spring forth into the snows of April

I know, its been forever. I am fast discovering that PT was not the end of my problems with hip pain, though it seems like keeping an eye on my stride and foot placement is doing some good things for me, at least so far. I should have gone yesterday, but went for a nice (chilly) walk with my sister instead, which was nicer. Originally I was going to skip yesterday and then go this morning, but surprise, its snowing like it doesn't know what month it is out there, and has been, I guess, since sometime late last night. It is supposed to turn into mixed nastiness overnight tonight and continue for a good while in the am. So now, I might get to go on Friday.
Here's hoping!

where did that penguin go?

On vacation and (mostly) away from my computer last week, but I did do some running. A nice little two-miler in the open air at the beginning of the week and a five miler on Thursday that left me in a lot of pain, sadly.
I am still having hip problems, obviously. And I don't know if the insert if causing them or if it is just my hip at this point. I had put in the little lift just prior to the two-miler, until then I hadn't been wearing one in my running shoes, and it seems like the pain has increased and is lasting longer. But I am also running more, so it could just be that. I'm supposed to do six today (which isn't going to happen, honestly. But I am going to try and do four) I think I might rip out the lift first. Is this a smart idea? I have no idea if it is or not, but I feel like it might make a difference, so I am willing to try it.
In other news, my shot at veganism has been derailed by my period-week cravings. I just cannot seem to say no when my body really really wants a peanut butter cup. This is why I need to run, and I need it to not hurt so I can run further, because otherwise those peanut butter cups are going to settle in for a long stay on my hips.

dribblecup

Did the first of the tempo runs yesterday. It was good, inside at the gym since it is beastly cold outside still. I did a warm up mile and then proceeded to do an 8:44, a 9:07, and then a 10:04 , instead of the three 9:57s I was supposed to do. I obviously need to work on my pacing, I started out way too fast and then paid the price for it. The cool down mile was pretty plodding, but it felt really good to have it behind me.
I am really lucky that I have the gym at work to use. JLB doesn't have that luxury, and is a day or so behind in the schedule as a result (I keep telling him not to sweat it, that we're doing an extra long schedule anyway so its not a big deal, but his personality combined with the fact that this is the first training schedule he's ever tried has made him a little intense about it). It is supposed to start to warm up today, and to get into the 40s (though it seems hardly possible given the current temperature out there) by Sunday, so hopefully my next run will be out doors.

March on! Or float!

Happy nearly-spring!
Here in the Northeast, it finally feels like winter. Yesterday I went for a short run in the out of doors (2 miles) and wore the warmest smartwool socks I own, fleece-lined pants (which I bought for running, but which are usually too warm to run in, so they are usually lounge-about wear), cold-weather long sleeve shirt and jacket, hat, neck warmer and sunglasses and didn't really warm up until 1/2 way through the second mile.
But: The training schedule begins again! We're at the 12 week mark for the 15 miler, so this should be a nice gradual progression into mileage that hopefully I'll be able to keep elevated through the summer. I'm excited to be doing it, even more so because I actually have a training partner! JLB is going to train for and run this one with me! I don't know if he is as excited about it, but so far he is on board, so we can take it from there!

just your friendly neighborhood cantalope

I did four miles indoors at the track yesterday afternoon. It was nice, though the last mile was a fight (to try and make it more interesting I went from counting up to counting down and was sort of chanting by the end "one to go! one to go! one to go!" Its hard to go in circles for that long, really. It does a number on your mind after a while).
When I got home I dutifully put my miles on the calendar I keep for that purpose in my room, and added the two miles from Sunday as well as I'd forgotten to do it then. The I added up the miles for each week of the month and then in total, and its pathetic. I have yet to hit the magical threshold of 10 miles a week and as a result my month is pretty lackluster. As of right now I am 1/2 mile behind last month. Gah. But today is the last day of the month, so if I get in a couple of miles this afternoon (which, until I looked at the calendar, I hadn't planned on, since I ran yesterday and I've been giving myself a one-day buffer between runs) then I can still beat the mileage from last month. So thats the plan as it stands right now, to try and do 2 miles and just barely squeak(1.5 + hahaha) out last month's mileage total.
Here's to March going way better, running wise!

