Time to buckle down

Wow, that’s terrible.  Really, more than five weeks?  That’s awful.  Well, there was a lot that happened in those five weeks – and, definitely, there was a lot of running and working out, so I wasn’t avoiding posting because I wasn’t working – just a lot of life got in the way.  The last three weeks have been kind of trying – my right foot has been in a lot of pain (major bummer because I did personal best 10K and 5K’s the week before), so I’ve been doing a lot of elliptical and weights to try to stay strong and keep the cardio up.  I have been really happy that I’ve gotten my elliptical miles down to 7:00 miles, even as I’ve increased the resistance.  To think when I first started doing ellipticals on a regular basis, I was really happy with a 10:00 mile.  I am making progress!

This morning, as I took Kieran to swim practice – the dreaded 6 a.m., still in the dark swim practice – I contemplated whether I could run or not.  My foot still hurt, and I really wasn’t feeling good at all.  I’ve been having a lupus flare for several days, and my rheumatologist is not all that excited about all of the running I’ve been doing anyway, so that’s not great.  But I was itching to get back on the pavement, and practice Saturdays are always motivating for me – if Kieran can do something she dreads, so can I.  (Not to mention, my next three weekends will be meet weekends, and it’s always iffy whether I’ll get to fit in a run or not).  So I parked the car near her practice and set out.  My first mile was all hill – ugh, what a way to start, but I could tell I was running it faster than I normally do.  And from there, I just kept going.  Yes, my foot hurt, but I just kept thinking that the aches and pains and fears were kind of like the whiny 4-year-old tugging at your shirt.  I just wanted it to hang on for a bit while I finished this task.  By the time I finished, five miles later, averaging 10:00 for every mile, I was really proud of myself.  Yeah, my foot is aching and my knees are burning, but I did it.  That was a good run.

I signed up for a mud run in April – 10 K.  I probably should have gone for the 5K, but I figured go big or go home.  Kieran will be running the one mile race, and I will be tackling some tough hills, I hear, so it’s definitely time to kick up that hill work and get some more strength training in there because I think I have to pull myself up a wall, and that should be interesting!  I need to get serious about my mileage because February is here, and I am approaching the 120 day mark, when I should be clocking some serious mileage in anticipation of that marathon.  That is seriously frightening.  Exhilarating.  Frightening.  Yes, both.

Playlist additions:
Ghosts N Stuff – Deadmau5
Everytime We Touch 2007 (Twister Hardclub Edit) – Magic Artists
Beware of the Boys (Twista Remix) – Panjabi MC
When I Grow Up (Dave Aude Club Mix) – Pussycat Dolls
Play The Guitar – B.o.B (feat. Andre 3000)
Wild Ones – Flo Rida (feat. Sia)
Hello (Pace Remix) – Martin Solveig

127 days…

Running Away From It All

December just has a way of doing a number on me.  It’s hectic, but also emotionally, it’s a tough month.  I’ve been trying to keep up with the runs, though – some days I make it to the pavement, others, because of the weather, I get to the gym, but I think it’s good to mix it up anyway.  One thing I was happy about was that the last two meets Kieran has been at, I’ve been able to get runs in those days.  The first meet, I ran while she warmed up.  It wasn’t a great neighborhood, so that was a little tricky, but it made me run a little faster   Then the next weekend, we were at a meet in Palm Springs.  Not sure if it was the desert air or if I’m just getting faster, but I had my fastest run ever there, with two nine minute miles.  I didn’t even feel like I was pushing that one, so I was really happy with that.

I wanted to share two things I’ve recently seen on the web.  The first is just such a powerful statement, especially because I have had so many people ask me how I have done this, how have I lost the weight, and when I explain, they say they don’t have time.  But my regular run is usually 35 minutes long.  If I do it right, I’m done by 6:30 a.m., and the rest of the day is ahead of me.  On the days I go to the gym, yes, I am there for about 90 minutes because I do the elliptical for 50, and then I do strength training after that, and I go to the gym after I drop Kieran at school.  Once I get a job, the gym is going to be tricky – I’ll have to get up very early to do that one, but I am hoping to still commit myself to getting there at least once a week because I think the strength training is just as important as the cardio.  And, I think the number one most important message from this video is that you don’t have to run – 7 months ago, I was not a runner.  I don’t need to be a runner.  I run because I want to, but walking is just as beneficial.  I know it’s long, but it’s *so* worth the time to watch this.

