I had a strange experience yesterday.
At work, I and two other managers were asked to “donate” our lower-level office staff in rotating shifts to cover for an absent secretary. My own two assistants rose to the occasion with good attitudes. But they became unable to cover shifts this week, so we had to call on the support staff from the other teams.
To my complete shock, when the other two managers went to their teams and asked them to sign up for shifts, they got attitude. Nasty, won’t-do-it attitude. Sullen, refuse-to-sign-up attitude. They crossed their arms, wouldn’t look their managers in the eye and had to be threatened with “choose or we’ll choose for you.” And after that, a cloud hung over the business office. You’d think we had murdered their pets and sold their children!
I’ve seen bad attitudes, but I haven’t seen anything like that since I was in the restaurant business, where you expect crappy attitudes from your fly-by-night minimum-wage staff. But the ladies in question yesterday weren’t minimum wage flunkies with no benefits and no status. They’re all paid in the high twenties, with full benefits and nice computers and ergonomic office furniture. They spend a lot of time eating, talking to each other, gabbing on the phone and surfing the internet. Oh, they clear the occasional paper jam in the copier and sometimes push a few papers around or answer the phone, but they don’t do all that much, really.
And what was the job we were asking them to do that was so horrible?
Sit at a desk in another office for two hours, surf the internet (with our blessing), and handle any situations the absent secretary’s student workers couldn’t deal with. It was a gravy job. As I told one of my peers, “If someone offered to pay me to surf the internet for two hours, I’d be signing up for double shifts!”
We made the job as sweet as we possibly could, shortening the shifts to two hours apiece, and still these young ladies carried on in a way that, had they been working for me, I think I would’ve written them up.
I was told that these young ladies act this way all the time.
All. The. Time.
I told our uber-boss what happened, which was the most I could do, since they aren’t my employees. Uber-boss says she’s going to do something about it. I hope so. As far as I’m concerned, if they don’t want to act like team players, they can go find other work. Let them go work in restaurant or retail, where your ability to put your game face on for a couple hours determines whether or not you go home with any money in your pockets. Wouldn’t the spoiled little princesses like that?
I’m just glad they don’t work for me.
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 90 minute spin
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: 3.5 mile run
Wednesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Fiction Blogging - Lessons Learned
As promised, I've written up a Lessons Learned post about my experience with Diana's Diary. Since long posts about writing are outside the scope of this blog, I've posted it on my Writing Blog for anyone who is interested.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Long Run and Other Random Stuff
Today I ran to Hermann Park and a little way up MacGregor before turning around and heading home. At the turnaround point, I saw lots of thick grayish smoke in the Medical Center area. It was blowing toward me and it smelled of chemicals and tasted vaguely like plastic. All the way back to the park and to the trail around Rice University, vehicles of all description rushed past, sirens blaring. When I got home I got online and found that it was only a three-alarm fire, but that some twenty-five vehicles were called out for it. It was a building under construction, so no one was hurt, but it did make quite a ruckus.
I’m having a busy time of it at the office. One of my stronger and more knowledgeable team members has been out on extended leave at a critical time for all of us, so I feel like I’m always playing catch-up. I no sooner check something off my list, when my boss drops by and cheerfully drops two more projects on me. It doesn’t help that I’m so often tired.
But that’s about to change. I’m finishing the daily-posting part of my Diana’s Diary fiction project this weekend, and that makes me happy. I’ll continue to update it, but I will no longer be posting nightly after Sunday. I ran the numbers and realized that I’ve been spending 20-30 hours per week on it! I’m glad I didn’t realize this until I was nearly done, or I might’ve quit. Instead, I’ve done exactly what I set out to do, and more. I’ll write an extended follow-up in a day or two—a sort of “lessons learned” post.
In the meantime, I’m very excited that I’m about to have more time for other things, like more workouts, more sleep, more reading, and new creative projects. I’ve spent that “extra” 20-30 hours per week a hundred different ways already, in my mind! But what I’m really in the market for is a new home on a planet with longer days. If anyone has recommendations, I’m listening!
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 3.5 mile run
Wednesday: 30 minute elliptical
Thursday: 30 minute spin
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 14 mile run
I’m having a busy time of it at the office. One of my stronger and more knowledgeable team members has been out on extended leave at a critical time for all of us, so I feel like I’m always playing catch-up. I no sooner check something off my list, when my boss drops by and cheerfully drops two more projects on me. It doesn’t help that I’m so often tired.
But that’s about to change. I’m finishing the daily-posting part of my Diana’s Diary fiction project this weekend, and that makes me happy. I’ll continue to update it, but I will no longer be posting nightly after Sunday. I ran the numbers and realized that I’ve been spending 20-30 hours per week on it! I’m glad I didn’t realize this until I was nearly done, or I might’ve quit. Instead, I’ve done exactly what I set out to do, and more. I’ll write an extended follow-up in a day or two—a sort of “lessons learned” post.
In the meantime, I’m very excited that I’m about to have more time for other things, like more workouts, more sleep, more reading, and new creative projects. I’ve spent that “extra” 20-30 hours per week a hundred different ways already, in my mind! But what I’m really in the market for is a new home on a planet with longer days. If anyone has recommendations, I’m listening!
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 3.5 mile run
Wednesday: 30 minute elliptical
Thursday: 30 minute spin
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 14 mile run
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Monday, February 12, 2007
Public Service Announcement
The new Clif Nectar Bar flavor, Cherry Pomegranate, tastes like cherry pie.
That is all.
That is all.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Running in Circles
I feel like I’m on a sort of life treadmill here. No sooner was I getting back in the swing of things after two weeks of a respiratory ailment, than I came down with a stomach virus. Yes, the same one that Dan had last week, that we thought was food poisoning. I was out of the office Monday and Tuesday, and still don’t feel like everything is working quite right. I get hungry, but not as often as I used to, and I don’t have an appetite. Food tastes fine when I finally force myself to eat, but it seems to sit in my stomach forever. Ugh.
So with my glycogen stores depleted, I had no idea how my long run today would go. Surprisingly, it was all right. I did loops at Memorial Park, just to play things safe (restrooms, food, and electrolytes readily available). Nothing of interest happened on the run—I ran up to the park, did my three loops and ran home for a total of twelve miles. I was surprised at how few people were out running today. It was cold (for Houston), but not that bad. It was only in the 40s. And even the street traffic was light, as if everyone was out of town or something.
Odd.
It’s worth noting that today was my first run since December without kinesio tape on any part of my body! I could’ve used some on my lower back, though. All these weeks of no core work and lots of sitting around being sick had my back aching by the last two miles.
I got some exciting news Friday—my father is going to Spain this summer! My dad made a lot of sacrifices for our family, and between that and his farm-boy frugality, he never did a lot of travel and has never been farther than Puerto Rico or Mexico. So this will be his first overseas adventure! I’m so excited for him I can hardly stand it. I’ve thought for years that he needed to do something amazing and wonderful for himself, and he’s finally doing it. Go Dad!!!
Recent Workouts
Thursday: 3 mile run (very slow)
Friday: scheduled rest/errand day
Saturday: 12 mile run
So with my glycogen stores depleted, I had no idea how my long run today would go. Surprisingly, it was all right. I did loops at Memorial Park, just to play things safe (restrooms, food, and electrolytes readily available). Nothing of interest happened on the run—I ran up to the park, did my three loops and ran home for a total of twelve miles. I was surprised at how few people were out running today. It was cold (for Houston), but not that bad. It was only in the 40s. And even the street traffic was light, as if everyone was out of town or something.
Odd.
It’s worth noting that today was my first run since December without kinesio tape on any part of my body! I could’ve used some on my lower back, though. All these weeks of no core work and lots of sitting around being sick had my back aching by the last two miles.
I got some exciting news Friday—my father is going to Spain this summer! My dad made a lot of sacrifices for our family, and between that and his farm-boy frugality, he never did a lot of travel and has never been farther than Puerto Rico or Mexico. So this will be his first overseas adventure! I’m so excited for him I can hardly stand it. I’ve thought for years that he needed to do something amazing and wonderful for himself, and he’s finally doing it. Go Dad!!!
Recent Workouts
Thursday: 3 mile run (very slow)
Friday: scheduled rest/errand day
Saturday: 12 mile run
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Long Run: The Return!
Today was my first long run since the marathon!
It was chilly this morning—high 30s/low 40s. But the sun was out, and that was nice, after so many gray days. My lungs didn't give me any trouble, although I was having issues with my knee for no reason I could figure out. Maybe I slept weird on Thursday. I had to use my trigger point ball Friday night, and wear my cho-pat today. But the knee feels fine tonight, as I figured it would, since I hadn’t done anything to it.
I chose a simple route up Memorial to Chimney Rock and back via Woodway, for a total of about eleven miles. It felt good to find my groove and let my mind drift. I noticed the little roadside garden at Memorial and Chimney Rock is doing well. It’s full of nice-looking cabbages, and there was some early lettuce, too. I wish I knew who is crazy enough to plant vegetables along the sidewalk, next to a busy street— they must be full of exhaust toxins. But they’re fun to look at. My father has always had a garden, so I have good associations with them and find them comforting.
There were a lot of robins out today—big fat ones that looked like they could hardly fly, they were so pudgy. They were like Weebles with wings. And there was a sweetheart of a dog tied up outside Starbucks. He was wagging his tail at everyone who went past, wanting to be friends.
Since it was such an uneventful run, I let my mind wander and got to thinking about one of my little oddities, which is that I always carry a bandana on my runs, tucked into my water bottle strap, a pocket, or my waistband. In the seven years I’ve been running long, the bandana has proven to be one of the most useful things I can take on the road, kind of like Douglas Adams’ towel.
So without further ado, here are some excellent reasons to take a bandana on a long run:
• You can tie it around your head to keep the sweat out of your eyes, or to help keep your ears warm if the weather is cool and you forgot to wear a hat.
• You can wet it to clean an abrasion.
• You can tie up a bleeding cut or road rash.
• You can stabilize a turned ankle.
• You can cover your nose and mouth with it in cold weather, or if there’s dust.
• If you find wild greens for the bunny, you can make a pouch to carry them in.
• You can improvise a cho-pat strap with the bandana and a smooth rock, should you have unexpected knee troubles far from home.
• You can blow your nose in it.
• And you can wipe the sweat off yourself off with it after your run, if you still want to after all that.
I’m sure as time goes on, I’ll come up with even more uses for the humble bandana. It’s not for nothing that my husband of nearly twelve years calls me MacGyver. I’d love to hear what other runners and cyclists consider their most useful must-have!
Today’s Workout
Eleven mile run
It was chilly this morning—high 30s/low 40s. But the sun was out, and that was nice, after so many gray days. My lungs didn't give me any trouble, although I was having issues with my knee for no reason I could figure out. Maybe I slept weird on Thursday. I had to use my trigger point ball Friday night, and wear my cho-pat today. But the knee feels fine tonight, as I figured it would, since I hadn’t done anything to it.
I chose a simple route up Memorial to Chimney Rock and back via Woodway, for a total of about eleven miles. It felt good to find my groove and let my mind drift. I noticed the little roadside garden at Memorial and Chimney Rock is doing well. It’s full of nice-looking cabbages, and there was some early lettuce, too. I wish I knew who is crazy enough to plant vegetables along the sidewalk, next to a busy street— they must be full of exhaust toxins. But they’re fun to look at. My father has always had a garden, so I have good associations with them and find them comforting.
There were a lot of robins out today—big fat ones that looked like they could hardly fly, they were so pudgy. They were like Weebles with wings. And there was a sweetheart of a dog tied up outside Starbucks. He was wagging his tail at everyone who went past, wanting to be friends.
Since it was such an uneventful run, I let my mind wander and got to thinking about one of my little oddities, which is that I always carry a bandana on my runs, tucked into my water bottle strap, a pocket, or my waistband. In the seven years I’ve been running long, the bandana has proven to be one of the most useful things I can take on the road, kind of like Douglas Adams’ towel.
So without further ado, here are some excellent reasons to take a bandana on a long run:
• You can tie it around your head to keep the sweat out of your eyes, or to help keep your ears warm if the weather is cool and you forgot to wear a hat.
• You can wet it to clean an abrasion.
• You can tie up a bleeding cut or road rash.
• You can stabilize a turned ankle.
• You can cover your nose and mouth with it in cold weather, or if there’s dust.
• If you find wild greens for the bunny, you can make a pouch to carry them in.
• You can improvise a cho-pat strap with the bandana and a smooth rock, should you have unexpected knee troubles far from home.
• You can blow your nose in it.
• And you can wipe the sweat off yourself off with it after your run, if you still want to after all that.
I’m sure as time goes on, I’ll come up with even more uses for the humble bandana. It’s not for nothing that my husband of nearly twelve years calls me MacGyver. I’d love to hear what other runners and cyclists consider their most useful must-have!
Today’s Workout
Eleven mile run
Thursday, February 01, 2007
If it’s not one thing…
Just when I’m congratulating myself on finally having A Day Without Meds, Dan comes down with what appears to be a case of food poisoning. He was up all last night, and consequently I was up most of the night with him.
I went in to the office late today, with only one goal—to review a project with my boss. As it turned out, she never made it in, having been up late the night before, herself. Isn’t that always the way of it with critical projects? The boss makes you feel like the world will fall apart if you don’t finish by a certain day or time, then they themselves don’t keep their appointment to review the result.
Well, at least I did my part.
In the afternoon, I went to a required workshop that nearly put me to sleep. There was nothing wrong with the workshop itself, but it was taught at a beginner level, and the subject is something I have a Master’s degree in. So for me, it was total Snoresville. I had asked my boss why I had to go to this silly thing, and she said that: a) everyone has to go, and b) it’s a good networking opportunity. Right. I’m sure I made a lovely impression as I tried not to nod off or make little panicky noises at the mention of. . . games. Oh, yes. They wanted to turn certain learning experiences into games. Is there anyone who likes these things? Am I the only one who would rather be chased by a chainsaw-wielding maniac than get into small groups and “write a movie script” about our budget, then present to the rest of the class? WTF?
I should’ve stayed home today. What was it Dan ate last night, and can I have some, too?
Tonight Dan is mumbling about needing to go to work tomorrow. I don’t think he’s up for it. He still can’t eat or be far from a bathroom. He’s spends most of the time when he isn’t in the bathroom lying on the sofa. Based on my own experiences with food poisoning, I don't think he’ll be much better tomorrow, but he's not listening.
As for me, I’m on my second day without bronchitis meds and feeling pretty good. I ran a little on Monday, and I’ve been doing all my workouts this week at an aerobic level, only a little slower than before I became ill. It feels weird to sweat, though. Hard to believe I’ve already become so unaccustomed to it. It’ll be interesting to see how my long run goes on Saturday. I don’t yet have a route or distance planned, but it looks like it won’t be raining. Since it’s been feeling like Macondo around here lately, I’m looking forward to seeing the sun!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 30 minute run
Tuesday: rest (worked late)
Wednesday: 35 minute spin
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
I went in to the office late today, with only one goal—to review a project with my boss. As it turned out, she never made it in, having been up late the night before, herself. Isn’t that always the way of it with critical projects? The boss makes you feel like the world will fall apart if you don’t finish by a certain day or time, then they themselves don’t keep their appointment to review the result.
Well, at least I did my part.
In the afternoon, I went to a required workshop that nearly put me to sleep. There was nothing wrong with the workshop itself, but it was taught at a beginner level, and the subject is something I have a Master’s degree in. So for me, it was total Snoresville. I had asked my boss why I had to go to this silly thing, and she said that: a) everyone has to go, and b) it’s a good networking opportunity. Right. I’m sure I made a lovely impression as I tried not to nod off or make little panicky noises at the mention of. . . games. Oh, yes. They wanted to turn certain learning experiences into games. Is there anyone who likes these things? Am I the only one who would rather be chased by a chainsaw-wielding maniac than get into small groups and “write a movie script” about our budget, then present to the rest of the class? WTF?
I should’ve stayed home today. What was it Dan ate last night, and can I have some, too?
Tonight Dan is mumbling about needing to go to work tomorrow. I don’t think he’s up for it. He still can’t eat or be far from a bathroom. He’s spends most of the time when he isn’t in the bathroom lying on the sofa. Based on my own experiences with food poisoning, I don't think he’ll be much better tomorrow, but he's not listening.
As for me, I’m on my second day without bronchitis meds and feeling pretty good. I ran a little on Monday, and I’ve been doing all my workouts this week at an aerobic level, only a little slower than before I became ill. It feels weird to sweat, though. Hard to believe I’ve already become so unaccustomed to it. It’ll be interesting to see how my long run goes on Saturday. I don’t yet have a route or distance planned, but it looks like it won’t be raining. Since it’s been feeling like Macondo around here lately, I’m looking forward to seeing the sun!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 30 minute run
Tuesday: rest (worked late)
Wednesday: 35 minute spin
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Light at the End of the Tunnel?
I was a slug all week. A coughing, mucousy, slug. Instead of doing what little bit of light exercise I could do without coughing, I decided to use the time for sleeping, in the hope that I would recover more quickly.