now in technicolor

Have not written in awhile due to a week long battle with a sinus infection (which I mistakenly called a nasal infection at every given opportunity, causing many a confused glance). Not something I would recommend to anyone.
I managed to go running on Sunday though, in the out of doors and everything, with the ever illustrious JLB. He just got new running shoes (at the fantastic Running Company, always a good place to go with running questions and concerns) and would not take no for an answer, so we went for a nice mild 2 miler through the warm and uncrowded streets of Portland. It was really nice, and I am jazzed to get back into it this week.
I have an odd almost strain-like pain in the back of my left knee. I am sort of half wondering if it is from the little lift I've been wearing in my left shoe since this fall, if it is possible that that is causing some sort of excess pressure on the knee joint. But it doesn't hurt so much as ache as though I haven't stretched properly, even though I have.
And its Lent! Those who are unfamiliar, its this freaky little Catholic thing, where crazy little catholic types do something particular to mark the time between the day Jesus (allegedly) died and the day Jesus (allegedly) rose again. It is a good time, really. I was never much for it as a kid (the usual things to give up around my house then were candy and snacking between meals, pretty boring really) but as an adult it is a little different, sort of a strings-free time to try something new or give yourself a little much needed discipline boost.
I've gone Vegan for lent this year, more because I have been toying with it for over a year now, going dairy-free one day a week or trying to have a Vegan meal once a day, things like that, and the lure of cheese is generally too strong to do much more. I will admit I am being "sunshine catholic" about it and allowing myself Sundays as a sort of "break", but so far its not so bad--really not difficult and it feels nothing like deprivation. I'm actually enjoying it a lot. I has just given me a new frame to look at food through, which takes a little more creativity, given the unfamiliar territory--but a little extra creativity is not a bad thing, if you ask me!

windmill windmill fall apart

I am apparently having a problem with commitment: I think, at the beginning of each week that I am going to break the 10-mile a week mark (it is a pathetically low bar I have set for myself, and still I fall short. Damn it). Again this past week, things were looking good: I was one 4-mile run away from hitting the mark. But then the weekend hit, and with it all of the unforeseen complications that weekends bring: my sister's car went on the fritz, and she had a friend (a long-staying house guest of ours actually) to get to the airport in Boston(and we do not want her to miss her flight and be stranded on our couch forever. No no no), so then I am without a car (which, you would think, would lead to running, but no: in my head it was too cold outside for that, and only the gym would do--but it was too far away without a car: pathetic, I tell you). And there are also events: $1 beer night was Friday, so there was a great deal of fuss surrounding that--early evening drinking (it starts at 5:09! get there early!) and then the happy friendliness of sweet beer (5 and a half! a new record for me!) caused me to invite all these swell people back to my house, where there was much carrying on and some eating and more beers were drunk (though not by me, actually I was too busy talking I guess) and late night fun was had by all. On Saturday I got up and realized what a royal mess my house was, and how it had been that way even before there had been people drinking beer in it. Rather unfortunate, honestly (and it doesn't help when JLB, who you're making breakfast with, punctuates every movement of spatula or spoon with "its just so dirty. How does your house get so dirty?" Thanks guy, really, thanks) So I spent Saturday avoiding the interior of my house(Ice skating! is there anything better?), and then Sunday I gave in and cleaned it up. On Sunday the cleaning was what I did while I told myself I should be out running. So thats how this all relates, if you're wondering. So here we are again, at the beginning of a new week, with the hope that we make it to ten this time. Really what I need is some more mileage in a single run. That would make things so much easier.