The second thing I found this week was from Pinterest – I found a link to this site.  I haven’t even made it through all of her postings yet, but it is almost like everything she has written has been written directly for me.  She lost 135 pounds five years ago, and she has kept it off.  But even more importantly, she’s a foodie, and she loves to bake, and she’s just learned how to change her relationship with food, keep things in moderation, and keep living.  My issues with food were not emotional – I was not one to drown my sorrows in ice cream – for me, it was more about portion control and not finishing my plate out of habit.  Now I eat what I want, but I stop the second I feel full, whether I’ve eaten a 1/3 or a 1/2, whatever it is.

But when she wrote about her relationship to food, there was an aspect that resonated with me – she was writing about the great author, Geneen Roth, who has written about women and food in multiple books, and this way that many women use food to escape our emotions when life becomes difficult.  While I don’t use food that way, I tend to use other things, like Zuma Blitz on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, maybe even running too, just about anything that I can immerse myself in to forget how painful things really are right now.  December has been a difficult month for years – all of these expectations for happiness, family togetherness, daily traditions – those were all shattered when the girls went to residential, and being surrounded by joy and happy holiday music just makes the sadness even sharper by contrast.  It really made me realize just how often I spend my time actively avoiding how I feel, but I’m not sure I have any other option.  If I really stopped to feel it, I don’t know that I would even get out of bed, and I have to keep going.

I will temporarily feel better on Thursday, when my girlies will be home for a brief visit.  We’re making a big feast for Christmas Eve, and then we’ll be with extended family on Christmas Day, before the girls both fly back the next day.  It’s not much, but it’s something, right?  And I’ll keep running through it.  I’ll let you know if I see Santa out there on Christmas morning.

Playlist additions:
What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger) Kelly Clarkson
The Island – Part 1 (Dawn) Pendulum
Cry Just a Little – Bingo Players
Take Over Control – Afrojack
Sweet Disposition (Alan Wilkis Remix) – The Temper Trap

167 days…

Lots of Mileage

Last week was so incredibly busy, but I’m really proud of myself, because I managed to make it out for five days, and logged the most mileage ever, almost 22.  And, almost at the spur of the moment, I decided to join Brad’s brother, his wife and daughter, on Thanksgiving morning and run the Turkey Trot 5K in Ventura.  I was not thinking this would be a big deal – I run at least a 5K every time I go out, and that week I’d already had two 5 mile runs, so how hard could this be?  But I have to say it was a whole different experience, and I’m so glad I started this race process now so that I have the chance to do several more before doing a marathon.  It was just so different being surrounded by people.  I went out way too fast on the first mile, just because I was trying to keep up with everyone around me.  By the time I was into the second mile, I had a stitch in my side, something I hadn’t had in months, and my hamstring and foot were killing me.  I was having to keep my mind off of both the people who were passing me and the people who were stopping to walk, because both had an effect on me – I wanted to go faster, yet I was exhausted already from that early effort.  I started to get down on myself – seriously?  You do this every day!  This is not that big of a deal!  I just kept saying do not stop, do not stop, do not stop.  Finally, we made the last turn and I made a little last push.  My time was about 3 minutes faster than my usual pace, and boy, did I feel it!  I was the last of our family members to come in, but I’m okay with that – for someone who couldn’t even run a mile six months ago, I was proud of myself.  And my 12 year old niece?  Yeah, she kicked all of our butts!

Friday, I didn’t run because I logged a different kind of mileage – taking Ailish to Texas and flying home that night.  I won’t cover that here – that’ll be on my other blog in a day or so.

