My left hip started to hurt three days before the Columbus 10K. I thought maybe it was because I was doing a track workout - quick stuff, lots of circles - the pain persisted and hurt with every step of that race. After that race I was in a world of pain. I could barely walk and the pain was very reminiscent of when I got the stress fracture two years ago.
I called the doctor the very next day. I've got big plans and big goals this year and if I'm injured, let's get on with it. The doctor, of course, thought it was another stress fracture. Awesome. I had some x-rays that showed nothing, was told no more running for a while (double awesome) and was scheduled for an MRI.
A few days later I had the MRI and a few days after that I was back in the doctor's office. No stress fracture. Say what? I could go back to working out as long as it didn't hurt. Honey, everything hurts but if it's not fractured, I'll keep working out in some way. I did a lot of swimming and a lot of water jogging. I tried one run. I made it nine minutes and had to turn around and walk/limp home.
I sent a message to the doctor. She wanted to do more evaluations including another MRI, this time with contrast - an injection right into the hip joint.
Last week I had the arthrogram MRI done at the local hospital. It was painful, it took forever, and I don't ever want to do it again. I can't believe I've now had two of them for my hips! I got the results the next day. I have a labrum tear on the left side (both my hips are gonna fall apart!) and tendonitis where the hamstring connects to the sit bone. I exchanged about one billion emails with the doctor - why is there pain in my outer hip and my groin when the tendonitis was in the hamstring/sit bone? She wants to do physical therapy. I want better answers. She said I could workout as long as it didn't hurt.
I, of course, signed up for a race a few days later...
Monday, July 03, 2017
Sunday, July 02, 2017
Columbus 10K 2017
Last year was the first time I ran the Columbus 10K. It was super fast and super competitive, and I knew I wanted to add it to the schedule again this year. Three days before the race I started to have a little niggle in my hip (more on that another day) and frankly, I just haven't been feeling in all that great of shape, so I didn't expect a whole lot from this race.
We got down there in good time, but there was still a line for the three port-a-johns already a block long. I decided to take my warm up run to the other side of Columbus to where I knew there was a public bathroom. It was hot and humid and I was feeling like this race was going to suck. I barely got back in time to get in line for the start.
I decided I just wanted to go hard and not worry about my splits, so I put a sticker over my watch. In hindsight, this was a bad idea as my first mile was the fastest of the day and although I thought I was holding back, I wasn't. I was suffering right from the beginning. I wasn't getting passed by many people but I was getting passed and I was falling further and further behind. I was struggling to keep my head in the game. Six miles felt like they took forever.
I have no idea what my final time was, but it was a solid 1:20 slower than last year. I have no excuses but it is frustrating that I feel less in shape than last year when I have bigger goals this year.
Regardless, I still placed in my age group. Last year I was fifth with quite a respectable time and this year with a slower time I finished third and walked away with a camp mug.
We got down there in good time, but there was still a line for the three port-a-johns already a block long. I decided to take my warm up run to the other side of Columbus to where I knew there was a public bathroom. It was hot and humid and I was feeling like this race was going to suck. I barely got back in time to get in line for the start.
I decided I just wanted to go hard and not worry about my splits, so I put a sticker over my watch. In hindsight, this was a bad idea as my first mile was the fastest of the day and although I thought I was holding back, I wasn't. I was suffering right from the beginning. I wasn't getting passed by many people but I was getting passed and I was falling further and further behind. I was struggling to keep my head in the game. Six miles felt like they took forever.
I have no idea what my final time was, but it was a solid 1:20 slower than last year. I have no excuses but it is frustrating that I feel less in shape than last year when I have bigger goals this year.
Regardless, I still placed in my age group. Last year I was fifth with quite a respectable time and this year with a slower time I finished third and walked away with a camp mug.
Saturday, July 01, 2017
WORST.BLOGGER.EVER!!
Worst.Blogger.EVER!!!
I said I was going to be consistent last month and whatnot and I wrote one freakin' time? Can I do better in July?
Here's what's coming up.
I said I was going to be consistent last month and whatnot and I wrote one freakin' time? Can I do better in July?
Here's what's coming up.
- I got hurt
- I ran a race
- I got more hurt
- I had a whole bunch of MRIs and X-rays done
- I did another race
- I'm still hurt
Friday, June 02, 2017
I'm Back!