I have no idea if it helped or not, but by this morning, I was left with just an annoying rattle in my left lung. Since today was Indian food day and I hadn’t done a single thing all week, I figured my lung would have to fend for itself. I needed to burn some calories. It was raining, so I went to the gym and got on the elliptical machine. I did two hours, broken into four 30-minute sessions. I took things slow at first, but by the last hour I could handle 160-170 steps per minute. Not bad, considering. (Note: My usual pace is 190-200 steps per minute.)
After my workout, I cleaned up and went to have lunch with Dan. I was coughing a little, but it was “productive” coughing, and I’ll skip the more disgusting details. After lunch, I took a nap, expecting to wake up to more mucous rattling around in my lung, but to my surprise, it’s almost completely clear.
Dare I hope I’m recovered? TWO WEEKS since the stupid marathon, and maybe, maybe, maybe, I can soon run again! I almost wonder if these annual winter bouts of respiratory issues are my body’s way of making me take time off from hard exercise, because I seem to find a way around any other hints my body gives me, like overuse injuries. Kinesio tape, anyone? What a shame I can't put that stuff on my lungs!
In other news, I’ve been very busy at work. Sometimes I go nine or ten hours at a stretch on only coffee, oatmeal and a banana, because I scarcely have time to eat. But since I haven’t been exercising, I suppose that’s a good thing. If I’m truly on the mend, I think I’ll have to reconsider my work and training schedule. I’m used to being able to go in to the office early and leave early, but now it seems I go in early and end up having to stay late. This just won’t do. So maybe I’ll start doing my workouts early in the morning, go in to the office at 8:00 or 9:00 and work until 5:00 or 6:00 like everyone else. I need to think about it and make a plan.
But first I need to be sure I’m really well. I’m still taking meds, and I still have some ringing in my ears, but the stuffiness seems to be mostly gone. I’m a little short-winded tonight, but it seems to be just ordinary asthma. I sure hope so!
I have no idea if it helped or not, but by this morning, I was left with just an annoying rattle in my left lung. Since today was Indian food day and I hadn’t done a single thing all week, I figured my lung would have to fend for itself. I needed to burn some calories. It was raining, so I went to the gym and got on the elliptical machine. I did two hours, broken into four 30-minute sessions. I took things slow at first, but by the last hour I could handle 160-170 steps per minute. Not bad, considering. (Note: My usual pace is 190-200 steps per minute.)
After my workout, I cleaned up and went to have lunch with Dan. I was coughing a little, but it was “productive” coughing, and I’ll skip the more disgusting details. After lunch, I took a nap, expecting to wake up to more mucous rattling around in my lung, but to my surprise, it’s almost completely clear.
Dare I hope I’m recovered? TWO WEEKS since the stupid marathon, and maybe, maybe, maybe, I can soon run again! I almost wonder if these annual winter bouts of respiratory issues are my body’s way of making me take time off from hard exercise, because I seem to find a way around any other hints my body gives me, like overuse injuries. Kinesio tape, anyone? What a shame I can't put that stuff on my lungs!
In other news, I’ve been very busy at work. Sometimes I go nine or ten hours at a stretch on only coffee, oatmeal and a banana, because I scarcely have time to eat. But since I haven’t been exercising, I suppose that’s a good thing. If I’m truly on the mend, I think I’ll have to reconsider my work and training schedule. I’m used to being able to go in to the office early and leave early, but now it seems I go in early and end up having to stay late. This just won’t do. So maybe I’ll start doing my workouts early in the morning, go in to the office at 8:00 or 9:00 and work until 5:00 or 6:00 like everyone else. I need to think about it and make a plan.
But first I need to be sure I’m really well. I’m still taking meds, and I still have some ringing in my ears, but the stuffiness seems to be mostly gone. I’m a little short-winded tonight, but it seems to be just ordinary asthma. I sure hope so!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
May Cause Dizziness
That’s what the label on my prescription says.
I went to the doc this morning—a previously scheduled appointment to get my asthma meds renewed, and had her check out my respiratory infection while I was there. She found fluid in my ears and in my lungs... oh the fun!
She prescribed a decongestant called Entex, for which the pharmacy substituted something called Pseudovent. I don’t know that I want pseudo anything for my lungs. I want the real stuff, damn it!
The doc also prescribed antibiotics and corticosteroids, saying that she doesn’t like her asthmatic patients to go for very long with something like this—it’s pneumonia and bronchitis waiting to happen. But I hate taking antibiotics and she said I could wait a couple days to see if the decongestant clears it up. I sure hope it does.
She also said no running. Yeah, I had to ask. I haven’t been running, even though I want to, but I had been hoping maybe I was being overly cautious.
Well, if I’m dizzy from my meds, it’s just as well. I don’t want to end up in the bayou or flying off the back of the dreadmill, after all.
Being sick sucks, especially when you don’t actually feel sick.
Gonna go be dizzy now.
I went to the doc this morning—a previously scheduled appointment to get my asthma meds renewed, and had her check out my respiratory infection while I was there. She found fluid in my ears and in my lungs... oh the fun!
She prescribed a decongestant called Entex, for which the pharmacy substituted something called Pseudovent. I don’t know that I want pseudo anything for my lungs. I want the real stuff, damn it!
The doc also prescribed antibiotics and corticosteroids, saying that she doesn’t like her asthmatic patients to go for very long with something like this—it’s pneumonia and bronchitis waiting to happen. But I hate taking antibiotics and she said I could wait a couple days to see if the decongestant clears it up. I sure hope it does.
She also said no running. Yeah, I had to ask. I haven’t been running, even though I want to, but I had been hoping maybe I was being overly cautious.
Well, if I’m dizzy from my meds, it’s just as well. I don’t want to end up in the bayou or flying off the back of the dreadmill, after all.
Being sick sucks, especially when you don’t actually feel sick.
Gonna go be dizzy now.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
What’s Next?
Now that the marathon is over, the obvious question is what to do next.
In the immediate short term, I just want to get over this respiratory thing so I can train again. I’m trying to take things easy, but it’s hard when your body is ready to go. Everything I do has to be kept slow or else I set off a fit of coughing. It’s that deep, wet, choking coughing, too. It sounds so scary that I try to get away from people when it happens so they don’t think I’m dying. Nice.
So getting well is the top priority. That, and finishing Diana’s Diary. It’s been a fun project, good for my writing in so many ways. But it’s served its purpose, Diana is nearly to Kentucky anyway, and I’m ready to wrap things up and go back to my regular writing. It’s been tough to come up with a fictional diary entry for each day and photoshop illustrations for it. Sometimes I’m up until 3 am working on it, and that kind of time commitment takes away from other things I want to do now, like do the spring bike ride series this year, get my upper body back in shape, and maybe gear up for a long-course tri.
Oops. I just gave myself away, didn’t I?
Yes, my goals in a nutshell are:
• Get my bike tuned up and do the spring ride series
• Start swimming again
• Start doing upper body work again
• Do either Iron Star or the Woodlands Tri One O One this fall. Iron Star would be a repeat for me, so I’m leaning toward the longer distance in the Woodlands.
• Start work on a new novel and/or write some short stories.
And my long term goal is to work with my high school friend Brad Glendenning to put together a team for the Texas Independence Relay. It will take place in March 2008, so we’ve got plenty of time, but we need to start getting commitments from people now, so they can have a year to train.
And that’s it! I can’t get started on much just yet, but it’ll happen soon. Just as soon as I quit scaring others (and myself) with this cough, I’m hitting the weight room and the pool!
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 2 hours slow elliptical
In the immediate short term, I just want to get over this respiratory thing so I can train again. I’m trying to take things easy, but it’s hard when your body is ready to go. Everything I do has to be kept slow or else I set off a fit of coughing. It’s that deep, wet, choking coughing, too. It sounds so scary that I try to get away from people when it happens so they don’t think I’m dying. Nice.
So getting well is the top priority. That, and finishing Diana’s Diary. It’s been a fun project, good for my writing in so many ways. But it’s served its purpose, Diana is nearly to Kentucky anyway, and I’m ready to wrap things up and go back to my regular writing. It’s been tough to come up with a fictional diary entry for each day and photoshop illustrations for it. Sometimes I’m up until 3 am working on it, and that kind of time commitment takes away from other things I want to do now, like do the spring bike ride series this year, get my upper body back in shape, and maybe gear up for a long-course tri.
Oops. I just gave myself away, didn’t I?
Yes, my goals in a nutshell are:
• Get my bike tuned up and do the spring ride series
• Start swimming again
• Start doing upper body work again
• Do either Iron Star or the Woodlands Tri One O One this fall. Iron Star would be a repeat for me, so I’m leaning toward the longer distance in the Woodlands.
• Start work on a new novel and/or write some short stories.
And my long term goal is to work with my high school friend Brad Glendenning to put together a team for the Texas Independence Relay. It will take place in March 2008, so we’ve got plenty of time, but we need to start getting commitments from people now, so they can have a year to train.
And that’s it! I can’t get started on much just yet, but it’ll happen soon. Just as soon as I quit scaring others (and myself) with this cough, I’m hitting the weight room and the pool!
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 2 hours slow elliptical
Friday, January 19, 2007
Marathon Aftermath
The sinus trouble and beginnings of a dry cough that I had in the last days leading up to the marathon blossomed this week into a full-fledged respiratory infection. My head has been so stuffy that I’ve had pressure and ringing in my ears all week. My coughing brings up lots of nasty phlegm.
But I’m not complaining. Not too much, at least. It was the deal I made with the marathon gods—get me to the start line, and do your worst afterwards. Besides, so far I’ve been able to at least cough up the nastiness in my lungs. The bronchitis I had in ’05 and ‘06 was the kind where nothing comes up and you just go around for weeks, unable to breathe and unable to get any relief, short of going on steroids. At least with my current condition, I can open up my lungs for brief periods with my asthma meds, supplemented with guaifenesin and herbal tea.
The problem, though, is that I’m itching to run, and have been since Wednesday. I had two days of pretty bad pain and stiffness in my legs, but by mid-week I was no longer going down the stairs sideways, and by Thursday I could get in and out of chairs without holding onto anything. I’ve been on the mend from this cold since mid-week, too. I could feel when my immune system started getting the best of this thing, because my mood started improving, my personality started coming back, and I was feeling better almost by the hour. The only thing that’s holding me back now is my lungs. The rest of me is ready to go!
My plan for Saturday morning is to do some long, slow elliptical and treadmill walking. I’ll almost certainly be tempted to run. Maybe slow running is okay? Like really slow?
Patience may be a virtue, but it’s not one of mine.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 15 minute elliptical, 15 minute walk
Tuesday: 15 minute elliptical, 15 minute walk
Wednesday: rest (and try to get well)
Thursday: 30 minute slow spin
But I’m not complaining. Not too much, at least. It was the deal I made with the marathon gods—get me to the start line, and do your worst afterwards. Besides, so far I’ve been able to at least cough up the nastiness in my lungs. The bronchitis I had in ’05 and ‘06 was the kind where nothing comes up and you just go around for weeks, unable to breathe and unable to get any relief, short of going on steroids. At least with my current condition, I can open up my lungs for brief periods with my asthma meds, supplemented with guaifenesin and herbal tea.
The problem, though, is that I’m itching to run, and have been since Wednesday. I had two days of pretty bad pain and stiffness in my legs, but by mid-week I was no longer going down the stairs sideways, and by Thursday I could get in and out of chairs without holding onto anything. I’ve been on the mend from this cold since mid-week, too. I could feel when my immune system started getting the best of this thing, because my mood started improving, my personality started coming back, and I was feeling better almost by the hour. The only thing that’s holding me back now is my lungs. The rest of me is ready to go!
My plan for Saturday morning is to do some long, slow elliptical and treadmill walking. I’ll almost certainly be tempted to run. Maybe slow running is okay? Like really slow?
Patience may be a virtue, but it’s not one of mine.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 15 minute elliptical, 15 minute walk
Tuesday: 15 minute elliptical, 15 minute walk
Wednesday: rest (and try to get well)
Thursday: 30 minute slow spin
Monday, January 15, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Houston Marathon – Full Report
Dan drove me to the George R. Brown this morning in a light drizzle. I didn’t feel anything. No excitement, no nervousness, nothing. I think my ongoing sinus problems could be partly to blame, because for days I’ve been feeling like my head is in a glass jar.
Anyway, I went inside and went to the Houston Fit area. I haven’t run with them in years, but I still have friends in that group, so it seemed as good a place as any to park myself and get my gear together. I suppose it’s telling that Felix asked, “What brings you here?” then acted shocked when I said I was running.
Yeah, it’s been six years, don’t rub it in, dude.
My big dilemma of the morning was what to wear. All the weather reports were promising cold, wind, rain and even thunderstorms. I had two different rain jackets in my bag (my fancy Tyr transition bag—great bag!), but since it was only misting and foggy at 6:30, I decided to carry a trash bag with me instead, and see how things went.
There was a line at bag check, and it seemed to take way too long for just handing over bags and saying thank you. And I could find no lines for the port-a-cans that weren’t a quarter of a mile long. I needed one, too. The line I chose moved along fairly well for awhile, but then some slowpokes all got in there and we got our five minute warning with only one person in line ahead of me. So I waited and ended up having to run with another girl to the start.
The gun had already gone off, and of course we were in the back with the six-hour folks. It took me until Mile 2 just to work my way up to the 4:45 pace group, and I hung with them for a couple of miles, trying to find my pace in the crowd. By now I was able to think and do a mental check of how I was feeling, and it wasn’t good. My hips and IT bands felt tight and heavy, and my problematic right hip was hurting.
Hurting? Before mile 4? Great. And my asthmatic lungs were stubbornly refusing to open up, even though I’d had all my meds. I wasn’t in any huge difficulty with my breathing, but it was about 85% and it wasn’t going to be pretty if I had to deal with that the whole way. Luckily my lungs started clearing at around Mile 6, but I would deal with heavy legs the whole way.
I know the Houston Marathon course isn’t “new” to anyone who has run it in recent years, but it was new to me and I liked it. In 2001 they took us through downtown within the first three miles, but the “new” course goes through the Heights and up Montrose, which is a lot of fun. Crowd support is good, and I have a lot of positive associations with the area.
At the turnaround for the half-marathoners, I confess I got a little tempted. The way I was feeling, if I had been doing an ordinary training run, I wouldn’t have gone much beyond ten miles. My body just didn’t want to run long today. But the marathon is all about mind over matter. Or over common sense, take your pick. So I pushed on.
Outside the Palmer Church on Main, the priests were using branches to flick holy water onto runners. I figured I could use a little of that, but I declined the communion wafers they were handing out. It was a nice gesture on the part of the church and it made me smile.
The run through the Village and West University was crowded with supporters, which dwindled considerably once we got to the 59 feeder road. The Westpark overpass gave me no trouble, which surprised me. I couldn’t help thinking how awful it had been for me in 2001. But I hardly felt it.
By the time I got to the Galleria, I was ready to be done. The crowds were good, though, and helped me stay on pace. I was glad to get to Chimney Rock and Woodway and turn toward downtown. Now I was on a familiar training route, heading the right direction! I found Jill in this section and we hugged each other and ran together for a few minutes before I continued on my way.
Passing under Loop 610 was fantastic. I’ve lived inside the loop since 1986, and I always feel like I’m home when I’m back in the inner loop.
Home. What a troublesome thing, because from Memorial and Shepherd, I can see my apartment complex. Luckily Dan was waiting for me at this corner, along with a friend who wished me a happy birthday. Dan had a “special needs” bag for me, but I didn’t need anything but for the race to be over. I was getting a blister on my foot (WTF? I don’t get blisters in training!) and I was tired. I could no longer open my gel packs with my hands and was having to tear them open with my teeth. So I stopped for just a moment to talk with Dan. Or rather, he talked and I answered in the fewest syllables possible. And then I continued.
Mile 23. Underpass. More running. Passing Waugh Drive, then Montrose (another underpass). Mile 24, finally! A little further down, I stopped to stretch out, and had some trouble getting back to running. I walked more than I should’ve and it was this stop that probably cost me a sub-4:30 finish. Oh well.
From Mile 25 in, no walks, no stretching, no nothing. Just run. I crossed the mats with an official chip time of 4:32:21. Not great, but not bad at all.
I walked around outside for a minute, then went in and got my medal, shirt, mug and bottle of water. I got my bag and called Dan, who inexplicably had not already driven to meet me. He had stayed to watch for some of our slower friends, and I was annoyed. In retrospect, though, I was glad he wasn’t waiting because it gave me a chance to ice down. I had packed some chemical ice packs in my transition bag—smart, huh? But I was too tired to activate them by squeezing, and had to put them on the floor and stomp on them instead. Hey, whatever works.
So I iced down and marveled that my legs weren’t cramping on me like they had for my 21 and 23 mile training runs. And when the ice packs started losing their cold, I decided it was time to change my shoes and socks.