This weekend, I went out both days.  Saturday morning, I really didn’t feel like running.  The trip to Texas had been emotionally brutal.  But I had to take Kieran to practice that morning, and she *really* didn’t want to go to practice.  But I coaxed her out of bed and got her there just in time.  So when I debated about running or not, I thought of her.  Once I got going, and I debated about running 3 or 5 miles, I thought of her.  So I did 5.  I was glad I did.  I did it for her, for me, and for the food trucks we had that afternoon!  The Knockout Taco Truck was at our local Street Fair, and they are incredible.  We ordered several to share – the pork belly and chicken teriyaki, which we’d had and loved before, then we got carne asada, pollo asada, and the bbq pork burnt ends.  What I love the most about food trucks is how they surprise me.  I am a pretty good cook, and I hate to pay for food that I can make myself at home.  So I love to go out and find something so surprising, flavors put together that I would never have dreamed to put together myself – the teriyaki chicken has a jalapeno at the bottom of it and marinated cucumbers on top.  The bbq pork burnt ends has baked beans and southern style slaw, but it’s in a taco.  In a taco.  And it’s incredible.  But the carne asada is exactly the ingredients you expect – no surprises, except for the fact it was the juiciest, most flavorful carne asada I’ve ever eaten.  Really, it’s like a little adventure for our mouths, and I’m so grateful when we get to have an experience like that.

On Sunday, I went out again – same route, the five mile one.  My hamstring was talking to me, but I knew that there would be more food trucks around that day, and I knew I was achingly close to a personal best in the amount of miles logged, so I stubbornly pushed on.  I was only a minute off my time from the day before, not bad.  And I was more than ready to greet a truck I had longed to visit for more than a year - Ludo Truck, one of the first trucks to start it all.  To call it a fried chicken truck is like saying Father’s Office is a hamburger joint.  I was really hoping that the hype was not just that, but I was not let down at all.  The chicken was succulent, the herbs were perfect, and the slaw was such an interesting mixture of flavors and textures.  The handmade sauces were all so good, we couldn’t pick a favorite.  It was great to have four of us there to sample all of the dishes.

This week has started out extra busy, with taking care of Brenna’s needs as well as getting Kieran to school.  I haven’t been able to get out for a run, but I’m okay with that – I’m going to try to make it out tomorrow for one last November run.

I heard a song this week that I love so much – it’s a new one by Gym Class Heroes, and the chorus is sung by the lead singer of One Republic.  It’s called The Fighter, and it speaks to me on every level.  It’s on my run playlist, Kieran’s meet playlist, and, well, my life playlist.

With that being said, new songs on the playlist:
The Fighter, Gym Class Heroes
Jello, Far East Movement
Drop It Low, Kat De Luna

187 days…

Still running

Just because I haven’t been posting, doesn’t mean I haven’t been running, promise.  Actually, this has been my best running week in quite a long time.  Including the 10K from last Sunday, I did a total of 17 miles last week.  Not only that, my other runs were the fastest I’ve ever had, with some sub-10 minute miles, so I was really proud of myself.  Andrea asked me if I thought a year ago if I’d been capable of a sub 10 minute mile.  Um, if you’d asked me six months ago, I would have laughed.  If you’d asked me a year ago if I’d been capable of any kind of mile and I would have told you where to take those ideas!  I’m also just really happy that I was able to get four days this week, and even one meet day.  I woke up at 3:30 yesterday, tossed and turned, and then decided never mind, might as well fit a run in – so I got out there around 4:30 and made it back in time to get ready before we headed off to the swim meet.  It felt good, especially because one of my favorite food trucks was there, and I felt no guilt whatsoever about indulging  This morning, I woke again around 3:30, and I planned to go out again, but I just looked out, and the dreaded rain has begun.  Of course, if marathon day arrives and there is rain, I will run then, but if I don’t absolutely have to run in the rain, I’m not going to.  Taking the risk of blisters, damage to my phone and Zune and body is just too much.  Early on when I started walking, I ventured out when it was just a sprinkle, and by the time I got home, I was completely drenched, and it took two days to get my phone dried out.  No – not doing that one again.

Today is the last day of our swim meet, and then I’ll have one day to wrap up the paperwork from the meet and also finish preparing for the arrival of the girls, who will both be flying in on Tuesday.  As long as my internal alarm clock is still set for 3-ish, I can’t imagine it will be difficult to maintain the running schedule, I’ll just be the one curled up on the couch early in the evening, because it’s hard to keep those hours!

Playlist additions – since I know I like to switch mine up now and then to keep me motivated, I thought I’d mention it when I make changes.  I found some of these through Women’s Fitness workout songs lists – others just on my perpetual search for remixes.