Life has been busy. That's an understatement. Training and work and parenting and wife-ing and I'm enrolled in some online classes and my handicap dog and LIFE! This blog has taken a hit. I don't even know if people still blog or if anyone cares. But, I'm gonna try to give it a few weeks of concentration and see if the magic is still there or if anyone still cares and then who knows?!
The best thing happened to me today. I went my favorite local running store to pick up my race packet for this weekend (oh yeah, I'm racing!). I gave them my last name and the clerk said, "Samantha?" Nope, dude. I'm Meredith. He was shocked by that because Samantha was 28 and I'm 11 years older than that. Still looking hot!
The best thing happened to me today. I went my favorite local running store to pick up my race packet for this weekend (oh yeah, I'm racing!). I gave them my last name and the clerk said, "Samantha?" Nope, dude. I'm Meredith. He was shocked by that because Samantha was 28 and I'm 11 years older than that. Still looking hot!
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Do What You Need to Do
Day 1
It's 5-1/2 months until aquathlon nationals and I'm ready to commit. I started the day off strong with a run test. It's been since December since I had a run test and then I was coming off a terrible cold and was just beginning my marathon training. This time I am coming off of the marathon and starting to feel like myself again.
The test is 3000m on the track as hard as you can go. I started out fast, probably too fast, but I was doing what I could to hang out. Several time I had to sort it out in my head. My brain struggles on the track. I would do much better if the run test was a race. I clocked in my first "mile" (the garmin never matches up to the track) at a 6:14. Holy pajamas! I haven't run that fast in years! I pushed and pushed and came away with a 12:41, which is like a 6:49 pace (although my watch read 1.99 miles for 6:22 pace). This was a 45 second improvement over the last run test I did. Hopefully this translates into some speedy races this spring/summer.
So now I have a baseline for a little while, which includes new heart rate zones and paces. Most of my workouts have one or the other so lots of updates to come soon as to if I can hit these new zones/paces.
It's 5-1/2 months until aquathlon nationals and I'm ready to commit. I started the day off strong with a run test. It's been since December since I had a run test and then I was coming off a terrible cold and was just beginning my marathon training. This time I am coming off of the marathon and starting to feel like myself again.
The test is 3000m on the track as hard as you can go. I started out fast, probably too fast, but I was doing what I could to hang out. Several time I had to sort it out in my head. My brain struggles on the track. I would do much better if the run test was a race. I clocked in my first "mile" (the garmin never matches up to the track) at a 6:14. Holy pajamas! I haven't run that fast in years! I pushed and pushed and came away with a 12:41, which is like a 6:49 pace (although my watch read 1.99 miles for 6:22 pace). This was a 45 second improvement over the last run test I did. Hopefully this translates into some speedy races this spring/summer.
So now I have a baseline for a little while, which includes new heart rate zones and paces. Most of my workouts have one or the other so lots of updates to come soon as to if I can hit these new zones/paces.
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Vacation Pictures
Yep, I promised them last week, but I suck. No, I'm adulting. And adulting is hard. I'm exhausted. I have a hard time finding time to do my workouts let alone blog about them and the rest of my life. But today we cancelled our cable which means I'm gonna have lots of time (I'm kind of addicted to tv). I'm gonna try harder. I swear. I SWEAR!!!
Two weeks ago we went down to Florida for our annual spring break with my parents. My parents, now retired, are staying down there for a little over a month so we went and visited and stayed with them. Here's a few pictures (mostly of Anderson) from our trip. (And if you're my Instagram friend, you've seen most of these.)
Two weeks ago we went down to Florida for our annual spring break with my parents. My parents, now retired, are staying down there for a little over a month so we went and visited and stayed with them. Here's a few pictures (mostly of Anderson) from our trip. (And if you're my Instagram friend, you've seen most of these.)
The day we flew down to Florida was Anderson's 4th birthday. We had gotten up at 4:00am and the little dude did not take a nap all day. He was nearly asleep as we lit up his cupcake.
Looks like he still enjoyed his cupcake, though.
Our family friend who lives in the area got Anderson a kite for his birthday. He loved it!
This is probably my favorite pictures from the trip. I made this my lock screen on my phone.
My boys.
Sunset at the beach.
Oh yeah. I was on this trip too.
Weirdos.
Immediately after he got to the park he tripped over the root and landed on his face. Hence, the dirt on his face.
These are out of order. On the way home, the captain invited Anderson into the cockpit, let him sit in his seat, and even wear his hat. Um, I was jealous.