OMG. That blister I had been feeling was a HUMONGOUS, marble-sized blood blister on the ball of my foot! And there was another one that took up a dime-size area of my second toe! I couldn’t even get blister pads on these puppies, they were so big! I had felt some discomfort while I was running, but nothing to indicate the problem was this bad, or I would’ve stopped and put on a blister pad during the race.
I found a restroom and tried to clean up a bit, but it was too crowded to do more than change out of my wet top and put on a dry one. When Dan came for me, I changed into dry pants in the back seat. (Tinted windows. No, I didn’t flash anyone.) By the time we got to the Indian restaurant for my post-run meal, I was cleaned up as well as could be expected. I didn’t eat all that much, though. I guess my stomach was still full of Hammer Gel.
Tonight I’m getting around slowly, but the blisters are a bigger problem than my legs. Once I’m in motion, my legs do their job just fine. But the blisters hurt even when I’m just sitting here doing nothing! I’m tempted to lance them, but I know you’re not supposed to do that, so I’ll wait a day and see if they go down.
So that’s it. My birthday marathon. My first race in the Master’s Division.
Happy Birthday To Me!
Anyway, I went inside and went to the Houston Fit area. I haven’t run with them in years, but I still have friends in that group, so it seemed as good a place as any to park myself and get my gear together. I suppose it’s telling that Felix asked, “What brings you here?” then acted shocked when I said I was running.
Yeah, it’s been six years, don’t rub it in, dude.
My big dilemma of the morning was what to wear. All the weather reports were promising cold, wind, rain and even thunderstorms. I had two different rain jackets in my bag (my fancy Tyr transition bag—great bag!), but since it was only misting and foggy at 6:30, I decided to carry a trash bag with me instead, and see how things went.
There was a line at bag check, and it seemed to take way too long for just handing over bags and saying thank you. And I could find no lines for the port-a-cans that weren’t a quarter of a mile long. I needed one, too. The line I chose moved along fairly well for awhile, but then some slowpokes all got in there and we got our five minute warning with only one person in line ahead of me. So I waited and ended up having to run with another girl to the start.
The gun had already gone off, and of course we were in the back with the six-hour folks. It took me until Mile 2 just to work my way up to the 4:45 pace group, and I hung with them for a couple of miles, trying to find my pace in the crowd. By now I was able to think and do a mental check of how I was feeling, and it wasn’t good. My hips and IT bands felt tight and heavy, and my problematic right hip was hurting.
Hurting? Before mile 4? Great. And my asthmatic lungs were stubbornly refusing to open up, even though I’d had all my meds. I wasn’t in any huge difficulty with my breathing, but it was about 85% and it wasn’t going to be pretty if I had to deal with that the whole way. Luckily my lungs started clearing at around Mile 6, but I would deal with heavy legs the whole way.
I know the Houston Marathon course isn’t “new” to anyone who has run it in recent years, but it was new to me and I liked it. In 2001 they took us through downtown within the first three miles, but the “new” course goes through the Heights and up Montrose, which is a lot of fun. Crowd support is good, and I have a lot of positive associations with the area.
At the turnaround for the half-marathoners, I confess I got a little tempted. The way I was feeling, if I had been doing an ordinary training run, I wouldn’t have gone much beyond ten miles. My body just didn’t want to run long today. But the marathon is all about mind over matter. Or over common sense, take your pick. So I pushed on.
Outside the Palmer Church on Main, the priests were using branches to flick holy water onto runners. I figured I could use a little of that, but I declined the communion wafers they were handing out. It was a nice gesture on the part of the church and it made me smile.
The run through the Village and West University was crowded with supporters, which dwindled considerably once we got to the 59 feeder road. The Westpark overpass gave me no trouble, which surprised me. I couldn’t help thinking how awful it had been for me in 2001. But I hardly felt it.
By the time I got to the Galleria, I was ready to be done. The crowds were good, though, and helped me stay on pace. I was glad to get to Chimney Rock and Woodway and turn toward downtown. Now I was on a familiar training route, heading the right direction! I found Jill in this section and we hugged each other and ran together for a few minutes before I continued on my way.
Passing under Loop 610 was fantastic. I’ve lived inside the loop since 1986, and I always feel like I’m home when I’m back in the inner loop.
Home. What a troublesome thing, because from Memorial and Shepherd, I can see my apartment complex. Luckily Dan was waiting for me at this corner, along with a friend who wished me a happy birthday. Dan had a “special needs” bag for me, but I didn’t need anything but for the race to be over. I was getting a blister on my foot (WTF? I don’t get blisters in training!) and I was tired. I could no longer open my gel packs with my hands and was having to tear them open with my teeth. So I stopped for just a moment to talk with Dan. Or rather, he talked and I answered in the fewest syllables possible. And then I continued.
Mile 23. Underpass. More running. Passing Waugh Drive, then Montrose (another underpass). Mile 24, finally! A little further down, I stopped to stretch out, and had some trouble getting back to running. I walked more than I should’ve and it was this stop that probably cost me a sub-4:30 finish. Oh well.
From Mile 25 in, no walks, no stretching, no nothing. Just run. I crossed the mats with an official chip time of 4:32:21. Not great, but not bad at all.
I walked around outside for a minute, then went in and got my medal, shirt, mug and bottle of water. I got my bag and called Dan, who inexplicably had not already driven to meet me. He had stayed to watch for some of our slower friends, and I was annoyed. In retrospect, though, I was glad he wasn’t waiting because it gave me a chance to ice down. I had packed some chemical ice packs in my transition bag—smart, huh? But I was too tired to activate them by squeezing, and had to put them on the floor and stomp on them instead. Hey, whatever works.
So I iced down and marveled that my legs weren’t cramping on me like they had for my 21 and 23 mile training runs. And when the ice packs started losing their cold, I decided it was time to change my shoes and socks.
OMG. That blister I had been feeling was a HUMONGOUS, marble-sized blood blister on the ball of my foot! And there was another one that took up a dime-size area of my second toe! I couldn’t even get blister pads on these puppies, they were so big! I had felt some discomfort while I was running, but nothing to indicate the problem was this bad, or I would’ve stopped and put on a blister pad during the race.
I found a restroom and tried to clean up a bit, but it was too crowded to do more than change out of my wet top and put on a dry one. When Dan came for me, I changed into dry pants in the back seat. (Tinted windows. No, I didn’t flash anyone.) By the time we got to the Indian restaurant for my post-run meal, I was cleaned up as well as could be expected. I didn’t eat all that much, though. I guess my stomach was still full of Hammer Gel.
Tonight I’m getting around slowly, but the blisters are a bigger problem than my legs. Once I’m in motion, my legs do their job just fine. But the blisters hurt even when I’m just sitting here doing nothing! I’m tempted to lance them, but I know you’re not supposed to do that, so I’ll wait a day and see if they go down.
So that’s it. My birthday marathon. My first race in the Master’s Division.
Happy Birthday To Me!
Houston Marathon - Preliminary Report
Well, I finished, it didn't rain, and it wasn't even all that cold. It sure wasn't 52 with windchill making it feel like 48. It's enough to make you wonder what they're smoking at weather.com, wunderground, noaa.gov and all the rest.
It wasn't a good run for me. From the very begining my hips and IT bands felt tight, and my lungs didn't get clear until around mile 6. It usually happens by mile 4. And my mood was off. I know it sounds weird, but I just wasn't feeling this race. Not today. Maybe it was all these years of frustration at not being able to do this race, but there was just something anticlimactic about finally being here again. I couldn't get excited. It felt like just another job.
They haven't posted the official results, but I think my chip time was 4:32 or thereabouts. I looked at my watch as I approached the mats, but I didn't remember to stop it until several minutes later. I guess the results will be up by this evening.
I'm not unhappy about my time, given all the training challenges and the way I felt today. But on a different day, I could've done a lot better. I just wasn't "on," that's how it goes, and I'm okay with that. It wasn't my first marathon, so I had nothing to prove.
My tape held up very well, by the way. I need to find out who invented this stuff and send him or her some flowers.
Off to massage my legs and take a nap now.
Longer report to follow.
It wasn't a good run for me. From the very begining my hips and IT bands felt tight, and my lungs didn't get clear until around mile 6. It usually happens by mile 4. And my mood was off. I know it sounds weird, but I just wasn't feeling this race. Not today. Maybe it was all these years of frustration at not being able to do this race, but there was just something anticlimactic about finally being here again. I couldn't get excited. It felt like just another job.
They haven't posted the official results, but I think my chip time was 4:32 or thereabouts. I looked at my watch as I approached the mats, but I didn't remember to stop it until several minutes later. I guess the results will be up by this evening.
I'm not unhappy about my time, given all the training challenges and the way I felt today. But on a different day, I could've done a lot better. I just wasn't "on," that's how it goes, and I'm okay with that. It wasn't my first marathon, so I had nothing to prove.
My tape held up very well, by the way. I need to find out who invented this stuff and send him or her some flowers.
Off to massage my legs and take a nap now.
Longer report to follow.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Off To The Races!
I had a low-key day today. I went to the Y, soaked in the hot tub and did some stretches in the sauna. Then I picked up some pasta and bread pudding to bring home and have been working my way through that the rest of the day. I spent the afternoon working on the next posting to Diana’s Diary. I’ll have that out before midnight so I can turn in early.
My lungs have been a little troublesome for the last two days, but I think it’s just allergies. The weather has been unseasonably warm and I’ve been having sinus issues, too. Maybe the coming cold weather will put a stop to all that.
My right foot and ankle aren’t 100%, and I still haven’t gotten completely over the hip/IT band issues I’ve been dealing with for the last two months. So I’m taping up tonight. That way the adhesive will have a chance to set before tomorrow morning. When I did my 23-miler, I taped the same morning and it wasn’t holding on too well at the end.
I’m getting my gear together tonight. It’s funny, but if I were running from my front door, I could have all my stuff together in about fifteen minutes, tops. But instead, I’m packing like I’m off for Siberia in the morning. Part of that, though, is the fault of the weather people. I still can’t get consistent weather reports— different sites contradict each other.
If I don’t get rained on, the plan is to change clothes right after the marathon and go straight to lunch. I’m packing my triathlon transition bag with that in mind. But if I’m chilled and wet at the finish, I’ll have Dan bring me home for a shower first.
But I’m rambling now. And I still have things to pack. Off to Siberia, you know. Or rather, off to the races.
See you on the other side of the finish line!
My lungs have been a little troublesome for the last two days, but I think it’s just allergies. The weather has been unseasonably warm and I’ve been having sinus issues, too. Maybe the coming cold weather will put a stop to all that.
My right foot and ankle aren’t 100%, and I still haven’t gotten completely over the hip/IT band issues I’ve been dealing with for the last two months. So I’m taping up tonight. That way the adhesive will have a chance to set before tomorrow morning. When I did my 23-miler, I taped the same morning and it wasn’t holding on too well at the end.
I’m getting my gear together tonight. It’s funny, but if I were running from my front door, I could have all my stuff together in about fifteen minutes, tops. But instead, I’m packing like I’m off for Siberia in the morning. Part of that, though, is the fault of the weather people. I still can’t get consistent weather reports— different sites contradict each other.
If I don’t get rained on, the plan is to change clothes right after the marathon and go straight to lunch. I’m packing my triathlon transition bag with that in mind. But if I’m chilled and wet at the finish, I’ll have Dan bring me home for a shower first.
But I’m rambling now. And I still have things to pack. Off to Siberia, you know. Or rather, off to the races.
See you on the other side of the finish line!
Friday, January 12, 2007
Expo Day
I’ve had a fun and busy day!
I took the day off from work, as I have for the past three or four years. Since my birthday always falls on marathon weekend, it’s a good excuse to use a vacation day, and I can avoid the Saturday crowds at the Expo.
I got to the convention center around 11:30 and made a beeline to packet pickup. Joy! It was my first time to claim my packet since 2001! I had a fine time wandering the expo, buying socks and caps and gels, getting a free massage and eating samples. Lots of samples. In fact, samples were my only source of food until dinner today. But hey—some of the samples were liquid vitamins, so it’s all good, right?
And then I went out to run some other errands. I went to one of my favorite thrift shops, where I did very well and *ahem* donated about $130 to charity. . . in return for clothes, books and other things. I’m always amazed at how many designer clothing items end up in the nicer thrifts, unworn and with tags still attached. I guess that’s the advantage of going thrifting a few blocks from River Oaks!
The rest of my day was filled with dumb little errands—pick up a bag of bunny litter, deposit my birthday check from my dad, go to a few shops in the Village, and things like that. I had to do some creative re-bagging to consolidate all my stuff so I could get it upstairs to my apartment in one trip, and then it was time to do laundry, since Friday is nearly always Laundry Day around here.
The weather forecasts for Sunday remain inconsistent. For awhile they were saying it would just be cloudy, not much chance of rain. But now weather.com is back to saying 30% chance of thunderstorms. The temps shouldn’t be too bad, though, and I have a new wicking rain jacket with plenty of vents, should it be a stormy day after all.
So now I wait. Wait and do what prep I can, with the weather still so uncertain. But I do know this much—if nothing goes drastically wrong in the next 24 hours, I’ll be running the Houston Marathon on Sunday for the second time, and after five years of being jinxed.
Crossing my fingers. . .
I took the day off from work, as I have for the past three or four years. Since my birthday always falls on marathon weekend, it’s a good excuse to use a vacation day, and I can avoid the Saturday crowds at the Expo.
I got to the convention center around 11:30 and made a beeline to packet pickup. Joy! It was my first time to claim my packet since 2001! I had a fine time wandering the expo, buying socks and caps and gels, getting a free massage and eating samples. Lots of samples. In fact, samples were my only source of food until dinner today. But hey—some of the samples were liquid vitamins, so it’s all good, right?
And then I went out to run some other errands. I went to one of my favorite thrift shops, where I did very well and *ahem* donated about $130 to charity. . . in return for clothes, books and other things. I’m always amazed at how many designer clothing items end up in the nicer thrifts, unworn and with tags still attached. I guess that’s the advantage of going thrifting a few blocks from River Oaks!
The rest of my day was filled with dumb little errands—pick up a bag of bunny litter, deposit my birthday check from my dad, go to a few shops in the Village, and things like that. I had to do some creative re-bagging to consolidate all my stuff so I could get it upstairs to my apartment in one trip, and then it was time to do laundry, since Friday is nearly always Laundry Day around here.
The weather forecasts for Sunday remain inconsistent. For awhile they were saying it would just be cloudy, not much chance of rain. But now weather.com is back to saying 30% chance of thunderstorms. The temps shouldn’t be too bad, though, and I have a new wicking rain jacket with plenty of vents, should it be a stormy day after all.
So now I wait. Wait and do what prep I can, with the weather still so uncertain. But I do know this much—if nothing goes drastically wrong in the next 24 hours, I’ll be running the Houston Marathon on Sunday for the second time, and after five years of being jinxed.
Crossing my fingers. . .
Thursday, January 11, 2007
So Far, So Good!
I’ve made it through a very busy workweek, with no signs of illness, other than some sniffles, which I think are allergy-related. I got my massage, I have no new aches and pains, and other than the continued threat of rain this weekend, things are looking good for the marathon!
I’m taking Friday off so I can go to the Expo and run some errands. I don’t want to be stressing about anything on Saturday, except where to go for pasta, and whether or not it will rain on Sunday. The weather reports still show a strong likelihood of showers or thunderstorms, but the temperature predictions have been going up, so that’s good. Rain is bad enough without it being cold, too. I’d much rather it not be raining, though. My kinesio tape is waterproof, but when I did my 23-miler, it wasn’t holding on too well at the end. Rain plus an additional three miles could get weird, since I’m at least 30% tape these days.
It won’t be much longer now! Just two more days of germ paranoia, then I can run my “little” 26.2 and celebrate having finally made it back to this race after so many years of something always going wrong.
Just two more days…
Recent Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: rest (massage day)
Wednesday: 30 minute elliptical
Thursday: rest (was supposed to be a workout day, but late day at the office instead)
I’m taking Friday off so I can go to the Expo and run some errands. I don’t want to be stressing about anything on Saturday, except where to go for pasta, and whether or not it will rain on Sunday. The weather reports still show a strong likelihood of showers or thunderstorms, but the temperature predictions have been going up, so that’s good. Rain is bad enough without it being cold, too. I’d much rather it not be raining, though. My kinesio tape is waterproof, but when I did my 23-miler, it wasn’t holding on too well at the end. Rain plus an additional three miles could get weird, since I’m at least 30% tape these days.
It won’t be much longer now! Just two more days of germ paranoia, then I can run my “little” 26.2 and celebrate having finally made it back to this race after so many years of something always going wrong.
Just two more days…
Recent Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: rest (massage day)
Wednesday: 30 minute elliptical
Thursday: rest (was supposed to be a workout day, but late day at the office instead)
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Last Long Run!
Well, today’s run was only supposed to be between six and eight miles, but a couple miles into it, I decided the route was boring and I changed it a little. I ended up with 10.5 miles, instead. Oops.