Misery (Cutmore Radio Edit) – Maroon 5
Shawty Get Loose – Chris Brown (but it’s Lil Mama)
I Don’t Care – Fall Out Boy
We Found Love (Cahill Edit) – Rihanna
S&M Remix – Rihanna
Damaged (Friscia & Lamboy Radio Edit) – Danity Kane
The Shock of the Light – Oasis
Dare (Junior Sanchez Remix) – Gorillaz
Something for the DJs – Pitbull

Even though it will most likely be quiet here in blogland this week, I’m pretty sure I’ll be keeping up the running schedule, even with the frenetic energy of the holidays.

Wishing everyone a peaceful Thanksgiving gathering, wherever you are.  If Thanksgiving was last month, or you don’t celebrate, have a great week, and hopefully I’ll see you back here next week!

196 days…

Life and 10Ks

Struggle to keep up – yes, that’s what it’s been.  Life has definitely gotten in the way recently.  I worked a meet last weekend, created a client scrapbook last week, and am in the midst of managing our big swim meet which starts on Friday.  On Monday, I did a mile on the elliptical and did an hour of weight conditioning, which was brutal, but good.  It was my last class with LeAnn before she starts her new job tomorrow.  Tuesday, I was blindsided, kind of literally, because it started with tunnel vision auras, by a monster migraine that came out of nowhere.  I hadn’t had one in more than a year, and it was wicked.  I took my Imitrex and tried to ride it out, but it laid me out for most of the day.  Wednesday was crunch day – I woke at 5, but I had to work on the scrapbook from the second I woke until it was finished that night – and in the midst of that, I worked the swim meet submissions.  Talk about multi-tasking!  Thursday I had to take Kieran to Urgent Care – she was developing a nasty cough, so we got back on the antibiotic train  And then Friday, first thing, I had an appointment with my own doctor to talk about my knees.  I was worried the pain was caused by arthritis, but he says it’s actually bursitis, so he recommended cortisone shots.  I got two shots per knee, and I didn’t even kick him once.  He said I have a very high tolerance for pain, but I could have told him that – my foot has taught me how to tolerate pain!

Between the shots and the intermittent rain we received on Friday and Saturday, there would be no running.  But this morning, I woke at 4:00, tried to talk myself back to sleep, gave up at 5:00, and finally started out on my run at 5:45.  I was still debating how long I would go – stretching my legs a bit, seeing how my knees were doing.  I hit the new asphalt, though, and that felt good.  The air was cool, the sky was beautiful as the sun began to rise, the pinks, purples and yellows beginning to brighten the day.  I turned left instead of right at the light.  I’d be good for at least 5, but we’d see what happened.  As I got past the college and started my uphill route, I knew this was the tiring part, but I was still feeling pretty good.  At the top of the hill, instead of going straight, I turned left, to add another 1.3.  We’d make it a 10K morning.  I hadn’t done that since August.  I knew it was probably pushing things to go this far, but I was feeling guilty about such an unproductive week.  By the end, I wasn’t that exhausted.  My pace matched exactly what I did the last time I ran a 10K – 1:16.  Maybe I should have gone a little faster, but given how little I’d run recently, and my knees, I think it was a good thing that I matched it.  Better than that was how I felt afterward. I wasn’t exhausted or in a lot of pain.  I still have a bit of steroid hangover, which I get when I take prednisone for my autoimmune stuff, and apparently the same thing happens with the cortisone shot, but I am nowhere near as wiped out in my muscles as I was the last time I did that.  That gives me a lot of hope.  We’ll just see how I feel tomorrow

I was thinking while I was running that there are definitely ways in which I’ve actually become a runner, and I can tell.  So here is my list of how I know I’ve become a runner:

1.  I’ve finally learned how to spit like a runner – that took me a lot to get over my own social code and, well, my ineptitude at spitting, and now I can deftly spit as I go – most of the time.

2. I analyze every new hit song first by its BPM, not by its lyrics or tune.  And I’m always on the lookout for remixes that speed it up.

3. When I see runners on days I don’t run, I sigh and whisper, “Jealous.”

4. I get more excited about new shoes than ever – but the only ones I care about are my Brooks Beast shoes, and believe me, they aren’t pretty, they’re just the perfect running shoes for me. And getting new ones means I’ve notched another 400 miles.

5. It may take me a bit to get going, but once I’m out the door, I love being out in the dark – love watching the sun come up, love being with the bunnies, the turtles, the frogs, and even the occasional coyote (but not the skunk I encountered one day – thankfully she didn’t spray me!) I love being out there, smelling the lavender, the rosemary, the grass, the trees.  I love that if I get out there that early, there are very few cars, so it’s really just my time.