It wasn't all beach (although it mostly was). One morning Anderson enjoyed running through the fountains in the middle of Venice.
My sister is down there this week and my parents come home in a few weeks. I have done this trip every year for as long as I can remember. It's fun, although with a toddler now, it is a lot of work. There's no more taking a nap on the beach. Next year we will probably not get to go since we will be going to Boston for the marathon. It's time for a change, though. Maybe the break's not such a bad thing. Either way, anything has got to be better than winter in Ohio. Happy spring!!!
Thursday, April 06, 2017
Oh, what a night!!!
We took a family vacation next week (pictures to come!!) and arrived home very late Sunday night/Monday morning. Our flight got home after midnight, which after getting out of the plane, getting our luggage, riding the shuttle to our car, and driving home, we got home around 1:00am.
Because our dog now has special needs, we needed to hire a pet sitter to come to our house several times a day and empty her bladder, etc. instead of just kenneling her like we normally do. The company was very thorough and even took out the trash, checked our mail, brought in the newspaper, and whatnot. When we got home we tried to get inside and the back doors were locked, something that is not normally done as we don't have keys to those doors. Our garage is locked and it is connected to the back doors so there you go. Anyway, I told Dave, hey, just go unlock the front door?! As he walked out of the garage he quickly came back - the pet sitter had his key and my key was hanging in the kitchen. Awesome. My parents have a spare key. I called them and of course, it was on their key ring and it was in Florida. So, we spent the night (can we really call it a night if we only slept 3 hours??) at my parents' house. I finally fell asleep sometime after 2:00 and woke up several times throughout the night.
The alarm went off bright and early at 6:30 as we had to hurry to Anderson's 4 year old well check at 7:30. We were wearing the same clothes as yesterday and at least I felt, icky. The doctor went well, we dropped Anderson off at preschool, and Dave and I drove clear across town to get the key from the dog sitter. We finally got into our house just before 10am Monday, 9 hours after we got in from vacation.
We opened the door and OMG! The house smelled like we had 17 dogs. They did do a good job, but being that our dog now pees on pads instead of outside, I would have liked to have seen them empty the trash or put the pee pads in the outdoor trash can. We emptied the trash and mopped the floor, and I sprayed air freshener all over the place. Sloopy also got a bath and now it smells much better.
With only a few hours of sleep, we got showers and went off to work.
But wait, there's more!!!
I am a very punctual person. Being on time is being late; being early is being on time!!! Having a toddler means we get to places barely in time no matter how much time we allow. So when we left for Florida we were running later than we wanted to be, which meant when our gas light came on in the car we just continued to drive to the airport. When we returned a week later we sort of forgot we had no gas in the car. At 1:00am we didn't exactly want to stop for gas, but were nervous about the gauge being correct and time constraints in the morning, etc., that we decided to stop by the gas station a mere spitting distance from our house. We were one of three cars - a car parked at the store portion of the gas station with a gentleman outside smoking on the hood and a police car with the officer inside the store. While Dave was pumping gas, the officer came out talking on his walkie and taking his goods to his car. He put the bags inside the door and then went back into the store, entering from the far left door. As he went in, a woman scurried out of the right-hand door. She had a small coat wrapped around her and it sort of looked like she was stealing something. The cop stopped her and made it her come back in the store. That's when it got interesting. See, she was wearing thigh-high stockings and high heels and when she turned around we noticed she was wearing nothing else. NOTHING! I got to see a "full moon", if you will. Now I don't know if she was "working" or if she was just up to no good but I really don't like seeing that near my neighborhood nor do I like having to explain to my son that, "maybe she wasn't wearing pants because she had an accident."
Back with some vacation pictures hopefully this week.
Because our dog now has special needs, we needed to hire a pet sitter to come to our house several times a day and empty her bladder, etc. instead of just kenneling her like we normally do. The company was very thorough and even took out the trash, checked our mail, brought in the newspaper, and whatnot. When we got home we tried to get inside and the back doors were locked, something that is not normally done as we don't have keys to those doors. Our garage is locked and it is connected to the back doors so there you go. Anyway, I told Dave, hey, just go unlock the front door?! As he walked out of the garage he quickly came back - the pet sitter had his key and my key was hanging in the kitchen. Awesome. My parents have a spare key. I called them and of course, it was on their key ring and it was in Florida. So, we spent the night (can we really call it a night if we only slept 3 hours??) at my parents' house. I finally fell asleep sometime after 2:00 and woke up several times throughout the night.