It wasn’t a good run. My legs felt heavy and sluggish, and I had some new aches and pains. I think I’m still getting over my 23-miler before Christmas, and then there’s all those little things that come up during taper that are as much psychological as anything else. But my base is good and I need to relax and trust my many years of distance running to carry me through this. My high school band director was always heartened when our last rehearsal before a concert sucked. He considered it a sign that our next performance would be good, and he was usually right. So I’m going to hope that this theory applies to running, too.
My plan for the next seven days is as follows:
• daily stretching and use of foam roller (twice a day, if possible)
• massage on Tuesday
• no more running—just walking and elliptical
• okay, I might get on the bike tomorrow (Sunday)
• reduce calorie intake to match reduced exercise (soooo not fun)
• make time for at least two hot tub and sauna sessions at the Downtown Y
• get more sleep
• avoid germs and sick people
That oughta do it! It’s not a fun plan, especially the calorie-counting, but it’s only for a week.
I think, though, that I won’t try for the Houston Marathon again after this one. I seem to always get injured when the weather turns cooler, maybe because I’m so sensitive to cold that I tense up and get careless. And then there’s the whole issue of winter colds and bronchitis. It’s stressful to be surrounded by people going through their winter illnesses. I’m afraid to open doors, go to meetings, and even go out in public. It’s not a fun way to spend the holiday season or my first days back at work. But the threat of bronchitis is quite real for me, as the last two years have proven.
And then there's the whole holiday eating thing. Having a taper that coincides with one of the most fudge-laden times of the year is wrong, wrong, WRONG. I can't have any fun with the holiday goodies because I can't do what I need to do to burn them off. It makes me grumpy. I run for chocolate, after all.
In sum, I don’t need the stress and aggravation of getting ready for a winter marathon. I think I’ll stick with summer and fall events from now on, even if that means doing them in other parts of the country. My hometown marathon may be cheap in terms of dollars, but the physical and psychological toll it takes on me is more than I need.
With that said, here’s to a healthy week and a fantasic Birthday Marathon next Sunday!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 45 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 5.5 mile run – bayou trails
Wednesday: 30 minute elliptical
Thursday: rest
Friday: rest
Saturday: 10.5 mile run
It wasn’t a good run. My legs felt heavy and sluggish, and I had some new aches and pains. I think I’m still getting over my 23-miler before Christmas, and then there’s all those little things that come up during taper that are as much psychological as anything else. But my base is good and I need to relax and trust my many years of distance running to carry me through this. My high school band director was always heartened when our last rehearsal before a concert sucked. He considered it a sign that our next performance would be good, and he was usually right. So I’m going to hope that this theory applies to running, too.
My plan for the next seven days is as follows:
• daily stretching and use of foam roller (twice a day, if possible)
• massage on Tuesday
• no more running—just walking and elliptical
• okay, I might get on the bike tomorrow (Sunday)
• reduce calorie intake to match reduced exercise (soooo not fun)
• make time for at least two hot tub and sauna sessions at the Downtown Y
• get more sleep
• avoid germs and sick people
That oughta do it! It’s not a fun plan, especially the calorie-counting, but it’s only for a week.
I think, though, that I won’t try for the Houston Marathon again after this one. I seem to always get injured when the weather turns cooler, maybe because I’m so sensitive to cold that I tense up and get careless. And then there’s the whole issue of winter colds and bronchitis. It’s stressful to be surrounded by people going through their winter illnesses. I’m afraid to open doors, go to meetings, and even go out in public. It’s not a fun way to spend the holiday season or my first days back at work. But the threat of bronchitis is quite real for me, as the last two years have proven.
And then there's the whole holiday eating thing. Having a taper that coincides with one of the most fudge-laden times of the year is wrong, wrong, WRONG. I can't have any fun with the holiday goodies because I can't do what I need to do to burn them off. It makes me grumpy. I run for chocolate, after all.
In sum, I don’t need the stress and aggravation of getting ready for a winter marathon. I think I’ll stick with summer and fall events from now on, even if that means doing them in other parts of the country. My hometown marathon may be cheap in terms of dollars, but the physical and psychological toll it takes on me is more than I need.
With that said, here’s to a healthy week and a fantasic Birthday Marathon next Sunday!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 45 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 5.5 mile run – bayou trails
Wednesday: 30 minute elliptical
Thursday: rest
Friday: rest
Saturday: 10.5 mile run
Friday, January 05, 2007
It's Official!
I got my bib number today: 4059.
Still no signs of illness. Still no further aggravation of existing injuries or indications of any new ones. Got two new rolls of kinesio tape delivered this week, just in case. Weather looks like it'll be okay-- possible showers, but temps in the 70s, so a little rain won't be a big problem if it happens. I'm well-stocked on asthma meds, too, after having quite a time getting a refill on my Singulair over the holiday break.
After so many things going wrong in other years, from weather to tendonitis to bronchitis, it's starting to look like it might really happen this year. Maybe I'm fated to only be able to run this marathon when it falls on my birthday!
I'm taking another Airborne before I head off to a meeting this morning, just in case.
Nine days to go!
Still no signs of illness. Still no further aggravation of existing injuries or indications of any new ones. Got two new rolls of kinesio tape delivered this week, just in case. Weather looks like it'll be okay-- possible showers, but temps in the 70s, so a little rain won't be a big problem if it happens. I'm well-stocked on asthma meds, too, after having quite a time getting a refill on my Singulair over the holiday break.
After so many things going wrong in other years, from weather to tendonitis to bronchitis, it's starting to look like it might really happen this year. Maybe I'm fated to only be able to run this marathon when it falls on my birthday!
I'm taking another Airborne before I head off to a meeting this morning, just in case.
Nine days to go!
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Tagged Again!
Rachel tagged me, the meanie!
Here's what I gotta do:
1. Find the nearest book.
2. Name the book & the author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page. Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog.
5. Tag three more folks.
As it turns out, the nearest book is one I got for Christmas but haven't read yet:
Stories Rabbits Tell: A Natural and Cultural History of a Misunderstood Creature
by Susan E. Davis and Margo DeMello
"According to primatologist Frans de Waal, "Culture simply means that knowledge and habits are acquired from others-- often, but not always, from the older generation-- which explains why two groups of the same species may behave differently." The classic example of these socially transmitted behaviors is found in the Japanese macaques' tradition of washing potatoes, in which one macaque named Imo began, in the 1950s, carrying her dirty potatoes to the water to wash them; soon the others in her group started washing their potatoes. Even after all the original potato-washing macaques had died out, the band continued-- and continues today-- to wash their potatoes."
Nothing at all about bunnies in these three sentences. How disappointing.
I can't think of anyone to tag, since I don't want to tag anyone who's already done this one, and a lot of my other friends are pretty overwhelmed right now. But anyone reading this who has a book within arm's length can consider themselves tagged. How's that?
Here's what I gotta do:
1. Find the nearest book.
2. Name the book & the author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page. Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog.
5. Tag three more folks.
As it turns out, the nearest book is one I got for Christmas but haven't read yet:
Stories Rabbits Tell: A Natural and Cultural History of a Misunderstood Creature
by Susan E. Davis and Margo DeMello
"According to primatologist Frans de Waal, "Culture simply means that knowledge and habits are acquired from others-- often, but not always, from the older generation-- which explains why two groups of the same species may behave differently." The classic example of these socially transmitted behaviors is found in the Japanese macaques' tradition of washing potatoes, in which one macaque named Imo began, in the 1950s, carrying her dirty potatoes to the water to wash them; soon the others in her group started washing their potatoes. Even after all the original potato-washing macaques had died out, the band continued-- and continues today-- to wash their potatoes."
Nothing at all about bunnies in these three sentences. How disappointing.
I can't think of anyone to tag, since I don't want to tag anyone who's already done this one, and a lot of my other friends are pretty overwhelmed right now. But anyone reading this who has a book within arm's length can consider themselves tagged. How's that?
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Saturday Taper Run
In spite of the dire warnings from my friends at weather.com, this morning turned out to be just fine for running. The sky was overcast, with streaks of darker gray, like a striped blanket, but no rain.
My foot was a little sore, and I don’t think a mostly-concrete run did me any favors. But it was so nice to get out there on my old routes again! And it was only for 12 miles. It’s taper time, after all.
I came upon an unusual sight on Memorial Drive. I was about a mile outside the loop, trotting along past the huge fancy houses, with traffic zipping along to my left, when I saw a flock of birds on the sidewalk up ahead of me. As I got nearer it became obvious that they weren’t pigeons, crows, or any other type of urban bird. They were too big for that. But what kind of birds would be flocking on a sidewalk in front of a ritzy mansion under construction, next to a busy four-lane road?
I got closer, and the dominant one in the flock took a few steps toward me, while a more timid one hopped off the curb into the street. Bad move. I didn’t want it getting hit by a car, so since the circular drive of the house was available, I walked around. The dominant bird and I exchanged suspicious looks while the rest of the flock clucked.
Clucked?
I’m still not sure what type of birds they were. Some houses around here have peacocks, but these clearly were not peahens. They looked a little like wild turkeys, but were the wrong color. I think they were guinea fowl, or something closely related. Just what they were doing on the sidewalk in a rich neighborhood alongside a busy road is anyone’s guess.
A little later I ran past the roadside garden I’ve mentioned here before. Cabbages were doing well, I noticed, and there were a few grapefruits still ripening in the highest branches of the grapefruit trees nearby. This reminded me of an odd sight from a few days ago. I was driving through a very poor area where I swear only hope and imagination were holding the houses together. And would you believe, there were orange trees full of ripe oranges, all rotting on the tree! Uh, yeah. While I don’t agree that everyone is capable of pulling themselves up with no one’s bootstraps but their own, still. . . Come on, people! Free healthy food! Right there in your own stupid yard!
What’s wrong with some people?
Anyway, my third cool sighting of the day was a geyser. Okay, it was a broken water main, but the water was spraying nearly two stories into the air like Old Faithful, or like something you’d expect to see in an over-the-top Las Vegas hotel lobby. All it needed was pretty colored lights around it. With so much water being lost, you’d think the city would be all over it, but apparently not. There wasn’t a repair vehicle anywhere in sight.
So that was today’s run. I saw Mary for a massage on Thursday, so my legs were still recovering and a little heavy. But I was just so glad not to have to do a gym workout. I need to save my mental stamina for the last few workouts of my taper, when I’ll be doing a lot of time on the elliptical machine.
This has been a good week off for me. I’ve taken care of some errands, done some running along the bayou, done some writing and blogging (still taking email addys for anyone wanting access to my new writing blog), and just generally catching up on things. I got the fabulous news tonight that the university will be closed on Tuesday due to the federal holiday honoring President Ford, so that makes me a happy camper. An extra free day, followed by just a 3-day work week! I’ll also be taking off the Friday before the marathon, and the day after the 'thon is MLK day, which we have off. So it looks like I won’t be fully back into the grim weekly grind until the fourth week of January, which suits me fine.
And to close this post on a worrisome note, Dan is sick. I’m trying not to completely freak out, but it’s a chest cold, and for the last two years in a row, I’ve gotten bronchitis at exactly this time of year. If I had someplace else to live right now, I'd go there. Really. I swear he better not get me sick before my Birthday Marathon. I’ll have to kill him or divorce him. Maybe both.
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 5.5 mile run – bayou trails
Wednesday: 6 mile run – bayou trails
Thursday: 45 minute spin
Friday: 30 minute elliptical
Saturday: 12 mile run
My foot was a little sore, and I don’t think a mostly-concrete run did me any favors. But it was so nice to get out there on my old routes again! And it was only for 12 miles. It’s taper time, after all.
I came upon an unusual sight on Memorial Drive. I was about a mile outside the loop, trotting along past the huge fancy houses, with traffic zipping along to my left, when I saw a flock of birds on the sidewalk up ahead of me. As I got nearer it became obvious that they weren’t pigeons, crows, or any other type of urban bird. They were too big for that. But what kind of birds would be flocking on a sidewalk in front of a ritzy mansion under construction, next to a busy four-lane road?
I got closer, and the dominant one in the flock took a few steps toward me, while a more timid one hopped off the curb into the street. Bad move. I didn’t want it getting hit by a car, so since the circular drive of the house was available, I walked around. The dominant bird and I exchanged suspicious looks while the rest of the flock clucked.
Clucked?
I’m still not sure what type of birds they were. Some houses around here have peacocks, but these clearly were not peahens. They looked a little like wild turkeys, but were the wrong color. I think they were guinea fowl, or something closely related. Just what they were doing on the sidewalk in a rich neighborhood alongside a busy road is anyone’s guess.
A little later I ran past the roadside garden I’ve mentioned here before. Cabbages were doing well, I noticed, and there were a few grapefruits still ripening in the highest branches of the grapefruit trees nearby. This reminded me of an odd sight from a few days ago. I was driving through a very poor area where I swear only hope and imagination were holding the houses together. And would you believe, there were orange trees full of ripe oranges, all rotting on the tree! Uh, yeah. While I don’t agree that everyone is capable of pulling themselves up with no one’s bootstraps but their own, still. . . Come on, people! Free healthy food! Right there in your own stupid yard!
What’s wrong with some people?
Anyway, my third cool sighting of the day was a geyser. Okay, it was a broken water main, but the water was spraying nearly two stories into the air like Old Faithful, or like something you’d expect to see in an over-the-top Las Vegas hotel lobby. All it needed was pretty colored lights around it. With so much water being lost, you’d think the city would be all over it, but apparently not. There wasn’t a repair vehicle anywhere in sight.
So that was today’s run. I saw Mary for a massage on Thursday, so my legs were still recovering and a little heavy. But I was just so glad not to have to do a gym workout. I need to save my mental stamina for the last few workouts of my taper, when I’ll be doing a lot of time on the elliptical machine.
This has been a good week off for me. I’ve taken care of some errands, done some running along the bayou, done some writing and blogging (still taking email addys for anyone wanting access to my new writing blog), and just generally catching up on things. I got the fabulous news tonight that the university will be closed on Tuesday due to the federal holiday honoring President Ford, so that makes me a happy camper. An extra free day, followed by just a 3-day work week! I’ll also be taking off the Friday before the marathon, and the day after the 'thon is MLK day, which we have off. So it looks like I won’t be fully back into the grim weekly grind until the fourth week of January, which suits me fine.
And to close this post on a worrisome note, Dan is sick. I’m trying not to completely freak out, but it’s a chest cold, and for the last two years in a row, I’ve gotten bronchitis at exactly this time of year. If I had someplace else to live right now, I'd go there. Really. I swear he better not get me sick before my Birthday Marathon. I’ll have to kill him or divorce him. Maybe both.
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 5.5 mile run – bayou trails
Wednesday: 6 mile run – bayou trails
Thursday: 45 minute spin
Friday: 30 minute elliptical
Saturday: 12 mile run
Announcement!
I have created a new blog, where I have loaded the entire text of my novel, Tin Soldier. Other writings will be posted as time permits.
This is a restricted blog, to keep my work publishable should I decide to start querying again. If you are a friend and/or regular poster here and want an invitation, send me your email address and I’ll get you signed up!
If you don’t want to post your email address in the comments, send it to me at uhamp “at” yahoo “dot” com.
This is a restricted blog, to keep my work publishable should I decide to start querying again. If you are a friend and/or regular poster here and want an invitation, send me your email address and I’ll get you signed up!
If you don’t want to post your email address in the comments, send it to me at uhamp “at” yahoo “dot” com.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Christmas and Beyond
We all had a great Christmas.
Dan and I opened our gifts on Christmas Eve because we had to be at my parents’ house early the next day. I got a lot of books I wanted, and a mouse that is revered by Photoshop users. And Dan displayed his psychic skills by buying me a photo printer. I almost bought one a few weeks ago, so I’m glad now that I didn’t! Dan loved the leather jacket I bought him, so I didn’t feel too bad that the other stuff I gave him was pretty basic—books, music, and a nifty little drink chiller than plugs into a computer’s USB port. (He saw it in a catalog and couldn't live without it.)
On Christmas morning, we found that Santa had dropped off gifts for the fuzzies. Pixel loved his catnip, and Tidbit got a lot of mileage out of her gift basket while Dan and I had our traditional Christmas morning panettone and watched a Buster Keaton short.
And then it was off to my parents’ house!
It was great to see my father. I hadn’t seen him since our trip to New Mexico last summer. I got so full on homemade salsa, cookies and fudge while we waited for dinner to be ready that it’s amazing I had any room for turkey and stuffing. But I managed, as I always do. Because I was still recovering from Saturday’s 23-miler, I decided to not worry about calories in vs calories out for once and just enjoy myself. It was nice.
Gifts were surprisingly good this year. Usually my parents give me any old thing, without appearing to give any consideration for my likes and dislikes. But this year all but one of the books was right up my alley, and I was happy to also get a fancy cross-cut paper shredder—another item I had been thinking of buying, but hadn’t gotten around to yet.
I gave Tidbit calendars to everyone this year, and they were a hit. My brother loved his guitar tuner, and mom gushed over her gifts, especially the Belleek teapot, but later seemed more interested in stealing my alpaca wrap. I told her if she wanted one, to just say so and I’d get her one. Jeez, she’s greedy!