So there it is – this probably won’t be a great week either, yet another reason why I did my 10K today, but I’m going to try to fit in what I can.

203 days to go…

I didn’t fall off the end of the Earth…not quite…

My plan only slightly fell apart.  I had two major projects and life just up and got in the way of both running and writing.  Plus, my internal alarm clock has been stuck on 4:00 a.m., which has not been helpful at all.  4:00 is way too early, so I end up tossing and turning and having weird dreams, but then I fall back to sleep, only to wake up when Kieran does, and then I’ve lost my early time.  And there’s another thing – my main running path near our house has been completely torn up, and that is so wrong on so many levels.  No really, it’s seriously bumpy right now.  So, the early morning runs are tricky at the moment.  I have gotten some done – I got on the elliptical one day when my knee was feeling particularly grumpy, and I had planned to do an hour, but I was pushing myself hard to do each mile in 8:00 or less, and at mile five, my knee said uncle, so I quit and went for the weights instead.  Then on Halloween, I got in a good run sort of unintentionally.  I took my car in to the mechanic, but I was prepared to run home.  I had noticed something hanging down from under my car, and I was worried it was something serious.  I ran the 3.5 miles home, mostly uphill, and it was a decent time, especially given the temperature and the hills.  Then I got the call – that hanging thing?  Just a cover, they screwed it back on, no problem.  But my right axle?  Yeah, it needed to be replaced.  Argh.  There goes another $450.  That car has been a major money pit this year!  That night, yes Halloween night, I ran to my friend’s house and back home, so that gave me another two miles.  I got a few stares from trick or treaters, but that’s okay  I was going as a runner, duh!

Yesterday, Kieran’s school had a fun run, and parents were invited to participate, so Kieran asked me to come.  I was happy to do it.  I was the only parent who showed up, and I thought she would think it was awkward, but she was totally fine with it.  We went out on the fourth wave of kids, ran the mile, and we were the first girls of her wave to come in.  Not that we’re competitive or anything.  Nah.

This morning, it was so windy when I dropped Kieran off at school, and though I was in my running clothes, and I had my spankin’ new Brooks shoes on, I briefly considered scrapping the idea.  But my knees felt pretty good, I told myself I needed to get used to running in all kinds of conditions, and Frysmith food truck is in town today, so I was promising myself Rajas fries (just scroll down a bit – but the chili fries are bombdiggity too!) as a reward.  So I drove back to the pretty trail, cranked up the tunes and started out.  The headwinds were wicked, and pushed me back a few times, but I felt good.  I felt less tired than the last time I went out.  Even though my time was a minute longer than the last time I did that one, I felt like it was much more evenly paced, and given the winds, I was proud of myself that I wasn’t that far off my personal best.

I have to admit, this month is going to be a major challenge to stay on track.  I am working two meets, and one of them is mine, and that is going to take up a week or two.  Then we have Thanksgiving, and Brenna will be home for a week, and hopefully Ailish will be home for several days.  So yes, it’s going to be hectic, but I’m going to do my best to keep up with at least every other day, and I will welcome the darker mornings.  And I will definitely welcome the new asphalt, whenever they decide to grace us with that!

214 days

Cross Training

Friday a.m. – I was planning to run today, but yesterday I did some cross training, and my knees were not too happy with me when I woke up this morning.  I took a body conditioning class with LeAnn yesterday, and even though I try to modify the squats and anything involving the step, I know my knees still take a beating.  But overall, I still think it’s a good thing to add into the training mix, because it builds up my other muscles, and man, did we work on the quads and the calves yesterday.  They are still feeling it!  Still, I have to admit, after I took Kieran to school, I stopped at a right turn to let a runner pass and as he waved thank you at me, I felt a pang of jealousy.  I thought about going for an easy run when I got home – I could run, shower and be back to life within an hour, but I had to write a quick email before I could get ready, and as soon as I sat down, Duncan came up and curled himself around my leg.  Now, this may seem like a small thing to most people.  This would be a small thing if this were Reilly.  But this is Duncan.  Duncan is the most anxious, high-strung dog I’ve ever met in my life.  He has never been a snuggler, never been able to relax enough to enjoy our company.  This is not to say he’s mean or bites or anything like that – he’s actually incredibly sweet – he’s just so uncomfortable with the idea of us holding him or even giving him a great deal of attention.  From the time he was a puppy, when one of us tried to pick him up, he would become frozen in this awkward, back arched, wild eyed expression of terror.  He is so uncomfortable being carried that his claws dig in to the carrier’s skin – he’s not scratching, just holding on for dear life.  He actually still, after seven years, pees himself routinely when we pet him.  So for Duncan to just come up, curl up next to me, and put a paw on my hand to ask for affection, well, that required a moment.  And now I don’t want to move because I don’t want to break the spell.  Because I know the moment I get up, he’ll jump, he’ll make his huffy noises, find a stray Kieran sock and hoard it under the coach for hours.  Even though I said I wasn’t going to sacrifice this goal for anyone, today was an iffy proposition anyway, so I don’t mind.  Maybe tonight, I’ll take them on their walk – that will be a good thing.