The alarm went off bright and early at 6:30 as we had to hurry to Anderson's 4 year old well check at 7:30. We were wearing the same clothes as yesterday and at least I felt, icky. The doctor went well, we dropped Anderson off at preschool, and Dave and I drove clear across town to get the key from the dog sitter. We finally got into our house just before 10am Monday, 9 hours after we got in from vacation.
We opened the door and OMG! The house smelled like we had 17 dogs. They did do a good job, but being that our dog now pees on pads instead of outside, I would have liked to have seen them empty the trash or put the pee pads in the outdoor trash can. We emptied the trash and mopped the floor, and I sprayed air freshener all over the place. Sloopy also got a bath and now it smells much better.
With only a few hours of sleep, we got showers and went off to work.
But wait, there's more!!!
I am a very punctual person. Being on time is being late; being early is being on time!!! Having a toddler means we get to places barely in time no matter how much time we allow. So when we left for Florida we were running later than we wanted to be, which meant when our gas light came on in the car we just continued to drive to the airport. When we returned a week later we sort of forgot we had no gas in the car. At 1:00am we didn't exactly want to stop for gas, but were nervous about the gauge being correct and time constraints in the morning, etc., that we decided to stop by the gas station a mere spitting distance from our house. We were one of three cars - a car parked at the store portion of the gas station with a gentleman outside smoking on the hood and a police car with the officer inside the store. While Dave was pumping gas, the officer came out talking on his walkie and taking his goods to his car. He put the bags inside the door and then went back into the store, entering from the far left door. As he went in, a woman scurried out of the right-hand door. She had a small coat wrapped around her and it sort of looked like she was stealing something. The cop stopped her and made it her come back in the store. That's when it got interesting. See, she was wearing thigh-high stockings and high heels and when she turned around we noticed she was wearing nothing else. NOTHING! I got to see a "full moon", if you will. Now I don't know if she was "working" or if she was just up to no good but I really don't like seeing that near my neighborhood nor do I like having to explain to my son that, "maybe she wasn't wearing pants because she had an accident."
Back with some vacation pictures hopefully this week.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Shamrock Marathon 2017
I read lots of blogs out there where the writers have big, fluffy, life-altering, insightful race reports. I'm just not the kind of girl or runner. When I run, I just run. I don't solve life's problems. I don't learn valuable lessons. My life isn't changed. I just run.
No sugar coating it, the weather sucked. I woke up race morning to pouring rain, 40 degrees, and winds up to 30 mph. I was pissed! All this training and I was going to come undone because of the weather. The husband helped me to settle down, get ready, and eat something. We walked to the start line, keeping to myself. I waited under a hotel overhang, took one bathroom break, and I lined up. It was raining, but I felt almost peaceful.
And then I ran. I didn't go with a pace group. I didn't set a pace for myself. I just tried to stay comfortable. I kept my watch underneath my sleeve the entire race and only looked at it when it beeped for the miles. The first couple of miles were so comfortable. Then we turned around and we were headed into the wind. It was rough but I tried to stay out of my head. We toured a military base (the first of two) and anytime I could I tried to hang with other runners to block the wind. I was close behind the 3:35 pace group but I couldn't quite catch up to them to use them in the wind.
Before I knew it we were back in Virginia Beach proper and on the boardwalk. This is when the wind was started to get crazy. I was running with another girl and used her to block as much wind as possible. She wasn't running fast enough for me, though, so I got ahead of her. This was my marathon, I had to do the work. And still I was just far enough behind the pace group to not be able to use their energy. I saw Dave and Anderson around mile 12, and let them know I was okay. He offered me dry gloves and shirt, but I didn't need it (famous last words).
We turned off of Atlantic Avenue and made it over to Pacific Avenue. We were headed north, straight into the wind. These were some miserable miles. It was pouring and crazy windy (I was literally holding onto my hat) and then it started sleeting. This was the lowest point of the race for me, and yet I still felt good. I just kept running.
Somewhere around mile 16 or 17 we turned to the left and headed down a long, tree lined road. This was my favorite part of the race. We were finally out of the wind and I felt terrific. I was flying. We got to the second military base and I just felt great. 19 miles, 20 miles, 21 miles. Things were going fantastic. My pace was so consistent; my legs were a metronome. At some point in here I did some math and knew I was going to be golden.