Dad and I spent some time looking through the pictures in the rare book I bought him. It’s the only book (except for a 30-page pamphlet I bought several years ago) about his mother’s home town, which was destroyed by flood in 1929. Dad and I were excited to find that one of the book’s photos was of the roundhouse foreman who gave my grandfather his first railroad job. Dad is going to show the book to his older siblings when he gets back to New Mexico, and I’m looking forward to hearing what else they notice in the pictures that corresponds to old family stories. The really weird thing about looking at those old photos is how substantial it all seems-- houses, shops, main street, roundhouse, depot, etc. Go to the site today, less than a hundred years later and there's nothing at all. I've wandered all around the area, unable to find so much as a brick. Ozymandias, anyone?
We got home later than I would’ve liked—a little family goes a long way with me. There can be as many as five different conversations going at a table of seven, and it confuses me and leaves me wondering who they all think they’re talking to, since everyone is talking about something totally different. In other words, no one in my family listens to a damn thing.
So yeah, in spite of the good gifts, good food, and fun looking at the book with my father, I was glad to get home.
Today was a quiet day. I spent the morning doing some de-cluttering. I also got my fancy new mouse working, set up the photo printer and shredder, and installed a shelf by my desk to hold my CDs, mini-camera (a new item for long runs), etc. That took me until 1:00, and by then I was eager to go for a run. I did 5.5 miles and although my quads protested the entire time, they feel so much better tonight! And my injured foot is doing well, too. I was worried I would mess it up with the long run on Saturday, but oddly, the run seems to have helped. Either that or the tape. Probably it’s the tape. Tape cures everything.
Tomorrow is going to be for errands, I think. I’ve got several of them, and it’s already going to be Wednesday. Where does the time go?
Today’s Workout
5.5 mile run – bayou trails
Dan and I opened our gifts on Christmas Eve because we had to be at my parents’ house early the next day. I got a lot of books I wanted, and a mouse that is revered by Photoshop users. And Dan displayed his psychic skills by buying me a photo printer. I almost bought one a few weeks ago, so I’m glad now that I didn’t! Dan loved the leather jacket I bought him, so I didn’t feel too bad that the other stuff I gave him was pretty basic—books, music, and a nifty little drink chiller than plugs into a computer’s USB port. (He saw it in a catalog and couldn't live without it.)
On Christmas morning, we found that Santa had dropped off gifts for the fuzzies. Pixel loved his catnip, and Tidbit got a lot of mileage out of her gift basket while Dan and I had our traditional Christmas morning panettone and watched a Buster Keaton short.
And then it was off to my parents’ house!
It was great to see my father. I hadn’t seen him since our trip to New Mexico last summer. I got so full on homemade salsa, cookies and fudge while we waited for dinner to be ready that it’s amazing I had any room for turkey and stuffing. But I managed, as I always do. Because I was still recovering from Saturday’s 23-miler, I decided to not worry about calories in vs calories out for once and just enjoy myself. It was nice.
Gifts were surprisingly good this year. Usually my parents give me any old thing, without appearing to give any consideration for my likes and dislikes. But this year all but one of the books was right up my alley, and I was happy to also get a fancy cross-cut paper shredder—another item I had been thinking of buying, but hadn’t gotten around to yet.
I gave Tidbit calendars to everyone this year, and they were a hit. My brother loved his guitar tuner, and mom gushed over her gifts, especially the Belleek teapot, but later seemed more interested in stealing my alpaca wrap. I told her if she wanted one, to just say so and I’d get her one. Jeez, she’s greedy!
Dad and I spent some time looking through the pictures in the rare book I bought him. It’s the only book (except for a 30-page pamphlet I bought several years ago) about his mother’s home town, which was destroyed by flood in 1929. Dad and I were excited to find that one of the book’s photos was of the roundhouse foreman who gave my grandfather his first railroad job. Dad is going to show the book to his older siblings when he gets back to New Mexico, and I’m looking forward to hearing what else they notice in the pictures that corresponds to old family stories. The really weird thing about looking at those old photos is how substantial it all seems-- houses, shops, main street, roundhouse, depot, etc. Go to the site today, less than a hundred years later and there's nothing at all. I've wandered all around the area, unable to find so much as a brick. Ozymandias, anyone?
We got home later than I would’ve liked—a little family goes a long way with me. There can be as many as five different conversations going at a table of seven, and it confuses me and leaves me wondering who they all think they’re talking to, since everyone is talking about something totally different. In other words, no one in my family listens to a damn thing.
So yeah, in spite of the good gifts, good food, and fun looking at the book with my father, I was glad to get home.
Today was a quiet day. I spent the morning doing some de-cluttering. I also got my fancy new mouse working, set up the photo printer and shredder, and installed a shelf by my desk to hold my CDs, mini-camera (a new item for long runs), etc. That took me until 1:00, and by then I was eager to go for a run. I did 5.5 miles and although my quads protested the entire time, they feel so much better tonight! And my injured foot is doing well, too. I was worried I would mess it up with the long run on Saturday, but oddly, the run seems to have helped. Either that or the tape. Probably it’s the tape. Tape cures everything.
Tomorrow is going to be for errands, I think. I’ve got several of them, and it’s already going to be Wednesday. Where does the time go?
Today’s Workout
5.5 mile run – bayou trails
Monday, December 25, 2006
Merry Christmas!
If you were good...
Maybe you found a treat under the tree this morning...
Merry Christmas and Holiday Blessings to you all!
Maybe you found a treat under the tree this morning...
Merry Christmas and Holiday Blessings to you all!
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Twenty-three
I had to get in that last long run. I’ve spent the last few weeks in an involuntary taper (at least from the standpoint of running), and was anxious to get his final piece of my training finished.
It was an interesting dilemma, though. With tendonitis still making the top of my right foot too tender for shoes, going for a run seemed like insanity. If I ran barefoot like a Kenyan, it wouldn’t be a problem, but I needed my shoes!
To prepare for today’s run, I had to do the following:
• Kinesio-tape my lower back
• Kinesio-tape my right hip and IT band
• Kinesio-tape my right foot and ankle to prevent swelling
• Ace bandage my lower right leg, also to prevent swelling
• Creatively lace my right shoe and leave it loose
• Cho-pat strap left knee, to combat minor patellar tendonitis issues
Uh, yeah. Sounds crazy, now that I think about it. But somehow when you’re in the middle of all that, it doesn’t seem so completely nuts. It’s just what you do.
I had wanted to run to University of Houston as my last long run, but when I headed out the door I had no idea how long I would last, due to the issues with my foot. I told Dan I might be gone five minutes or five hours. One thing I did know, though, was that I didn’t want to be 10.5 miles from home in a questionable neighborhood and find I was having problems. So I went to Memorial Park instead, where I would never be more than two miles from home—easy limping distance, should things get ugly.
And as it turned out, all was well. The tape kept my foot from swelling, and the shoe was loose enough that it didn’t give me much trouble. I felt strong throughout the run, and the park was much less crowded than on a typical Saturday morning. Doing six loops was a bit of a mental stretch, but I reversed direction every other loop and had a nutrition schedule for each loop. That helped. It also helped that I hadn’t been to the park in awhile. I think if I had been up there once or twice a week, every week, like in the fall, I would’ve lost my mind. But instead, I just focused on getting the job done, and it wasn’t so bad.
I finished my six loops around the park, did a quick loop around the bayou (small loop), and headed home. I was pretty clear-headed, considering, and my pace was good throughout. I even had a little kick at the end!
So I’m definitely ready for the marathon, and now I just need to aggressively treat my tendonitis, get a couple of massages, and enjoy my taper.
Due to the challenges of the last two months (first my hip, then my foot), I don’t have a goal time for this race. I was quite capable of four hours before all this stuff started happening, but I hit the 18 mile mark today at 3 hours, so I’m guessing I’ll run the marathon in something between 4:15 and 4:30, depending on all the usual unknowables.
But really, I just want to get there healthy and finish. I’ve had something go wrong for this marathon every year, and haven’t made it to the starting line since 2001. I’ve got three weeks to heal my body and keep from getting sick. Three weeks of paranoia. It’s gonna be fun, kids!
Today’s Workout
23 mile run
It was an interesting dilemma, though. With tendonitis still making the top of my right foot too tender for shoes, going for a run seemed like insanity. If I ran barefoot like a Kenyan, it wouldn’t be a problem, but I needed my shoes!
To prepare for today’s run, I had to do the following:
• Kinesio-tape my lower back
• Kinesio-tape my right hip and IT band
• Kinesio-tape my right foot and ankle to prevent swelling
• Ace bandage my lower right leg, also to prevent swelling
• Creatively lace my right shoe and leave it loose
• Cho-pat strap left knee, to combat minor patellar tendonitis issues
Uh, yeah. Sounds crazy, now that I think about it. But somehow when you’re in the middle of all that, it doesn’t seem so completely nuts. It’s just what you do.
I had wanted to run to University of Houston as my last long run, but when I headed out the door I had no idea how long I would last, due to the issues with my foot. I told Dan I might be gone five minutes or five hours. One thing I did know, though, was that I didn’t want to be 10.5 miles from home in a questionable neighborhood and find I was having problems. So I went to Memorial Park instead, where I would never be more than two miles from home—easy limping distance, should things get ugly.
And as it turned out, all was well. The tape kept my foot from swelling, and the shoe was loose enough that it didn’t give me much trouble. I felt strong throughout the run, and the park was much less crowded than on a typical Saturday morning. Doing six loops was a bit of a mental stretch, but I reversed direction every other loop and had a nutrition schedule for each loop. That helped. It also helped that I hadn’t been to the park in awhile. I think if I had been up there once or twice a week, every week, like in the fall, I would’ve lost my mind. But instead, I just focused on getting the job done, and it wasn’t so bad.
I finished my six loops around the park, did a quick loop around the bayou (small loop), and headed home. I was pretty clear-headed, considering, and my pace was good throughout. I even had a little kick at the end!
So I’m definitely ready for the marathon, and now I just need to aggressively treat my tendonitis, get a couple of massages, and enjoy my taper.
Due to the challenges of the last two months (first my hip, then my foot), I don’t have a goal time for this race. I was quite capable of four hours before all this stuff started happening, but I hit the 18 mile mark today at 3 hours, so I’m guessing I’ll run the marathon in something between 4:15 and 4:30, depending on all the usual unknowables.
But really, I just want to get there healthy and finish. I’ve had something go wrong for this marathon every year, and haven’t made it to the starting line since 2001. I’ve got three weeks to heal my body and keep from getting sick. Three weeks of paranoia. It’s gonna be fun, kids!
Today’s Workout
23 mile run
Friday, December 22, 2006
Product Review: Spinervals Autumn Country Training Ride
I was pretty excited to find that Coach Troy has a new video series called Virtual Reality. The first (and so far only) video is Autumn Country Training Ride. I put it on my Christmas wish list, and my husband presented it to me yesterday (ahem- NOT Christmas) with that romantic phrase so dear to female hearts, “Here. I didn’t feel like wrapping it.”
Easygoing bunny that I am, I saw the forest for the trees and was thrilled to have a new spin video, no matter what the date or method of delivery. And today I tried it out.
Let me start by saying that riding through the Maryland countryside with Coach Troy is fun. Watching the scenery made the time go by fast. I was disappointed, though, that we didn’t do more climbing. Instead we spent a lot of time in small gears at a high cadence, which made it a tough workout for me. And unlike other Spinervals workouts, there were no rest breaks. Oh, Coach Troy would suggest slowing down at stop signs, but there weren’t a lot of those, and we only slowed enough to make the corner before Troy was off again, urging us poor fools at home to stay on his wheel.
So it was, for all intents and purposes, 50 minutes without a break. And also unlike other Spinervals videos, this one went right up to the 50 minute limit. The cool down was afterwards and not included in the stated workout time.
It was a good workout, and quite a departure from Coach Troy’s other stuff. If you like his other videos, you might enjoy mixing it up with this one. And if you don’t care for the other Spinverval workouts, where there’s nothing to see but a bunch of other cyclists suffering, this ride through the autumn countryside might just be the right one for you.
I’m looking forward to seeing more in the Spinervals Virtual Reality series!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 45 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 45 minute spin
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical, 15 minute stairmaster
Today: 50 minute spin (Spinervals 1.0 Autumn Country Training Ride)
Easygoing bunny that I am, I saw the forest for the trees and was thrilled to have a new spin video, no matter what the date or method of delivery. And today I tried it out.
Let me start by saying that riding through the Maryland countryside with Coach Troy is fun. Watching the scenery made the time go by fast. I was disappointed, though, that we didn’t do more climbing. Instead we spent a lot of time in small gears at a high cadence, which made it a tough workout for me. And unlike other Spinervals workouts, there were no rest breaks. Oh, Coach Troy would suggest slowing down at stop signs, but there weren’t a lot of those, and we only slowed enough to make the corner before Troy was off again, urging us poor fools at home to stay on his wheel.
So it was, for all intents and purposes, 50 minutes without a break. And also unlike other Spinervals videos, this one went right up to the 50 minute limit. The cool down was afterwards and not included in the stated workout time.
It was a good workout, and quite a departure from Coach Troy’s other stuff. If you like his other videos, you might enjoy mixing it up with this one. And if you don’t care for the other Spinverval workouts, where there’s nothing to see but a bunch of other cyclists suffering, this ride through the autumn countryside might just be the right one for you.
I’m looking forward to seeing more in the Spinervals Virtual Reality series!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 45 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 45 minute spin
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical, 15 minute stairmaster
Today: 50 minute spin (Spinervals 1.0 Autumn Country Training Ride)
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Bring Your Bunny To Work!
Tidbit had long wondered just what I did every day. So today was the unofficial Bring Your Bunny To Work Day.
First order of business was for Tidbit to find her office:
Where she immediately settled in with a cup of coffee and did some number-crunching.
Then she took a break for lunch:
And after lunch, was dismayed at the amount of work that had piled up in her in box:
Caught slacking!
A gentle reprimand later, and she got back to work:
And even won an award!
Now where's that paycheck???
First order of business was for Tidbit to find her office:
Where she immediately settled in with a cup of coffee and did some number-crunching.
Then she took a break for lunch:
And after lunch, was dismayed at the amount of work that had piled up in her in box:
Caught slacking!
A gentle reprimand later, and she got back to work:
And even won an award!
Now where's that paycheck???
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
I'm buried in a last-minute avalanche of to-dos at the office, trying to get some things done ahead of the break. But Tidbit is getting in the spirit on my behalf!
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Saturday Non-Run
No long run today. I wanted to do my 21-miler, but I’m still dealing with tendonitis in my foot, so it’ll have to wait until next week.
I have to admit I’m starting to get nervous about the marathon. I know I’ve got an excellent base, but after backing off the running to accommodate my hip, and now backing off even more to let this tendonitis heal, I find myself worrying. If I meet with no further catastrophes (like bronchitis again), there’s no reason I won’t do the race and finish, but unless I can get back to near-daily running very soon, January 14 is going to be hell.
But what can one do?
I’ve made good progress with my foot this week. I finally got rid of the swelling, and I was moving at normal speed (fast!) instead of gimping along when I went to run errands today. So it’s just a matter of being patient for a few more days. I can do my 21-miler on the 22nd or any day after that because I’ll be on break from work.
Oh, and how am I speed-healing my tendonitis? You guessed it—tape! Maybe I should start a poll: How many body parts will Bunny have taped on marathon day?
So as not to feel like a complete slug today, I did a one-hour spin and had a salad for lunch. Okay, the salad was sort of breakfast + lunch because I was so busy this morning preparing gift baskets for co-workers and running around to different stores to get last-minute items that I entirely forgot to eat breakfast. And then it was 2:00 and I knew if I sat down with my big Greek salad from Café Express, I would never get on the bike. So I set up the bike, did a torture session with Coach Troy, then finally was able to eat at around 5:00. So I guess that means my salad was breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Oh well. I’m one of those people who can get too distracted to eat. I quite literally forget. There’s a term for this, but it eludes me at the moment. The flip side, though, is that when I’m bored I immediately turn to food as “entertainment.” Weird, I know. They say you should only eat when you’re hungry, but no one ever says what you’re supposed to do if your hunger pangs bear no relation to whether or not your body actually needs fuel.
But I’m rambling now.
This past week was nearly non-stop at the office, and I’m expecting Monday to be more of the same. Tuesday ought to be a little better, and it will likely be a ghost town by Wednesday and Thursday. Very nice. Maybe I can get caught up, or at least do something about the growing piles of paper on my desk.
I’ve got big plans for the break. My father will be in town, for one thing. And I want to re-vamp my Writings blog, add some things and switch some or all of my blogs to Beta. I also want to write a short story or two, do some editing, take some photos, clean my apartment, get my bike tuned up and the wheel issue resolved. . . Oh, yes, I’m going to be one busy bunny!
