growing teenager. I have a weak spot for cheesecake and brownies. As a developing runner and as a person trying to lose weight, nutrition should really have already been part of my healthy journey. I have two new cookbooks: one from Runner’s World and one from Harry Potter. Sunday I looked thru them looking for foods that I could make with fresh food, especially fresh food that the dragon will eat. I ended up grabbing more from the running cookbook this week, but I see many a trifle and stew that looks good out of the Potter book.

While a calorie is a calorie, nutrition is about getting the most out of those units of energy. Losing weight and being a runner is a delicate balance. I hope my new books will help me balance better. Yesterday, I made a cucumber, dill and yogurt sauce to pair with roast beef and feta. All was enveloped in a pita. It was delicious. The fiancé agreed. I really loved that it was so easy to make. It was supposed to be made with hummus but no hummus was found at my grocery store. I also made a dill and curry egg salad that I forgot to bring to work today. But a taste test says that will be delicious too. I also used another recipe, subbing the mango chutney for raspberry preserves and creamy cottage cheese for breakfast. I have peaches for grilling on my new grill pan to pair with yogurt and honey tonight. Pears for baking another night. I’m looking forward to this new adventure. I get delicious food and fuel my body with wholesome foods. Don’t get me wrong, I will still eat cheesecake and I will eat brownies. I’m learning yet another talent. Cooking. I’ve got stuff ready to revisit baking too.

I’ve had to practice accept today. I forgot my Vivosmart. I am not tracking my steps and thus not getting an accurate track of my calories. I know one day will not make a huge difference but I feel strange, like naked. Instead, I could consider today a day of freedom. I can only do so much and I cannot change the past and go back and grab the tracker before I left for work. I cannot control if the dog eats it while I am at work. That chance is past. All I can do is if it’s not eaten, try not to ever do it again. The fiancé and I had gone to see Bridge of Spies and when asked by Tom Hanks character if he were worried, a prisoner responds, “Would it help?”

Not quite the same thing but you get the idea

It looks like the theme for the month, if not the year, is “let it go.” I promise not to sing the song. Unless there is a snow storm. Then, maybe J

In the meantime, here are a couple fish photos to help remind myself to go with the flow. And Karn because he's cute.