Finally we were back on the boardwalk. I could see the finish line. I had run every step of the race. And I was going to qualify for Boston 2018 easily. It's hard not to smile when you've had such a great race.
My finish time was 3:37:29 - my fourth fastest marathon. I was 11th in my age group (by four seconds, dang it!). My fastest mile was a 7:57 and my slowest was 8:38 - pretty damn consistent.
Guess I'll see you in Boston on my 40th birthday!!!
No sugar coating it, the weather sucked. I woke up race morning to pouring rain, 40 degrees, and winds up to 30 mph. I was pissed! All this training and I was going to come undone because of the weather. The husband helped me to settle down, get ready, and eat something. We walked to the start line, keeping to myself. I waited under a hotel overhang, took one bathroom break, and I lined up. It was raining, but I felt almost peaceful.
And then I ran. I didn't go with a pace group. I didn't set a pace for myself. I just tried to stay comfortable. I kept my watch underneath my sleeve the entire race and only looked at it when it beeped for the miles. The first couple of miles were so comfortable. Then we turned around and we were headed into the wind. It was rough but I tried to stay out of my head. We toured a military base (the first of two) and anytime I could I tried to hang with other runners to block the wind. I was close behind the 3:35 pace group but I couldn't quite catch up to them to use them in the wind.
Before I knew it we were back in Virginia Beach proper and on the boardwalk. This is when the wind was started to get crazy. I was running with another girl and used her to block as much wind as possible. She wasn't running fast enough for me, though, so I got ahead of her. This was my marathon, I had to do the work. And still I was just far enough behind the pace group to not be able to use their energy. I saw Dave and Anderson around mile 12, and let them know I was okay. He offered me dry gloves and shirt, but I didn't need it (famous last words).
We turned off of Atlantic Avenue and made it over to Pacific Avenue. We were headed north, straight into the wind. These were some miserable miles. It was pouring and crazy windy (I was literally holding onto my hat) and then it started sleeting. This was the lowest point of the race for me, and yet I still felt good. I just kept running.
Somewhere around mile 16 or 17 we turned to the left and headed down a long, tree lined road. This was my favorite part of the race. We were finally out of the wind and I felt terrific. I was flying. We got to the second military base and I just felt great. 19 miles, 20 miles, 21 miles. Things were going fantastic. My pace was so consistent; my legs were a metronome. At some point in here I did some math and knew I was going to be golden.
Finally we were back on the boardwalk. I could see the finish line. I had run every step of the race. And I was going to qualify for Boston 2018 easily. It's hard not to smile when you've had such a great race.
My finish time was 3:37:29 - my fourth fastest marathon. I was 11th in my age group (by four seconds, dang it!). My fastest mile was a 7:57 and my slowest was 8:38 - pretty damn consistent.
Guess I'll see you in Boston on my 40th birthday!!!
Friday, March 10, 2017
Foto Friday
I have not been a very good blogger. I've got a computer that barely works, an icloud that is full, and a winter of discontent that have really dragged me down. But I've got a new computer, a marathon on the horizon, a return to multisport training soon, and a vacation upcoming so it seems like a good time to get back into a routine.
So I'm starting now with some cute pictures of the kid. I've kind of started a new series on my instagram that I'm calling Life in Black and White or for the younger generation, #lifeinblackandwhite.
So I'm starting now with some cute pictures of the kid. I've kind of started a new series on my instagram that I'm calling Life in Black and White or for the younger generation, #lifeinblackandwhite.
Thursday, March 02, 2017
Lent
I'm not Catholic. Nor am I overly religious. But, I feel like this Lenten season is a good time to get my act together and focus. And yep, I'm talking about my running.
Before I went back to work I had my act together. I was doing all my workouts; I was hitting goals; and I was following my nutrition. After I went back to work, I got tired, lazy, and fell off the wagon. With two and a half weeks until my marathon and with Lent starting this is a great time to jump back on that wagon.
So, I've committed myself to following that nutrition plan again. It's gonna help me sleep better, which will help with my patience and desire to work out. And hopefully it will help me lose a little weight and oh yeah, maybe turn out some good running performances.
I'm a day and a half in with a gazillion to go and I'm doing alright. I'm a little sugar and sweets deprived which has made me hangry, but I can get through this. I CAN EFFING GET THROUGH THIS!!!
What did you do for Lent? Or did you do anything for Lent? Or what did you start fresh in March?