Recent Workouts
Thursday: 45 minute elliptical
Friday: rest day
Today: 60 minute spin
I have to admit I’m starting to get nervous about the marathon. I know I’ve got an excellent base, but after backing off the running to accommodate my hip, and now backing off even more to let this tendonitis heal, I find myself worrying. If I meet with no further catastrophes (like bronchitis again), there’s no reason I won’t do the race and finish, but unless I can get back to near-daily running very soon, January 14 is going to be hell.
But what can one do?
I’ve made good progress with my foot this week. I finally got rid of the swelling, and I was moving at normal speed (fast!) instead of gimping along when I went to run errands today. So it’s just a matter of being patient for a few more days. I can do my 21-miler on the 22nd or any day after that because I’ll be on break from work.
Oh, and how am I speed-healing my tendonitis? You guessed it—tape! Maybe I should start a poll: How many body parts will Bunny have taped on marathon day?
So as not to feel like a complete slug today, I did a one-hour spin and had a salad for lunch. Okay, the salad was sort of breakfast + lunch because I was so busy this morning preparing gift baskets for co-workers and running around to different stores to get last-minute items that I entirely forgot to eat breakfast. And then it was 2:00 and I knew if I sat down with my big Greek salad from Café Express, I would never get on the bike. So I set up the bike, did a torture session with Coach Troy, then finally was able to eat at around 5:00. So I guess that means my salad was breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Oh well. I’m one of those people who can get too distracted to eat. I quite literally forget. There’s a term for this, but it eludes me at the moment. The flip side, though, is that when I’m bored I immediately turn to food as “entertainment.” Weird, I know. They say you should only eat when you’re hungry, but no one ever says what you’re supposed to do if your hunger pangs bear no relation to whether or not your body actually needs fuel.
But I’m rambling now.
This past week was nearly non-stop at the office, and I’m expecting Monday to be more of the same. Tuesday ought to be a little better, and it will likely be a ghost town by Wednesday and Thursday. Very nice. Maybe I can get caught up, or at least do something about the growing piles of paper on my desk.
I’ve got big plans for the break. My father will be in town, for one thing. And I want to re-vamp my Writings blog, add some things and switch some or all of my blogs to Beta. I also want to write a short story or two, do some editing, take some photos, clean my apartment, get my bike tuned up and the wheel issue resolved. . . Oh, yes, I’m going to be one busy bunny!
Recent Workouts
Thursday: 45 minute elliptical
Friday: rest day
Today: 60 minute spin
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Tagged!
Okay, my new blog pal Thomma at Tennessee Text Wrestling has tagged me, probably in polite retaliation for my laziness in not linking to her from my sidebar yet. LOL! Hey, what's the upcoming holiday* break for, if not for blog maintenance?
Four jobs I've had:
1. Bartender at a 5-star restaurant
2. Locksmith assistant
3. Computer tech support
4. Bookkeeper for a jazz club
Four places I've lived:
1. Muncie, IN
2. Fresno, CA
3. San Antonio, TX
4. Houston, TX
Four favorite foods:
1. Indian (any kind)
2. Cookies (any kind, but especially oatmeal-raisin)
3. Ice cream (cookies and cream or vanilla)
4. Flan
Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. This Is Spinal Tap
2. The Life of Brian
3. Pandora’s Box
4. (anything with Buster Keaton)
Four TV shows I enjoy:
N/A (I haven’t watched more than the occasional documentary or news report in years)
Four places I've traveled:
1. Maine
2. Vermont
3. New Mexico
4. Washington, DC
Four places I'd like to visit:
1. England
2. Spain
3. China
4. Argentina
Four websites I go to daily:
1. Bloglines
2. Evil Editor
3. BBC News
4. Arts and Letters Daily
Limiting the websites to only four was tough! And TV was quite a stumper, too. Even as a kid, I didn't watch much TV. And how come there's no books on this meme? I supposed I'd be hard pressed to name only four books in any context, though, so maybe it's just as well.
Speaking of books, I'm currently reading We by Yevgeny Zamyatin in the new Natasha Randall translation. It's sort of the Ur-dystopian novel, and I'm really enjoying it. It's occurred to me that a lot of the "classic" dystopian novels follow a theme of "male central character, content/resigned with his lot in a totalitarian state, meets female agent of chaos/rebellion." Isn't it interesting that in so many of these novels it's the woman who sees the totalitarian state for what it is and inspires the male central character to seek his own truth and meaning? It's actually a sort of reverse Adam and Eve, if you think about it-- the female tempting the male from the wilderness toward Heaven.
I bet someone could get a doctoral dissertation out of this, if no one has already.
* For anyone who gets their knickers in a twist over the use of the word "holiday," get over it. The context is Christmas + New Year's. More than one holiday in one break = "holiday" break. It's only a Christmas break if I have to go back to work before New Year's. Which I don't. Thank God, and Merry Christmas!
Four jobs I've had:
1. Bartender at a 5-star restaurant
2. Locksmith assistant
3. Computer tech support
4. Bookkeeper for a jazz club
Four places I've lived:
1. Muncie, IN
2. Fresno, CA
3. San Antonio, TX
4. Houston, TX
Four favorite foods:
1. Indian (any kind)
2. Cookies (any kind, but especially oatmeal-raisin)
3. Ice cream (cookies and cream or vanilla)
4. Flan
Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. This Is Spinal Tap
2. The Life of Brian
3. Pandora’s Box
4. (anything with Buster Keaton)
Four TV shows I enjoy:
N/A (I haven’t watched more than the occasional documentary or news report in years)
Four places I've traveled:
1. Maine
2. Vermont
3. New Mexico
4. Washington, DC
Four places I'd like to visit:
1. England
2. Spain
3. China
4. Argentina
Four websites I go to daily:
1. Bloglines
2. Evil Editor
3. BBC News
4. Arts and Letters Daily
Limiting the websites to only four was tough! And TV was quite a stumper, too. Even as a kid, I didn't watch much TV. And how come there's no books on this meme? I supposed I'd be hard pressed to name only four books in any context, though, so maybe it's just as well.
Speaking of books, I'm currently reading We by Yevgeny Zamyatin in the new Natasha Randall translation. It's sort of the Ur-dystopian novel, and I'm really enjoying it. It's occurred to me that a lot of the "classic" dystopian novels follow a theme of "male central character, content/resigned with his lot in a totalitarian state, meets female agent of chaos/rebellion." Isn't it interesting that in so many of these novels it's the woman who sees the totalitarian state for what it is and inspires the male central character to seek his own truth and meaning? It's actually a sort of reverse Adam and Eve, if you think about it-- the female tempting the male from the wilderness toward Heaven.
I bet someone could get a doctoral dissertation out of this, if no one has already.
* For anyone who gets their knickers in a twist over the use of the word "holiday," get over it. The context is Christmas + New Year's. More than one holiday in one break = "holiday" break. It's only a Christmas break if I have to go back to work before New Year's. Which I don't. Thank God, and Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Nuisances
I don’t have much to say about today’s run. It was an easy 15, no new routes or anything. I have a little tightness in my hip tonight, but nothing like before, and I think some trigger point work will fix it. I’ve also been dealing with some pain on the top of my right foot, which is something I’m prone to. I think it’s tendonitis. I don’t know why I get it, but it happens so often that I know how to deal with it. More tape.
Anyone who has not yet bought stock in a kinesio and sport tape company should do so now!
My office move has still not happened. Our facilities guy keeps stringing me along, saying my furniture will get rearranged to my specs, and it will happen soon. But each time the date arrives, he’s got another reason why it can’t be done. I’m at the point where I want to just move in, anyway, but I know that as soon as I do that, one of two things will happen:
• The Great Missing Part will arrive and I’ll lose the better part of a workday while they rearrange my furniture and I have to put everything back in order again.
OR
• The facilities guy will feel like the pressure is off, the rearrangement will never happen, and I’ll have to sit with my back to the door FOREVER.
It’s frustrating, and worst of all, some people are acting like I’m trying to avoid moving. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have a lot of big plans for my new office and new role in our organization, and I can’t do what I want as long as I’m in my old workspace, where people keep calling me or coming by asking for help with things that are no longer my job. Basic customer service says I need to help, so I do. But it takes time from the things I’m supposed to be doing now, and so many things have changed that I’m really not able to be efficient in my old tasks, anyway. Every day I show up grumpy to still be in my old digs and I go home even grumpier.
So I’m rapidly being ground down by state university inefficiencies that make it take forever to do a very simple task, like rearrange some modular furniture. I’m trying to stick to my principles (I shouldn’t have to sit with my back to the door, and if they say they’ll fix it soon, they should fix it… soon), but I have a feeling I’ll be forced to cave on this issue soon.
If I do, I’ll just have my office door closed all the time. So there. We’ll see how much they like that!
In bunny news, Tidbit is becoming a mountaineer! Apparently she found a way onto the back of a rather large stuffed chair that’s tricky even for the cat. But she’s been in an adventurous mood lately, sneaking into the bedroom if the door is open for even a minute, and things like that. I guess she’s just feeling adventurous.
Recent Workouts
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 45 minute elliptical, with intervals
Wednesday: 30 minute elliptical, with intervals
Thursday: 40 minute spin
Friday: Rest
Today: 15 mile run
Anyone who has not yet bought stock in a kinesio and sport tape company should do so now!
My office move has still not happened. Our facilities guy keeps stringing me along, saying my furniture will get rearranged to my specs, and it will happen soon. But each time the date arrives, he’s got another reason why it can’t be done. I’m at the point where I want to just move in, anyway, but I know that as soon as I do that, one of two things will happen:
• The Great Missing Part will arrive and I’ll lose the better part of a workday while they rearrange my furniture and I have to put everything back in order again.
OR
• The facilities guy will feel like the pressure is off, the rearrangement will never happen, and I’ll have to sit with my back to the door FOREVER.
It’s frustrating, and worst of all, some people are acting like I’m trying to avoid moving. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have a lot of big plans for my new office and new role in our organization, and I can’t do what I want as long as I’m in my old workspace, where people keep calling me or coming by asking for help with things that are no longer my job. Basic customer service says I need to help, so I do. But it takes time from the things I’m supposed to be doing now, and so many things have changed that I’m really not able to be efficient in my old tasks, anyway. Every day I show up grumpy to still be in my old digs and I go home even grumpier.
So I’m rapidly being ground down by state university inefficiencies that make it take forever to do a very simple task, like rearrange some modular furniture. I’m trying to stick to my principles (I shouldn’t have to sit with my back to the door, and if they say they’ll fix it soon, they should fix it… soon), but I have a feeling I’ll be forced to cave on this issue soon.
If I do, I’ll just have my office door closed all the time. So there. We’ll see how much they like that!
In bunny news, Tidbit is becoming a mountaineer! Apparently she found a way onto the back of a rather large stuffed chair that’s tricky even for the cat. But she’s been in an adventurous mood lately, sneaking into the bedroom if the door is open for even a minute, and things like that. I guess she’s just feeling adventurous.
Recent Workouts
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 45 minute elliptical, with intervals
Wednesday: 30 minute elliptical, with intervals
Thursday: 40 minute spin
Friday: Rest
Today: 15 mile run
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Getting Carried Away
First cold run of the season!
Feeling lazy, I got up later than I really should have and it took forever to get ready to head out the door. All that winter gear! And having to tape up, too! There are only two reasons why cold-weather running is not completely evil: less sweat and more pockets. I love my fleece vests for their pockets!
My plan for today was to do about 13 miles to Rice University, around Hermann park and home. I skimped on nutrition, since I really don’t need much for runs up to about 15 miles. I know it’s heresy to admit it, but I’ve trained my body over these past seven years to not need a constant calorie intake. I experiment with what kinds of food and drink work for longer distances, but I’ve found that almost anything is fine. I think my stomach is made of cast iron. It tolerates damn near anything. And I’m so used to running on low fuel that when I do fuel up, I can really go!
But I digress.
So I set out this morning, late, with only two little packets of Amino Vital, thinking I was going to run 13 miles. And then like a fool, I ran about 18.
See, when I got to Hermann Park, I decided to take a little jaunt on that bridle trail along the bayou I discovered a few weeks ago. I had cut my previous exploration short and now I wanted to see just how far that particular trail went. But to my disappointment, the trail was blocked at just the spot where I had stopped the previous time. So I crossed the bridge and started running back toward the park. I stopped at a water fountain along the way and noticed another little trail. I followed it, but it wasn’t very interesting. It led me to a sidewalk along a busy street and around the corner, back toward the park. It was longer than if I had stuck to the trail along the bayou, but was leading me nowhere new.
This could not be allowed.
So when I got back to where I could see the Shell station at MacGregor and Highway 288, I decided to see if the trails I thought ran along MacGregor were where I remembered. And they were! I had walked them once, many years ago, in a March of Dimes walk, but I hadn’t been entirely certain where to pick them up, it was so long ago. And I tend to be very cautious about running off toward parts unknown when I’m by myself. But this was too good to pass up, right?
So I ran along the MacGregor trails, having a great time. There are a lot of stately old homes along this street, mysteriously fallen into disrepair with peeling paint on the columns and weeds in the yards. But the bayou and trail are well-maintained, and I watched a chocolate lab chase egrets on the bank, near the water. And I saw an unfamiliar water bird. It was big and gray with a long pale beak. It was on the other side of the bayou, so I couldn’t get close enough to see it clearly. I wonder what kind of bird it was?
I ran what felt like about two miles, but as near as I can tell on Gmaps, it was more like a mile and a half, because I stopped just short of Scott street. By now I had the sense it was late. (I don’t run with a watch when I’m injured because it only tempts me to push too hard.) So even though I wanted to see if I could run all the way to University of Houston, today was definitely not the day. And there were no water fountains. In spite of the cool weather, I was getting thirsty. And I needed a restroom, too.
So I headed back to Hermann Park and availed myself of the clean restrooms and water fountains, which greatly improved my quality of life.
By now I was more than ready to be finished with my run. Once you have the sense that it’s late and you should’ve been home by now, it’s over. Getting your brain to shut up and let you enjoy your run is next to impossible. So I ran the four miles home from Hermann Park with a steady pep talk running through my head, wishing Dan would show up looking for me and take me home. I’ve never wished that before, but I was undernourished for a run of this distance and was tired, too. I had only slept three hours the night before.
So I was really glad to get home, and even happier to have no hip pain. Kinesio tape rocks! I may look like The Mummy, but I can run, so who cares! It was after 11:00, but I was able to ice down, shower, do my foam roller/stretching/leg massage thing, and get dolled up for lunch by just after noon. Not bad!
And then I spent most of the rest of the day sleeping. I needed it!
Today’s Workout
Long Run: ~18 miles
Feeling lazy, I got up later than I really should have and it took forever to get ready to head out the door. All that winter gear! And having to tape up, too! There are only two reasons why cold-weather running is not completely evil: less sweat and more pockets. I love my fleece vests for their pockets!
My plan for today was to do about 13 miles to Rice University, around Hermann park and home. I skimped on nutrition, since I really don’t need much for runs up to about 15 miles. I know it’s heresy to admit it, but I’ve trained my body over these past seven years to not need a constant calorie intake. I experiment with what kinds of food and drink work for longer distances, but I’ve found that almost anything is fine. I think my stomach is made of cast iron. It tolerates damn near anything. And I’m so used to running on low fuel that when I do fuel up, I can really go!
But I digress.
So I set out this morning, late, with only two little packets of Amino Vital, thinking I was going to run 13 miles. And then like a fool, I ran about 18.
See, when I got to Hermann Park, I decided to take a little jaunt on that bridle trail along the bayou I discovered a few weeks ago. I had cut my previous exploration short and now I wanted to see just how far that particular trail went. But to my disappointment, the trail was blocked at just the spot where I had stopped the previous time. So I crossed the bridge and started running back toward the park. I stopped at a water fountain along the way and noticed another little trail. I followed it, but it wasn’t very interesting. It led me to a sidewalk along a busy street and around the corner, back toward the park. It was longer than if I had stuck to the trail along the bayou, but was leading me nowhere new.
This could not be allowed.
So when I got back to where I could see the Shell station at MacGregor and Highway 288, I decided to see if the trails I thought ran along MacGregor were where I remembered. And they were! I had walked them once, many years ago, in a March of Dimes walk, but I hadn’t been entirely certain where to pick them up, it was so long ago. And I tend to be very cautious about running off toward parts unknown when I’m by myself. But this was too good to pass up, right?
So I ran along the MacGregor trails, having a great time. There are a lot of stately old homes along this street, mysteriously fallen into disrepair with peeling paint on the columns and weeds in the yards. But the bayou and trail are well-maintained, and I watched a chocolate lab chase egrets on the bank, near the water. And I saw an unfamiliar water bird. It was big and gray with a long pale beak. It was on the other side of the bayou, so I couldn’t get close enough to see it clearly. I wonder what kind of bird it was?
I ran what felt like about two miles, but as near as I can tell on Gmaps, it was more like a mile and a half, because I stopped just short of Scott street. By now I had the sense it was late. (I don’t run with a watch when I’m injured because it only tempts me to push too hard.) So even though I wanted to see if I could run all the way to University of Houston, today was definitely not the day. And there were no water fountains. In spite of the cool weather, I was getting thirsty. And I needed a restroom, too.