helping the helpless

None of us ever want any help. Am I right?
In my experience, it is a difficult thing to ask for help, and help that is offered without asking is , well, asking to be drop-kicked into next week. I Am Doing Just Fine, Thanks. Thats all you need to know.
That being said, it is hard to be on the other side of the coin. To see someone that you know and like struggling with something, to worry for them and want to offer the advice you personally would never take.
Life is such a funny thing, isn't it?
I had a nice time yesterday, did a good three miles going around in circles in the upper reaches of the gym. It is fun to be there, sometimes. Looking down on the Lacrosse practice is very amusing (they do such weird things to get in shape for lacrosse: lots of shimmy-shimmy movements and grape-vine type things: all in unison, about 40 people all shimmy-shimmy grapevine! stop then shimmy-shimmy the other way. With sticks, and wearing helmets. It is like watching the cast of West Side Story getting ready to do battle with Braveheart or something. Awesome) while listening to Aimee Mann sing softly as I pound around in my little circle.

roller skate jams

Had a very lazy layabout weekend. It was super nice. Lots of hanging out with the cats and reading and some pleasantly low key hanging out with friends in the evening.
I did an approximate 4-miler on Saturday, in the out-of-doors, although it had snowed all night on Friday and as a result I ran on the roads and probably pissed off a lot of passing motorists. But, sorry folks. You are more than welcome to go slowly but surely around me, but I am not risking my ankles on snow-covered ice and buried side walks. Not happening.
It is different, when you're out on the edge of a country road (which doesn't have a sidewalk to begin with). Plows seem to make some sort of allowance out there: typically the banking is several feet from the edge of the road unless there is a gully or something, so in the winter there is plenty of space for running in the breakdown lane.
In town (or "city" if you will) the plows stick pretty close to the traffic lanes, to avoid the little hump of asphalt that signals sidewalk I think (I would have to imagine that would do a pretty decent job on a plow blade, were the two to meet unexpectedly). So the traffic lanes are narrower because of the bounds of snow, and very often (at least in my town) the sidewalks are inconsistently cleared, if at all. So the run becomes something of a battle, against the snow, and the cars and the elements in general. But its still better than a treadmill.
Speaking of, I am going into the gym today, to the indoor track again I think. I really really want to be upping my mileage. a 4 miler is a good way to kick the month off I think, but I need to be pushing it up and out. I would like to get back into the habit of 6, 7, 8 miles being the "default" length of a run, rather than the piddly 2 and 3 mile "speed" sessions I keep doing lately.
Its the beginning of a plan, anyway.

one bad mother!

My two miler yesterday (I know, it was supposed to be three. Didn't happen.) was filled with etiquette questions. Some running related, track usage related and others more general in nature.
1. When running on a track, is it polite or impolite to let someone know you are going to pass close to them? As in saying "on your left" as we did in 2-track skiing in high school, so that you wouldn't accidentally pole someone in the face or something.
I am ambivalent about this. Part of me is like "Yes! I want to know, so that if I need to I can move over" and the other part of me feels like "The asshole is passing me! And being all smug about it! Jerk! Jerky jerk jerk!"
2. When you are walking (or doing lunges, say, with two of your least athletic girl friends) on the track, does it ever occur to you that other people, who were using the track before you got there, might become annoyed by your presence in the middle of the track, or spread completely across the track so that weaving through your group becomes a necessary navigation procedure?
I would think that someone might realize that they do not have a claim to the entire width of the track, and that really things like lunges should perhaps be done in single-file, especially around narrowing parts like corners. And walkers? At my Alma Mater The indoor track at the field house had a sign by the entrance that said "walkers inside lane, runners outside lane" and that was how it was. But this track doesn't have two lanes. Its not divided up at all. And the only sign by the door tells you how many laps it takes to equal a mile. So its a little more free-for-all anarchy in sports action than I am used to.
3. If you are a guest at a person's house, do you spread your shit all over the living room and act like it is your personal bedroom if you're staying for a week? And do you never, ever pick anything up (as in plates glasses cutlery after someone has fed you dinner, or putting away food after you've made a meal out of someone else's fridge) ?
The answer it turns out(if you are the girl from Texas who came to visit my sister this week) is no, you don't pick up anything, and yes, you do move into the living room, appropriate the couch (only comfortable piece of furniture in the room) open your luggage and spread the insides about wildly, and then decline offers to leave the room, preferring instead to sit on the couch with your laptop and IM people. Its been going on for a week now, and I am fairly outraged. I think if you're imposing upon another person to feed and house you for a week or more then it is only right that you pick up after yourself, or offer to help occasionally with... something...anything, really. Seriously.