Friday p.m. – This weekend is a swim meet weekend, as will be next weekend and the weekend after that.  I love swim meets, so this is a very good thing for me, just I need to find a way to keep the mileage going.  Scouring the mall looking for pieces of Kieran’s Halloween costume rather unsuccessfully was exhausting, but not exactly the marathon training I was looking for.  226 days.

Running in the dark

This morning my internal alarm clock woke me at 5:05 (well, that and a car alarm helped).  But rather than try to fall back to sleep, I reminded myself it was a run day, and I needed to run in the dark.  So I stood up and stretched, asked my knees how they felt about the idea, and they answered noncommittally.  So I had a cup of coffee while I iced them, and then I got ready to go.  I thought I was going to escape without notice, but Reilly heard me – it must have been the shoes – and came running down the stairs.  Ever since that first walk with her, she gets very excited about those shoes.  I wish I could take her every day – I really do.  I know she would get so much benefit from it.  And I know she’d probably be able to keep up with me if I kept it to a 13:00 or 14:00 mile, but not today.  The only way to leave and not have her cry the entire time I’m gone is to go out through the garage, so I left her at the top of the stairs, looking ever so hopeful.  Maybe later Rei Rei – not now.  This is my time.  Whenever I feel really guilty, and think eh, I don’t need a run today, I’ll just take them for a walk instead, it’s still three miles, and they need it, that’s when I have to remind myself that the whole point of this was to do something for myself.  I still remember when the girls were really small, my one treat for myself was going to Starbucks on Sunday morning by myself.  I told myself I went because I wanted to score all of the coupon inserts people left behind, but it was also a chance for me to get a little break, just a moment away from the chaos of little ones.  But one day, Brenna was awake when I was getting ready to leave, and she begged me to take her with me.  When Ailish discovered this, she said it wasn’t fair, and that I had to take her the next week, and then, like that, poof, my Sundays at Starbucks became Mommy/Daughter dates, and the respite was gone.  I’ve repeated that same kind of scenario several times through the years, so when I think I’m being selfish, I have to remind myself that sometimes that’s okay.

With the garage door closing behind me, I set out on my run.  I considered what path I would take.  I knew I wanted to run less than I did on Monday, because, according to the marathon plans I’ve found online, that is what I should do, so I was shooting for four miles.  My normal loop is 3.2, so I thought about adding just a small jaunt through one neighborhood to add up to four.  But then when I got to the light where I normally turn right, I turned left and decided to head for the college.  I knew it would be longer than four, not quite five, and the back half is a challenge because it’s hilly, but I liked that too, because it uses different muscles, and because I need to throw that into the training mix as well.  As I started down that road, I thought to myself yes, the darkness is so much better.  It was chilly, and I could see my breath puff out in front of me, but it felt good.  Remember this, I told myself.  Remember why you can’t turn over and go back to sleep.

One thing that did not feel so good was my foot.  I guess my foot was a little offended that I did not mention it in my initial post.  Maybe it feels left out, so it needs to make sure I remember it.  Of course I remember you, foot!  You actually are the entire reason why I started this whole thing!  Remember?  The physical therapy wasn’t working, so Andrea said hey, maybe that walk we’ve been talking about will help.  If I don’t mention you, it’s only because I want to believe in the best of you – that even with the bone that healed crookedly, even if you are imperfect, I know you are going to carry me through all of these miles, right?  So it’s okay foot, no need to throb like you did this morning.  I remember, I promise.