So I headed back to Hermann Park and availed myself of the clean restrooms and water fountains, which greatly improved my quality of life.
By now I was more than ready to be finished with my run. Once you have the sense that it’s late and you should’ve been home by now, it’s over. Getting your brain to shut up and let you enjoy your run is next to impossible. So I ran the four miles home from Hermann Park with a steady pep talk running through my head, wishing Dan would show up looking for me and take me home. I’ve never wished that before, but I was undernourished for a run of this distance and was tired, too. I had only slept three hours the night before.
So I was really glad to get home, and even happier to have no hip pain. Kinesio tape rocks! I may look like The Mummy, but I can run, so who cares! It was after 11:00, but I was able to ice down, shower, do my foam roller/stretching/leg massage thing, and get dolled up for lunch by just after noon. Not bad!
And then I spent most of the rest of the day sleeping. I needed it!
Today’s Workout
Long Run: ~18 miles
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Bunny, It's Cold Outside!
After days and days of warm temps and humidity, we finally got our first cold front.
It was 68 when I got to work this morning, and I felt foolish in my tights, wool skirt and sweater, carrying my coat. I didn't feel any better walking in behind a woman wearing a breezy summer skirt and sling-back pumps. Had she not read the same weather report I had?
The temperature dropped all morning and by noon was in the low 40s. By the time I left for home, it was in the 30s with winds gusting to 25 mph. I sure was glad to have my coat!
I wonder how Miss Summer fared?
Recent Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: rest, not feeling so good
Thursday: 35 minute spin
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Interesting
I got on the bike today, since I didn’t want to push my luck after yesterday's successful run. My back was taped, but not my leg. To my surprise, I found I was pedaling in a different way than usual. My right knee didn’t drift inward, and my left leg was doing more work. I hadn’t noticed in the past that my right leg usually pushed more than my left, but now it was very obvious.
Have I been doing this on the run—pushing harder with my right side than my left? It would explain a lot about the recurring tendonitis in my right hip, wouldn’t it?
Biomechanics are a funny thing.
Today’s Workout
90 minute bike -- Spinervals
Have I been doing this on the run—pushing harder with my right side than my left? It would explain a lot about the recurring tendonitis in my right hip, wouldn’t it?
Biomechanics are a funny thing.
Today’s Workout
90 minute bike -- Spinervals
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Success
I’m having some interesting results with the kinesio taping.
My tape arrived just before Thanksgiving, along with so many other things I had ordered as Christmas gifts, that it took three trips to get everything up the stairs. Naturally, one of the first items of business was to tape myself up and see how it felt to run. I did 9 miles on Thursday, with no hip pain.
So today, the plan was for more tape, and more running. I picked out a 12 mile route, but went on and did 15. Still no hip pain. I think I may be on to something!
Here’s what’s interesting, though. Since I started taping (first with ordinary sport tape, and now the kinesio), I’ve had zero low back pain, but my quads are killing me! I’ve always had weak quads, an odd thing in a runner. Even at the peak of my triathlon and weightlifting obsession a few years ago, my quads remained stubbornly weak in comparison to everything else.
And now that I’m taping, my quads are really getting a workout. I can only conclude that there was something in my biomechanics that was causing me to use every other muscle but my quads, thus perhaps leading to the hip trouble.
So what am I taping? Lower back, for starters. I have some instability there that core work hasn’t seemed to help. The tape should help make my core work more effective by making it harder to inadvertently use one muscle group to the exclusion of the others, which is what is probably happening.
And I’m also taping my right IT band, all the way down my thigh to my knee. I suspect this is overkill, but until my taping manuals arrive this week, I’ll stick to what seems to be helping.
In the meantime, my new Julstro book arrived, and it’s full of new trigger point therapies that I’m looking forward to torturing myself with. I already had the e-books, but it’s really hard to read the computer screen when you’re on the floor with a tennis ball digging into your thigh.
So at this juncture, I feel like I’m back on track for the marathon in January. I’m not cured, and for the short term it looks like I’m going to be a little slower on my pace and a lot quicker to tire because of the extra work my quads are doing now. But my gait feels more efficient, and I’m optimistic.
Yeah, yeah, I should be seeing a professional. Find me one who will do more than slap electrodes on me and charge a $40 co-pay per visit for the privilege of not fixing my problem, and we’ll talk. Tonight I don’t have so much as a hint of an ache in my hip—first time in about three weeks. As long as I don’t go creating entirely new injuries for myself, I think I’m back in business!
Recent Workouts
Thursday: 9 mile run
Friday: Scheduled rest day
Saturday: 15 mile run
My tape arrived just before Thanksgiving, along with so many other things I had ordered as Christmas gifts, that it took three trips to get everything up the stairs. Naturally, one of the first items of business was to tape myself up and see how it felt to run. I did 9 miles on Thursday, with no hip pain.
So today, the plan was for more tape, and more running. I picked out a 12 mile route, but went on and did 15. Still no hip pain. I think I may be on to something!
Here’s what’s interesting, though. Since I started taping (first with ordinary sport tape, and now the kinesio), I’ve had zero low back pain, but my quads are killing me! I’ve always had weak quads, an odd thing in a runner. Even at the peak of my triathlon and weightlifting obsession a few years ago, my quads remained stubbornly weak in comparison to everything else.
And now that I’m taping, my quads are really getting a workout. I can only conclude that there was something in my biomechanics that was causing me to use every other muscle but my quads, thus perhaps leading to the hip trouble.
So what am I taping? Lower back, for starters. I have some instability there that core work hasn’t seemed to help. The tape should help make my core work more effective by making it harder to inadvertently use one muscle group to the exclusion of the others, which is what is probably happening.
And I’m also taping my right IT band, all the way down my thigh to my knee. I suspect this is overkill, but until my taping manuals arrive this week, I’ll stick to what seems to be helping.
In the meantime, my new Julstro book arrived, and it’s full of new trigger point therapies that I’m looking forward to torturing myself with. I already had the e-books, but it’s really hard to read the computer screen when you’re on the floor with a tennis ball digging into your thigh.
So at this juncture, I feel like I’m back on track for the marathon in January. I’m not cured, and for the short term it looks like I’m going to be a little slower on my pace and a lot quicker to tire because of the extra work my quads are doing now. But my gait feels more efficient, and I’m optimistic.
Yeah, yeah, I should be seeing a professional. Find me one who will do more than slap electrodes on me and charge a $40 co-pay per visit for the privilege of not fixing my problem, and we’ll talk. Tonight I don’t have so much as a hint of an ache in my hip—first time in about three weeks. As long as I don’t go creating entirely new injuries for myself, I think I’m back in business!
Recent Workouts
Thursday: 9 mile run
Friday: Scheduled rest day
Saturday: 15 mile run
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Happy Thanksgiving!
Among her many blessings, Tidbit is thankful for YOU, her friends.
Here's wishing a bountiful Thanksgiving Day to you all!
Monday, November 20, 2006
Random Monday Stuff
I did an experiment Sunday, taping my IT band before my run, just to see how it would go. It felt great, but the tape lost its stickiness around mile four. But I had no hip pain during or after the run, so it was a qualified success, and I have ordered some Kinesio tape and books that will show me the correct way to use it. I also have a book on order from Julstro to help with trigger points, so we’ll see how all of this goes. (Note: I have one of the older Julstro books and it’s been a sanity-saver!)
All this stuff costs about as much as three co-pays to a physical therapist who probably won’t make any attempt to fix my real issues. I’ve been running for nearly seven years now and the only success I've ever had with soft tissue injuries was when I quit trying to get "help" and just used my own good sense and whatever informational resources I could get my hands on. I wish I had confidence in professionals, but I just don't any more. Massage excepted, of course. And no, I still haven’t gone to see Mary. This might be a good week for it, though.
I had a visitor on Sunday. There is an orange cat who lives downstairs, and we’ve become friends. On Sunday, he met me in the parking lot, chirped at me and stuck close to my heels as I climbed the stairs, then snuck in while I struggled with my bags and packages at the door. The bunny gate was up, so I wasn’t too worried—Orange wouldn’t get very far. But the reaction from my own animals was amusing. Brave Sir Pixel hissed and ran, while Tidbit took a few hesitant hops toward the bunny gate and sat there, head up, ears alert, watching Orange to see what would happen next.
Not much happened. I set my bags down and sent Orange on his way. But now I know who runs the show around here—my feline predator is a hopeless scaredy-cat, while my long-eared prey animal is either very brave or dangerously stupid. Or perhaps just astute. Orange is a love. I really need to find out his name.
It’s a slow week at the office. Lots of people are out already, and the attrition is scheduled to increase as the short week wears on. And a good thing—it will give me a chance to pack up and get moved, since my new office will supposedly be ready for me late Tuesday or by Wednesday at the latest.
Oh-- I'm also nearly done with my Christmas shopping! How cool is that? Like other years, I did nearly everything online and packages are arriving daily. It's fun, since I love getting stuff in the mail, even if it's not really for me. In fact, when it's a bill, I prefer that it not be for me. But that's a whole 'nother topic.
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 6 mile run
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
All this stuff costs about as much as three co-pays to a physical therapist who probably won’t make any attempt to fix my real issues. I’ve been running for nearly seven years now and the only success I've ever had with soft tissue injuries was when I quit trying to get "help" and just used my own good sense and whatever informational resources I could get my hands on. I wish I had confidence in professionals, but I just don't any more. Massage excepted, of course. And no, I still haven’t gone to see Mary. This might be a good week for it, though.
I had a visitor on Sunday. There is an orange cat who lives downstairs, and we’ve become friends. On Sunday, he met me in the parking lot, chirped at me and stuck close to my heels as I climbed the stairs, then snuck in while I struggled with my bags and packages at the door. The bunny gate was up, so I wasn’t too worried—Orange wouldn’t get very far. But the reaction from my own animals was amusing. Brave Sir Pixel hissed and ran, while Tidbit took a few hesitant hops toward the bunny gate and sat there, head up, ears alert, watching Orange to see what would happen next.
Not much happened. I set my bags down and sent Orange on his way. But now I know who runs the show around here—my feline predator is a hopeless scaredy-cat, while my long-eared prey animal is either very brave or dangerously stupid. Or perhaps just astute. Orange is a love. I really need to find out his name.
It’s a slow week at the office. Lots of people are out already, and the attrition is scheduled to increase as the short week wears on. And a good thing—it will give me a chance to pack up and get moved, since my new office will supposedly be ready for me late Tuesday or by Wednesday at the latest.
Oh-- I'm also nearly done with my Christmas shopping! How cool is that? Like other years, I did nearly everything online and packages are arriving daily. It's fun, since I love getting stuff in the mail, even if it's not really for me. In fact, when it's a bill, I prefer that it not be for me. But that's a whole 'nother topic.
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 6 mile run
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Saturday Update
Well, my husband made it to see The Who, after all.
He had a rough time of it Friday night, but by mid-morning he was out of pain and groggily puttering around. By early afternoon, he was ready for Indian food. I had done an abbreviated morning workout so I could be available if Dan needed me, so I was short on calorie burn for the day and had to content myself with just one trip through the buffet line, and only one little piece of naan. Not much fun.
Work is getting more interesting. It looks like they are finally going to get the furniture rearranged in my new office on Tuesday so I can move in. It’s that modular stuff, so it’s not simply a matter of pushing here and pulling there. It had been set up so that one had to sit with one’s back to the door in order to work on the computer, and I wasn’t going for that.
I’m anxious to get moved in. I was reluctant before, because there wasn’t enough help in my old department and I had some projects to wrap up. But now I’m finding that my presence in my old office just encourages people to keep relying on me for things they shouldn’t. I’m supposed to be functioning in a different role, and as long as people keep pulling me in two different directions, I’m not going to have a chance to be effective at much of anything.
I also see some potential for new and fun workouts after I get settled in at my new location. Since I’ll be back on campus, I can take my workout clothes with me and run around campus after work, finish up at the rec center and lift a few weights. I’m pretty excited about all the possibilities.
And in other runner/triathlete geekdom, I nearly swooned with delight when my new arch support insoles arrived in the mail with TWO free pairs of Coolmax socks!!! For a brief moment, my world was complete.
Finally, anyone who has been reading Diana’s Diary will be pleased to see that I’ve spent some time improving the archiving and navigation features. I’ve listed all fictional diary entries in the sidebar and added previous/next navigation features to each individual post. I’m also thinking about making some sort of descriptive headings to the sidebar for quick navigation to specific entries or segments of the story, since it is rapidly becoming more of a darkly picaresque novel than just a blog. For a work of fiction, Diana’s Diary sure is giving me a lot of real-life headaches!
I guess Dan will be home soon. He called a couple hours ago to say he and his friends were going to get something to eat. I said to call again if he’d be in later than 1:00. We don’t tell each other what to do, but checking in is a must, even if it’s just to say, “I’m not dead or in jail, and here’s my new ETA.” I hope Dan gets most of his post-concert babbling out of his system with his friends, but hearing about The Who will be a vast improvement over hearing about his job, so I suppose I’ll just count my blessings.
Today’s Workouts
60 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes bike (Spinervals)
He had a rough time of it Friday night, but by mid-morning he was out of pain and groggily puttering around. By early afternoon, he was ready for Indian food. I had done an abbreviated morning workout so I could be available if Dan needed me, so I was short on calorie burn for the day and had to content myself with just one trip through the buffet line, and only one little piece of naan. Not much fun.
Work is getting more interesting. It looks like they are finally going to get the furniture rearranged in my new office on Tuesday so I can move in. It’s that modular stuff, so it’s not simply a matter of pushing here and pulling there. It had been set up so that one had to sit with one’s back to the door in order to work on the computer, and I wasn’t going for that.
I’m anxious to get moved in. I was reluctant before, because there wasn’t enough help in my old department and I had some projects to wrap up. But now I’m finding that my presence in my old office just encourages people to keep relying on me for things they shouldn’t. I’m supposed to be functioning in a different role, and as long as people keep pulling me in two different directions, I’m not going to have a chance to be effective at much of anything.
I also see some potential for new and fun workouts after I get settled in at my new location. Since I’ll be back on campus, I can take my workout clothes with me and run around campus after work, finish up at the rec center and lift a few weights. I’m pretty excited about all the possibilities.
And in other runner/triathlete geekdom, I nearly swooned with delight when my new arch support insoles arrived in the mail with TWO free pairs of Coolmax socks!!! For a brief moment, my world was complete.
Finally, anyone who has been reading Diana’s Diary will be pleased to see that I’ve spent some time improving the archiving and navigation features. I’ve listed all fictional diary entries in the sidebar and added previous/next navigation features to each individual post. I’m also thinking about making some sort of descriptive headings to the sidebar for quick navigation to specific entries or segments of the story, since it is rapidly becoming more of a darkly picaresque novel than just a blog. For a work of fiction, Diana’s Diary sure is giving me a lot of real-life headaches!
I guess Dan will be home soon. He called a couple hours ago to say he and his friends were going to get something to eat. I said to call again if he’d be in later than 1:00. We don’t tell each other what to do, but checking in is a must, even if it’s just to say, “I’m not dead or in jail, and here’s my new ETA.” I hope Dan gets most of his post-concert babbling out of his system with his friends, but hearing about The Who will be a vast improvement over hearing about his job, so I suppose I’ll just count my blessings.
Today’s Workouts
60 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes bike (Spinervals)
Who?
This is so not cool. Dan has another kidney stone. And he and his buddies have tickets to see The Who tonight.
Poor Dan.
Update to follow.
Poor Dan.
Update to follow.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Santa Claus Is Coming!
It's getting to be that time of year again!
Be sure to check out Santa's Blog for all the holiday updates! Remember--if you've been good, Santa might just leave something under your tree this year!
Be sure to check out Santa's Blog for all the holiday updates! Remember--if you've been good, Santa might just leave something under your tree this year!
Sunday, November 12, 2006
DSL Update
It’s great being married to tech support.
And unlike me, Dan is really good-natured about working on the weekend. I can’t stand having to tinker with things once I’m home—anything more complicated than turning the computer on puts me in a snit. I was once in tech support, myself, and I'm very "been there, done that" about the whole thing. But to Dan’s infinite credit, he always takes on these little home tech projects as if they were the realization of his fondest dream.
Well, to be fair, he also wanted to buy Guitar Hero II, and going to Best Buy to look into replacing our router (since we decided we’d rather buy one than wait for a free replacement) was the perfect excuse. Hell, I don’t care what he does with his money, after he’s paid his share of the bills. Just get my DSL working again, pay the light bill on time, and I’m a very happy chica.
So yes, I’m pretty happy this evening.
Today’s Workouts
60 minutes elliptical, 30 minute treadmill run
And unlike me, Dan is really good-natured about working on the weekend. I can’t stand having to tinker with things once I’m home—anything more complicated than turning the computer on puts me in a snit. I was once in tech support, myself, and I'm very "been there, done that" about the whole thing. But to Dan’s infinite credit, he always takes on these little home tech projects as if they were the realization of his fondest dream.