exercize the guilt

A long time ago, we used to be friends, but lately we have been strangers. And I was a total ass, I'm willing to admit. I know nothing and shouldn't have offered opinions the way I did. Sorry.
Thats just a dry run folks, I am actually going to say that to the person. Never fear, I will not deepen my offence by apologising anonymously online and calling it good. I may be an ass, but I'm not that big an ass.
Didn't make it running yesterday,on account of laziness and knitting (rocked a nice little hat out though, the roll-top one from knitting for peace. Pretty pretty for my little sister for V-day) But today will be better. I'm hoping for some length on this one, but running in circles (or on treadmills) is something I can only do for so long. So it remains to be seen, what will get called "length" today.

Freaky Fresh

I made it to the gym yesterday, and did a 1/2 mile warm up, 1.5 miles of intervals (two 80% laps followed by a recovery lap) and then another 1/2 mile of cool down. It was good. It was so good. The last half mile my arm was all achy-throbby, which is why it was 1.5 miles of intervals instead of 2 miles of intervals. Next time though I think I'll get it.
I woke up with a stomach ache at 2am this morning, and made it back to bed around 5. When I finally stopped arguing with my alarm and got up for good it was close to 8am. I'm still on the "wonk" side of things, I have no idea what my insides are rebelling against, but I have a feeling that the intestinal militia (or whatever it is they are calling themselves, perhaps the Stomach Storm Troops is a better name, alliteration and all) is about to attempt an overthrow of some sort of evil internal regime, and I, as the innocently by standing civilian, will be paying the high price of nausea and possible misery. Why can't we all just make peace already? I'd like to be able to eat lunch today.

moderately active

I've done something foolish to my right arm. I'm pretty sure it has to do with weight lifting, because pain of this kind usually does.
I was in a car accident years ago, and as a souvenir of the experience, I got a plate and six pins in the bone of my upper right arm. It would, I have been told, be dangerous to remove at this point, given nerve proximity and other such concerns, so its here to stay.
But sometimes it acts up. Generally it is because I have tried to lift something that the plate thinks is too heavy for it, and given the inflexibility of the plate and pins, the pain in the bone is fairly long-lasting. It becomes painful to attempt to touch my own face, reach to the right or left, raise my hand straight up or hold pretty much anything in my hand for very long. It is, in short, seriously sucky.
It doesn't mean I can't run, but it does mean I don't really want to. After a while, a couple of days of painful movement, I get sort of scared of it, and end up spending decent periods of time trying to stay as still as possible, waiting for it to be gone and done with. I was in that mode for much of the weekend, although yesterday, talking to a friend about how much it hurts and how much it sucks that it hurts, I remembered how much the rest of the stuff I broke during that accident had hurt. It helped a lot to remember that the arm was never the worst of it, I've lived through worse, months of it, with no real clear end in sight. So now I am up and moving and planning on going running early this afternoon. And then teaching a yoga class, which should be an interesting end to the day, and will also probably make me wish I still had that script for pain killers waiting for me at home.

I can do the Freddie. I cannot do the Smurf.

Friday and I'm leaving early (Yay!) to go to a memorial service (Sad, and silent and not exclamation-point-worthy). My working day will be made even shorter by the fact that I *need* to run at least three miles , I think, just for stress-balancing purposes. It is very cold here (windchill puts the temperature into the neighborhood of -30. Ugh.) so whatever running gets done is going to be indoors. I'm digging the track lately, so thats the plan right now. Perhaps some more of those lovely intervals.
Yesterday was a ride-the-bike day in my little exercise world. I have to say that I am still not thrilled with biking, at least in the indoor, stationary context. If I ride the stationary bike for more than 20 minutes or so my feet and butt begin to go to sleep, which is uncomfortable, and I think says generally bad things about the level of physical activity generally involved. irregardless, after my last injury, the PT guy told me that part of the reason for my injury was the fact that I wasn't doing any cross-training, so the bike stays. I may replace one day a week of biking with swimming, eventually, but like a tool I have again hurt my arm trying to lift too much weight (I am such a continual idiot about this: I keep expecting it to go away or get better and it is screaming "moron! there is a metal plate in here that does not bend that way!" Grrrr.) so at the moment I don't think I could manage even an easy crawl stroke.