I wish I had a way to write down my thoughts while I run, because it seems like I have some really great ones, but so many of them and they all come flying at me – it’s hard to remember them all by the time I get home.  As I made my way through the college parking lot and started up the hill, a thought came to me about the book that I have been tossing around for a couple of years.  In its current state, it is rather dark, with not much hope, but with this twist, it could actually be inspirational, or at the very least, helpful.  I realized, even as I was running up that hill, that I had a big smile on my face, and for a brief second, I thought how silly I must have looked.  It’s all good – I’m quite adept at looking silly, and this was with good reason.

I reached home at the 4.7 mile mark – 54 minutes.  A little slower pace than Monday, but I had those two miles of hills, so they brought down my overall.  The other two miles were both ten minute ones, so I felt good.  I was sweaty, but not hot.  I still had the whole day ahead of me.  Kieran’s alarm was just going off as I climbed the stairs.  Don’t forget how good it feels to get that run in before the sun comes up, I told myself.  I won’t.  I promise.

228 days.

Five Miles

As I predicted, I wasn’t able to get anything (well, fitness-wise) done this weekend, so I was eager to get out this morning for a run.  My knees weren’t hurting too badly, so this seemed like a good day for it.  But what I should have done was go when my body automatically woke me up at 5:00.  Instead, I forced myself back to sleep for two very fitful hours of weird dreams until I woke up to get Kieran to school.  It would have been much more productive of me to get my run in then – not to mention, I really do hate running with the sun beating down on me, even if it was a really nice high 60′s/low 70′s today – I need to remind myself of these things as I try to roll over and go back to sleep.

Once Kieran was dropped off at school, I drove to a nearby park with a trail that runs along our river channel.  There isn’t actually a river in it right now, but when the rains come, it fills up, and if the dam were to break, it would be the channel through which the waters would hopefully flow – that is the hope of the thousands of people who live there, I’m sure.  It is the prettiest run I know of around here – one day as I went through that area, I saw the tiniest frog hopping across the trail.  Other days, the fog banks across there and you feel as if you aren’t in suburbia, you’re actually in a nature preserve.  It  really is a great run.  So I did five miles, the longest land run I’ve done since I ran my own personal 10K in August.  I’ll admit, the last mile, I really had to inspire myself to keep going, but that was in large part due to the sun getting to me.  I just cranked LMFAO and Fort Minor and that really helped.

I was happy to see once I got back to the car that I had managed a 10 minute mile and two very low 11 minute miles.  The other two were high 11 and low 12 – I know I need to get better, but I’m feeling stronger, and I know the elliptical does help me get faster, managing my cardio output better.

There were some important reminders for myself, though:

1. When going on a trail run, if you refuse to buy a waist pack, you have to wear something with pockets.  Carrying your cell phone and Zune in your hands gets old.

2. Ditto carrying keys in your bra – that’s not fun after a few miles.

3. If you’re going to run in the sun, black may not be the best choice.  Yes, you look hot in it, but you also feel hot.

4.  Don’t wear your running shoes to the beach, even if you’re only there for an hour or two. That sand is impossible to get out, and it somehow makes its way into the space between foot and sock – not good.

5. You know how there is more sun after 7:00 a.m.?  There are also more bugs, and they like to fly into your mouth.  Seriously, you need to get out there before the sun comes up.

Going to ice my knees today and tomorrow and hope they aren’t protesting too much on Wednesday.  230 days to go.

Day two

I had every intention of actually running this morning, but when I began to climb the stairs to get ready, my left knee protested rather loudly.  Both knees are what my rheumatologist has delicately described as “crunchy,” so I have to give them some extra attention.  If I push them too hard, I’m never going to reach my goal.  On particularly crunchy days, I opt for the elliptical instead.  I know it’s not the same, but it does give me a good cardio workout, I do get some of the same movements in my legs, and it’s a lot easier on my knees not having to pound the pavement the whole time.  Considering I’m trying to build myself up to longer distances, I opted for an hour on the machine, rather than my usual 45 minutes.  I pushed myself to maintain an 8 minute mile pace, which is at the top of my capability right now.  I know I won’t be able to do that in a marathon, but again, just trying to get myself to push my legs, my heart, everything to get stronger.  I was able to watch a replay of the Tigers-Rangers game, so that kept me occupied.  I still can’t decide who I’m rooting for – I like Texas because I love to root for Josh Hamilton after everything he’s been through, but Comerica Park is by far my favorite baseball park in the country, and I’ve been to quite a few, not to mention Detroit needs a feel good story (and it doesn’t need to be the Lions!  They can stand to lose a game or two! As a Bears fan, just saying…) By the end, I almost hit 8 miles, which is the furthest I’ve ever gotten, either on the elliptical or on the ground.  I was tired, but I felt good too.  And my knee was not worse for the wear, which was important.