Well, to be fair, he also wanted to buy Guitar Hero II, and going to Best Buy to look into replacing our router (since we decided we’d rather buy one than wait for a free replacement) was the perfect excuse. Hell, I don’t care what he does with his money, after he’s paid his share of the bills. Just get my DSL working again, pay the light bill on time, and I’m a very happy chica.
So yes, I’m pretty happy this evening.
Today’s Workouts
60 minutes elliptical, 30 minute treadmill run
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Making Do
Today has been a day of compromises.
My hip is acting up—something I’ve been reluctant to talk or post about, using the brilliant logic that a problem not written or spoken of does not exist. Right. I don’t think the recurrence of this injury has to keep me from the marathon in January, since I’ve got plenty of time to fix it, and it actually doesn’t bother me too much when I’m running, only afterwards. But that’s the early warning sign, and I’m taking it seriously. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how to proceed from here.
I’ve tried physical therapy in the past, and each therapist I went to fixed something, but never the actual problem I went to them for in the first place. I’m willing to invest time and money in something that will solve the problem, but given my past experiences, I’m feeling a little wary right now. I’ve actually had better success diagnosing and treating my own problems, than going to a professional.
This is a soft tissue injury, not a bone or cartilage problem. I’ve had the hip x-rayed and had an MRI, so this isn’t something necessarily beyond my ability to correct on my own. But I also think my biomechanics are out of whack, which I probably can’t fix alone. I’ve got a touch of patellar tendonitis in my left knee and some other kind of tendonitis in my right hip, so the signs of a biomechanical problem are definitely there. So I’m wondering if the PT who fixed my Q-angles (when I really wanted help with swelling and tendonitis in my foot and ankle) can help. He’s into tape. Seriously. He puts super-adhesive tape in different places and it makes you use your muscles differently, correcting imbalances. But would he really help my hip, or would he just end up fixing something totally different?
Besides, I’ve got a roll of duct tape right here. . .
So while I dither over whether or not to blow a few hundred bucks on therapy that probably won’t help, I have decided to back off the long runs this weekend. I spent this morning in the gym doing elliptical and running on the treadmill. I’m no fan of the treadmill, but at least it’s a stable, level surface, which I sure can’t say about the bayou trails. In fact, my hip started nagging me again almost exactly two weeks after I started doing the bayou trails again, so that could be part of the problem. I love those trails, but they’re uneven and probably do me no favors.
My short-term plan, then, is lots more work on the foam roller and with my trigger point ball, and limit my workouts this week to the elliptical machine and treadmill, instead of running around on uneven surfaces. I need to also go see Mary (how long have I been saying that?) but work is so crazy right now that I just don’t see it happening. I suppose I’ll have to make the time, no matter how big the hassle, since there’s no way to do it conveniently.
The other way I’m making do today is with the computer. I woke up from my post-Indian food nap to find our DSL wasn’t working. The lights on the box were orange and buzzing, and when I tried to reset it, the box failed completely. Dead. Nice. So I’m on the laptop, on dialup tonight. Isn’t it just our luck that the DSL failed on the weekend, adding to the delay in getting a new box shipped out? I’m glad, though, that I’ve kept paying for my dialup service. It came in handy on vacation, and it’s preserving my sanity tonight. I can live with a slow connection, but none at all would simply not be acceptable.
But these are pretty high-class problems, as far as things go. Dan is going to try to find another power supply for the DSL box tomorrow, just in case that’s the problem. And in the meantime, I’m still connected (slowly) with the world!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: rest day
Thursday: 4 mile run
Friday: rest day
Saturday: 90 minute elliptical, 60 minute treadmill run
My hip is acting up—something I’ve been reluctant to talk or post about, using the brilliant logic that a problem not written or spoken of does not exist. Right. I don’t think the recurrence of this injury has to keep me from the marathon in January, since I’ve got plenty of time to fix it, and it actually doesn’t bother me too much when I’m running, only afterwards. But that’s the early warning sign, and I’m taking it seriously. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how to proceed from here.
I’ve tried physical therapy in the past, and each therapist I went to fixed something, but never the actual problem I went to them for in the first place. I’m willing to invest time and money in something that will solve the problem, but given my past experiences, I’m feeling a little wary right now. I’ve actually had better success diagnosing and treating my own problems, than going to a professional.
This is a soft tissue injury, not a bone or cartilage problem. I’ve had the hip x-rayed and had an MRI, so this isn’t something necessarily beyond my ability to correct on my own. But I also think my biomechanics are out of whack, which I probably can’t fix alone. I’ve got a touch of patellar tendonitis in my left knee and some other kind of tendonitis in my right hip, so the signs of a biomechanical problem are definitely there. So I’m wondering if the PT who fixed my Q-angles (when I really wanted help with swelling and tendonitis in my foot and ankle) can help. He’s into tape. Seriously. He puts super-adhesive tape in different places and it makes you use your muscles differently, correcting imbalances. But would he really help my hip, or would he just end up fixing something totally different?
Besides, I’ve got a roll of duct tape right here. . .
So while I dither over whether or not to blow a few hundred bucks on therapy that probably won’t help, I have decided to back off the long runs this weekend. I spent this morning in the gym doing elliptical and running on the treadmill. I’m no fan of the treadmill, but at least it’s a stable, level surface, which I sure can’t say about the bayou trails. In fact, my hip started nagging me again almost exactly two weeks after I started doing the bayou trails again, so that could be part of the problem. I love those trails, but they’re uneven and probably do me no favors.
My short-term plan, then, is lots more work on the foam roller and with my trigger point ball, and limit my workouts this week to the elliptical machine and treadmill, instead of running around on uneven surfaces. I need to also go see Mary (how long have I been saying that?) but work is so crazy right now that I just don’t see it happening. I suppose I’ll have to make the time, no matter how big the hassle, since there’s no way to do it conveniently.
The other way I’m making do today is with the computer. I woke up from my post-Indian food nap to find our DSL wasn’t working. The lights on the box were orange and buzzing, and when I tried to reset it, the box failed completely. Dead. Nice. So I’m on the laptop, on dialup tonight. Isn’t it just our luck that the DSL failed on the weekend, adding to the delay in getting a new box shipped out? I’m glad, though, that I’ve kept paying for my dialup service. It came in handy on vacation, and it’s preserving my sanity tonight. I can live with a slow connection, but none at all would simply not be acceptable.
But these are pretty high-class problems, as far as things go. Dan is going to try to find another power supply for the DSL box tomorrow, just in case that’s the problem. And in the meantime, I’m still connected (slowly) with the world!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: rest day
Thursday: 4 mile run
Friday: rest day
Saturday: 90 minute elliptical, 60 minute treadmill run
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tid Bits now available
As some of you may recall, Tidbit is a published author. Her book is now available from Shutterfly.
She and I make no money off this-- I'm just putting it out for sharing, in case anyone wants to order a copy. Or just go take a look!
Tidbit regrets she cannot autograph copies of her book, but she will nibble pages upon request.
She and I make no money off this-- I'm just putting it out for sharing, in case anyone wants to order a copy. Or just go take a look!
Tidbit regrets she cannot autograph copies of her book, but she will nibble pages upon request.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Explorations and Other Stuff
I have found a new place to run!
A few weeks ago I thought I saw some trails by Hermann Park, but didn’t have time to check them out. So since today’s long run was a recovery run (relatively speaking), I kept an eye out for those trails. It turns out they’re the Hermann Park Bridle Trails, for the stables that I have never seen, but that I’ve heard about for, oh, nearly 30 years. They’ve become almost fictional to me, but now I can at least vouch for the existence of the riding trails. They run along the bayou, but I’m not sure how far they go. I went about half a mile, then crossed a bridge and came back. My IT bands are a little tight and I didn’t want to go traipsing off to who-knows-where today. Hermann Park was the farthest point of my run, so there was no way to shorten the run on the back end, should I get carried away with my explorations.
I’m going to Google the bridle trails, though, and have a plan for next time.
On the way home, I stopped at a couple of yard sales. One was of no interest to me—mostly kid stuff. But the other had a gorgeous desk lamp that I immediately coveted. It was $10 and I only had $5 and didn’t know these people, so I was reluctant to ask them to hold it for me. So I figured I’d ask Dan to stop there on our way to lunch, and if the lamp was meant to be mine, it would still be there, right?
And it was! Yay, me! I’m moving into my new office soon, and now I have a nifty lamp for it!
That’s all my news for today. Tonight I’m watching/listening to the live feed from Ironman Florida. It’s so cool hearing them announce the names of my blog friends and watching them cross the finish.
All the more reason for me to be careful with this hip and make sure I get back to 100%. I so want that to be me some day, crossing the line at an Ironman event. Weird injuries have always been my limiter. Things happen to me that seem to happen to no one else. I think I’m just put together wrong—something I noticed even as a kid, as the only girl in ballet class who couldn’t get anything even approaching proper turnout. So I guess I just have a longer road than some folks. But I know with consistent and patient training, all things are possible.
Congrats to all my friends who toed the line at IMFL today! Every one of you is a champion!
Recent Workouts
Thursday: 45 minute elliptical
Friday: rest day
Saturday: ~14 miles
A few weeks ago I thought I saw some trails by Hermann Park, but didn’t have time to check them out. So since today’s long run was a recovery run (relatively speaking), I kept an eye out for those trails. It turns out they’re the Hermann Park Bridle Trails, for the stables that I have never seen, but that I’ve heard about for, oh, nearly 30 years. They’ve become almost fictional to me, but now I can at least vouch for the existence of the riding trails. They run along the bayou, but I’m not sure how far they go. I went about half a mile, then crossed a bridge and came back. My IT bands are a little tight and I didn’t want to go traipsing off to who-knows-where today. Hermann Park was the farthest point of my run, so there was no way to shorten the run on the back end, should I get carried away with my explorations.
I’m going to Google the bridle trails, though, and have a plan for next time.
On the way home, I stopped at a couple of yard sales. One was of no interest to me—mostly kid stuff. But the other had a gorgeous desk lamp that I immediately coveted. It was $10 and I only had $5 and didn’t know these people, so I was reluctant to ask them to hold it for me. So I figured I’d ask Dan to stop there on our way to lunch, and if the lamp was meant to be mine, it would still be there, right?
And it was! Yay, me! I’m moving into my new office soon, and now I have a nifty lamp for it!
That’s all my news for today. Tonight I’m watching/listening to the live feed from Ironman Florida. It’s so cool hearing them announce the names of my blog friends and watching them cross the finish.
All the more reason for me to be careful with this hip and make sure I get back to 100%. I so want that to be me some day, crossing the line at an Ironman event. Weird injuries have always been my limiter. Things happen to me that seem to happen to no one else. I think I’m just put together wrong—something I noticed even as a kid, as the only girl in ballet class who couldn’t get anything even approaching proper turnout. So I guess I just have a longer road than some folks. But I know with consistent and patient training, all things are possible.
Congrats to all my friends who toed the line at IMFL today! Every one of you is a champion!
Recent Workouts
Thursday: 45 minute elliptical
Friday: rest day
Saturday: ~14 miles
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
All Saints
The funeral for Dan’s uncle was today. The church was very warm, and since it was a Catholic service, we sat there in sweaty stuffiness for two hours. Talk about suffering for your faith! I’ve never been able to decipher the secret code Catholics use to know when to sit, when to stand, when to kneel, etc. But I’m slowly getting enough practice to at least fake it most of the time. There’s something comforting about the participatory nature of Catholic services, and the way everyone seems to be on the same page about what to do next. It’s a totally different vibe from the “sit still and listen” passivity of the Protestant culture I grew up in. Plus, Catholic churches are pretty. Always something to look at. And most of the music is good, too. I’m a sucker for minor chords.
Anyway, in spite of the lack of air conditioning (Come on—it’s Houston! We need a/c all year long!), it was still better than a day at the office.
The cops gave us a great escort to the cemetery, which was one I’d never been to, full of winding roads, little ponds and creative monuments. I had never seen such a diversity of statues—not just your run-of-the-mill angels, of which there were plenty, but also life-size bronze animals and marble secular statues of people reading or doing other things that they had loved in life. I think I’d like to go back to this cemetery just to look around. In New England, I like wandering the cemeteries to read the headstones and ponder. But at this place, I think it would be more like a museum tour. I would go for the art.
Anyway, I was surprised at how short the graveside service was. At my paternal grandmother’s funeral, almost exactly three years ago, it seemed we stood out there forever, with the cold winds blowing down off the New Mexico mesas while the priest read things over the coffin. Me and my female cousins had been pallbearers and we hadn’t expected to be so long outside. Consequently, we had left our coats in the cars and stood huddled together by the grave, arms linked together for what warmth we could share, while gusts of wind whipped at our skirts.
But today, it seemed Dan and his cousins had hardly gotten Uncle Jerry’s coffin into position, when it was over. We all lingered awhile, no one wanting to be the first to go. To me, the hardest part is getting in the car and driving away, leaving the loved one behind. But eventually everyone was ready, and we went back to the church for food and visiting. It was a pretty good time, in spite of the sad occasion, but I was glad when it was over and Dan and I came home. Dan changed clothes and went to his aunt’s house to hang out awhile longer with his family, and I checked my email and then went for a run. Since it was three o’clock on a weekday, I had the trail at Memorial Park almost all to myself, and it was wonderful!
In other recent news, I attended a 3.5 hour meeting on Monday, of which less than 30 minutes was new information for me. The meeting was called by our CIO and attended by both of my bosses, so there was no hope that I could sneak out or find a means of even mental escape through writing and doodling. By the end, I was sympathizing with animals that will gnaw off one of their own legs to escape a trap. If I had thought it would’ve helped, I think I might’ve given it a try.
And finally, in light of Dan having taken two days off this week because of his uncle’s funeral, it’s not looking good for him taking time off for us to go San Antonio next weekend. His boss has had a death in the family this week, and I’m in the middle of an office move, and it’s just not a good time for taking extra days off. And it’s probably just as well. A November marathon was a little ambitious, in light of my lingering distrust of my hip, and my “A” race coming up in January. I’ll sign up for the local 25K, though, which will be in a few weeks.
The weather is turning cooler tonight. They’re predicting highs in the sixties tomorrow and Friday. It’s about time. One of my neighbors has wind chimes, and it’s nice to listen to them, making music on the leading gusts of the cool front.
Must be the season of the witch.
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 5.5 mile run
Wednesday: 6 mile run
Anyway, in spite of the lack of air conditioning (Come on—it’s Houston! We need a/c all year long!), it was still better than a day at the office.
The cops gave us a great escort to the cemetery, which was one I’d never been to, full of winding roads, little ponds and creative monuments. I had never seen such a diversity of statues—not just your run-of-the-mill angels, of which there were plenty, but also life-size bronze animals and marble secular statues of people reading or doing other things that they had loved in life. I think I’d like to go back to this cemetery just to look around. In New England, I like wandering the cemeteries to read the headstones and ponder. But at this place, I think it would be more like a museum tour. I would go for the art.
Anyway, I was surprised at how short the graveside service was. At my paternal grandmother’s funeral, almost exactly three years ago, it seemed we stood out there forever, with the cold winds blowing down off the New Mexico mesas while the priest read things over the coffin. Me and my female cousins had been pallbearers and we hadn’t expected to be so long outside. Consequently, we had left our coats in the cars and stood huddled together by the grave, arms linked together for what warmth we could share, while gusts of wind whipped at our skirts.
But today, it seemed Dan and his cousins had hardly gotten Uncle Jerry’s coffin into position, when it was over. We all lingered awhile, no one wanting to be the first to go. To me, the hardest part is getting in the car and driving away, leaving the loved one behind. But eventually everyone was ready, and we went back to the church for food and visiting. It was a pretty good time, in spite of the sad occasion, but I was glad when it was over and Dan and I came home. Dan changed clothes and went to his aunt’s house to hang out awhile longer with his family, and I checked my email and then went for a run. Since it was three o’clock on a weekday, I had the trail at Memorial Park almost all to myself, and it was wonderful!
In other recent news, I attended a 3.5 hour meeting on Monday, of which less than 30 minutes was new information for me. The meeting was called by our CIO and attended by both of my bosses, so there was no hope that I could sneak out or find a means of even mental escape through writing and doodling. By the end, I was sympathizing with animals that will gnaw off one of their own legs to escape a trap. If I had thought it would’ve helped, I think I might’ve given it a try.
And finally, in light of Dan having taken two days off this week because of his uncle’s funeral, it’s not looking good for him taking time off for us to go San Antonio next weekend. His boss has had a death in the family this week, and I’m in the middle of an office move, and it’s just not a good time for taking extra days off. And it’s probably just as well. A November marathon was a little ambitious, in light of my lingering distrust of my hip, and my “A” race coming up in January. I’ll sign up for the local 25K, though, which will be in a few weeks.
The weather is turning cooler tonight. They’re predicting highs in the sixties tomorrow and Friday. It’s about time. One of my neighbors has wind chimes, and it’s nice to listen to them, making music on the leading gusts of the cool front.
Must be the season of the witch.
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 5.5 mile run
Wednesday: 6 mile run
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