In League with the toast

Intervals are good for the soul.
I think I really need to be doing more of them. I ran at the indoor track here for the second time ever, and did a 1/2 mile warm up and then a mile of 2-laps-hard 1-lap-recovery intervals followed by a final half mile cool-down. It was very nice. Running in circles, a lot like running on a treadmill, can become boring very quickly if you're not careful about it. Intervals are a great way to chop up the time into manageable, measurable chunks, and they also leave you wonderfully breathless and pleasantly numb. The two-laps-fast are heart pounding and all about the push, the recovery lap is just enough, slowing down and taking stock, bringing the breathing back just enough to go fast again, to whip around the corners and speed down the straight lines. Yeah. It wasn't very far but it was good anyway, I think I might do it again tomorrow.

we have all the shock we need, thanks

Reeling and empty, trying to figure things out. Didn't end up running yesterday, so today it becomes a necessity. A family friend passed away at the beginning of the week, I don't have quite enough distance yet but I am already beginning in my head to see the peculiar shape of it: she was on a treadmill when it happened. She was healthy and safe and happy. By all accounts "in a good place" and now she is gone. It is achingly hard to wrap my head around that empty space.
Her children, her family and friends are all gathered together in one place, making lists and trying to come to terms with things. When something so unexpected and tragic happens, it tears you apart and pulls you together all at once. Its hard to believe that so much else can be normal: there is work and the sun is still shining and people still drive their cars, when something so terrible has happened so close to you.

bloc of soap

Here I sit in my office, listening to the plows go by and thinking how nice it would be to be home already. Really, the snow is no big deal, shouldn't cause me any problems and thus is not really worth leaving early for, but: it has been snowing for almost eight hours. Seriously, since I got here, there has been snow. And I just heard someone outside my office say it may be icing now. Oh then, maybe I should be thinking of leaving already then.
I did a nice run all the way around the back bay loop yesterday. Somewhere right around 4 miles, when you factor in the trip to and from the path itself. It was a beautiful day, a slow run because of the wind on the far side (and the fact that I took a minor detour and almost headed into the east end by accident).
The 10-miler in February is, I think, a no-go at this point. I've scouted a race that is much further out (May) and longer (15 miles / 25k! quite the unusual distance). The usual suspects are going to be involved, if all goes well, more will follow. Went to the gym today for a little bike-plus-weights and its off to the running again tomorrow, probably indoors, looking at the weather out side the window (snow! with ice underneath! not the stuff fun is made of for runners!). Okay, now I need to go clean off my car.

the cup got bigger

Hey man, hows it going?
So check this out. More cowbell anyone? Pretty awesome, right? Its a long enough way off that I'm confidant I can brazen it out. And there is nothing like a looming race to give meaning to your workouts. I'm looking at the 25k rather than the 50. 30 miles is just a little more punishment than I can take, even on trails.
Had a great 3-miles this morning at the gym on the treadmill. Having an ipod really can make a difference if you get bored easily on a treadmill, or so I've found. Generally 3 miles is at the upper limit of what I am willing to do indoors on a treadmill, but I felt jazzed enough about it I probably could have hung in there for another mile or so. It was nice. Very invigorating. As is the air here lately: highs in the teens today, with a windchill bringing the feel down closer to zer0. So I think I may be stuck in the gym for a while yet. But the cow bell calls! Yea-hah!