After that, I hit the weight room and did some work on my arms, then did 100 crunches and two planks.  I always think of Kieran when I do this part – she’s not allowed to do weight work yet, but the rest of it, she’s totally unimpressed by what I do.  It’s not that she isn’t proud of me – she’s actually very proud of what I’ve done, and she pushes me all the time to do more, but she does so much more during her dry land workouts than I could handle right now.  She is one of the few kids in her P.E. class who was *so* excited to have the Fitness Challenge.  She embraces fitness, and I love that about her.  It’s so difficult for her right now to be on the sidelines during class because of her broken arm, but hopefully in just a couple of weeks, she’ll be back in the swing of things.

I was happy that I got a really good, challenging workout in today because I most likely will not get anything done this weekend.  We have a swim meet in Santa Barbara this weekend – I’ll be working, and she hasn’t yet decided if she’ll be swimming.  Knowing her, she will – this is, after all, the kid who swam through pneumonia, a concussion, and numerous sinus infections, so what’s a broken arm?  She was cleared by the doctor, so it really is up to her, I just don’t want her to overdo it.  She doesn’t really know that word, though – overdo?  Seems like she performs best when all odds are against her, so I’m just grateful I’ll be in the admin tent, otherwise occupied, with no time to worry about her.

Last for today, I’m going to share my run/workout playlist, because I know I’m always on the hunt for good, fast music.  I will warn you it is mostly explicit, but I tend towards hip hop and I am listening for the beat rather than the words, so just know that going in  That being said, here’s the list:

Get Low Merengue Mix – Lil Jon
Blah Blah Blah DJ Skeet Skeet Radio Remix – Ke$ha
Ain’t No Other Man Shape UK Radio Remix – Christina Aguilera
Gifted (Treasure Fingers Epicwave Remix featuring Kanye West) – N.A.S.A.
Sorry for Party Rocking – LMFAO
Technologic Radio Edit – Daft Punk
Where Do We Go – Pitbull
Walcott – Vampire Weekend
My Turn Stonebridge Radio Edit – Basement Jaxx
Come N Go – Pitbull
Rocket Scientist – Teddybears
Mr. Brightside Big Room Edit – Jealous Guys
Barbra Streisand – Duck Sauce
Down Bottom – Ruff Ryders
Canned Heat – Jamiroquai
Hit the Floor – Twista
Higher Ground – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Shake Senora – Pitbull
Crank That Travis Barker Remix – Soulja Boy Tellem
Take Me Back To Your House Balti Skool mix – Basement Jaxx
(Rock) Superstar – Cypress Hill
Hip Hop is Dead – Nas
Radar Bloodshy & Avant Remix – Britney Spears
Give Me Everything – Pitbull
Double Vision Wiz Khalifa Mix – 3OH!3
Hi Friend! – Deadmau5
Midnight Hour – Reflection Eternal
Super Bass – Nicki Minaj
Writer’s Block – Royce da 5’9″
Ode to the Bouncer – Studio Killers
Girls Girls $ – Theophilus London
Remember the Name – Fort Minor
I Go To Work – Kool Moe Dee
Take it to the Hole – LMFAO
Mr. Saxobeat – Alexandra Stan
Save the World – Swedish House Mafia
Ghost on the Dance Floor – blink-182
Devil’s Music – Teddybears

And pretty much the entirety of David Guetta’s new release (at least the singing portion) – I’m going to be adding several of those to my list.  There’s way more on there than I’ll hear in one day, but I have it on shuffle, and that guarantees I won’t get tired of a song for at least a few months.

Hoping that Monday I can get an actual run in – as long as the pool deck is kind to my knees, that is the plan!  232 days until Ojai 2 Coast. I’m going to make them count!