we lost all the info in a terrible hospice-book-store accident

I went for a nice little 4-miler (well, quasi-4-miler: the Google Maps widget said it was probably more like 3.89 miles. Which is good to know--gotta love a good widget!) yesterday, while it was all sunshine and springlike. Today we are getting rain on the coast, and if you go inland at all I guess there is terrible mixed precipitation and then massive amounts of snow (which we are so due for anyway--its wild how un-winter like winter has been so far) . I bought a new watch, cheap-o but very hooked up: I've got a count-down timer (awesome for intervals, when I am ready for them again) and a straight-up timer (which I used yesterday: a respectable 41 minutes, thank you very much) and then fancy-pants alarms and such that I will probably not use enough to warrant actual inclusion (I did set the alarms for my unreasonably early wake up times: 6am weekdays, 7am weekends. I would have to actually have to get up then to make it worth while, but setting the watch is a first step anyway). All in all quite a good deal so far. I have a feeling that given the structure of the band, it too (my last running/ wake-up alarm watch did this after about six months. It got to the point where putting my left wrist within a foot or so of someones face was embarrassing for me and painful for them) will succumb to the horrible stench before loosing its usefulness, but for now I'm in that honey-moon period where I can wear it every day even though I run with it, and haven't even had to bleach it once.

Add it up

Bad afternoon yesterday, so I went to the gym and ran a *hard* two miles on the treadmill. I felt way better afterward, though honestly my legs are not doing so hot right now, additionally I have a minor spacey-headed hangover that is proportionately better than when I first woke up this morning. So thats something, but not much.

Projecting?

I'm strategizing.
Mostly because it is my favorite way to procrastinate.
I love a good list more than pretty much anything else.
When I went to the gym yesterday afternoon there were several lady runners in the locker room, talking after their runs were done. Which is so cool--I work with people who run! Sweet! And they do it at work! Rock. So now I'm trying to figure out how to work it in to my work day. And I'm thinking that honestly, it might be easier to run at home rather than bring a whole bag of stuff to work.
But then I could be traveling run-ready all the time. I could run at any given opportunity, all day long. That would be something else, huh?
Anyway, the list making continues.

rare as sasquatch

Just came back from the first post-New Year's gym trip: nice way to break up a work day, save a few things:
1. My gym clothes are tight in the wrong ways. This is both a drawback and a reason for going back, I think (hopefully a build up in trips will create some loosening eventually)
2. Gyms are weird there are mirrors all over the place and rows of bikes and other machinery (who wants to look at themselves that much?!? and who wants to sweat in unison with another person, in public like that? Eeeewe.)
3. Gym staff/ rats are even weirder --on the upside, none of the gym staff have even attempted to hit on me (this could be in part because of the unflatteringly clingy clothing, actually that makes a lot of sense, huh?) , on the down side, they're not very friendly (asking for hours for the pool was way too presumptuous of me, obviously)
4. There was a girl puking in the locker room.
Yeah. Its sort of shocking enough that I feel like the whole thing should be in italics. Seriously? This for real happens? As in outside of Lifetime made-for-tv-movies?
I asked if the puker was okay, and she got really, really quiet. So I asked again and she said "yeah. Fine" So I asked if she wanted any help and she just said no. After that there was no more puking, but a lot of toilet flushing, and no one had come out by the time I changed my clothes and left. It was beyond odd.
But any way, I made it once. Managed to open the lock on my locker twice, and I left my sneakers there, so I have to go back tomorrow.

Entertainment

Here we are in a brand new year and so new hopes or at least a sudden spurt of ambition to try and do a little more, a little better, for real now.
As always with me: I'd like to write more. I would also like to be better at it. And I'd like to run more. Up the mileage, lengthen the stride, go the distance, and stay pain free in the process. I need to save some money so maybe I can stop writing down "buy a house" as a future-goal and instead check it off on the to-do list of the next 5-7 years.
Its really just starting, everything still in the listing process. Too bad its not the kind of list you read on McSweeney's (the funny kind. There is no funny in the write more--buy less--save more--run more type of list. Le Sigh. )
But in any event, with the happy happy
hooo yeah.