Before I went back to work I had my act together. I was doing all my workouts; I was hitting goals; and I was following my nutrition. After I went back to work, I got tired, lazy, and fell off the wagon. With two and a half weeks until my marathon and with Lent starting this is a great time to jump back on that wagon.
So, I've committed myself to following that nutrition plan again. It's gonna help me sleep better, which will help with my patience and desire to work out. And hopefully it will help me lose a little weight and oh yeah, maybe turn out some good running performances.
I'm a day and a half in with a gazillion to go and I'm doing alright. I'm a little sugar and sweets deprived which has made me hangry, but I can get through this. I CAN EFFING GET THROUGH THIS!!!
What did you do for Lent? Or did you do anything for Lent? Or what did you start fresh in March?
Wednesday, March 01, 2017
Sloopy Update #2
It's been four weeks since our dog Sloopy's emergency surgery to fix the herniated disk in her back. Unfortunately, we don't have any good news to report. We met with the vet yesterday for a follow up and our poor doggy has still not regained deep pain sensation in her hind quarters. What this means is that she is very unlikely to ever regain it. We now have a permanently paralyzed dog.
Personally, I am struggling with processing all of it. I am totally okay with putting my dog in a wheelchair. She will adapt, she will be able to get around again, we'll build little ramps around the house, and she will return to the (somewhat) active dog she was. But, it's everything else that goes along with this that I'm struggling with. Let's talk about the obvious. She has no ability to go to the bathroom on her own. We have to express (squeeze) her bladder to get her to pee. She will have a bowel movement on her own but it happens whenever it happens which usually in the middle of the night or during the day while we're at work. She now stays in her crate during those times which makes for an easy clean up, I guess, but I literally wash her blankets every.single.day. Supposedly you can put a handicapped dog on a schedule but we haven't figured it out yet. We also need to worry about things like bladder infections and bed sores. Plus, we travel A LOT. Our usual kennel does not take care of special needs dogs. I'm not even sure if this is an option. And if we do find someplace/someone, what the heck is that going to cost? And we have to get her measured for a personalized wheelchair. Holy hell! This is costing us a fortune and has really changed our way of life.
But can I bring myself to put her down or take her to a shelter or adopt her out. I love this dog. She was my first baby and for Dave, it is his first pet ever. She's the same dog; she doesn't have use of her back legs.
For now we're taking it a little bit at a time. We are scheduling her for a therapy appointment where she will be evaluated further and then measured for a wheelchair. We borrowed a wheelchair from someone at Dave's office that doesn't quite fit her but we've been using to help train her. We will do research on getting her on a bathroom schedule. And we will have to look and ask around for pet sitting options as we're traveling a couple times in March.
If you have any good advice, please help a sister out! Keep our little doggy (and our family) in your thoughts and prayers. It's been a difficult road.
Personally, I am struggling with processing all of it. I am totally okay with putting my dog in a wheelchair. She will adapt, she will be able to get around again, we'll build little ramps around the house, and she will return to the (somewhat) active dog she was. But, it's everything else that goes along with this that I'm struggling with. Let's talk about the obvious. She has no ability to go to the bathroom on her own. We have to express (squeeze) her bladder to get her to pee. She will have a bowel movement on her own but it happens whenever it happens which usually in the middle of the night or during the day while we're at work. She now stays in her crate during those times which makes for an easy clean up, I guess, but I literally wash her blankets every.single.day. Supposedly you can put a handicapped dog on a schedule but we haven't figured it out yet. We also need to worry about things like bladder infections and bed sores. Plus, we travel A LOT. Our usual kennel does not take care of special needs dogs. I'm not even sure if this is an option. And if we do find someplace/someone, what the heck is that going to cost? And we have to get her measured for a personalized wheelchair. Holy hell! This is costing us a fortune and has really changed our way of life.
But can I bring myself to put her down or take her to a shelter or adopt her out. I love this dog. She was my first baby and for Dave, it is his first pet ever. She's the same dog; she doesn't have use of her back legs.
For now we're taking it a little bit at a time. We are scheduling her for a therapy appointment where she will be evaluated further and then measured for a wheelchair. We borrowed a wheelchair from someone at Dave's office that doesn't quite fit her but we've been using to help train her. We will do research on getting her on a bathroom schedule. And we will have to look and ask around for pet sitting options as we're traveling a couple times in March.
If you have any good advice, please help a sister out! Keep our little doggy (and our family) in your thoughts and prayers. It's been a difficult road.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Pilates on Steroids!!!
I've been going to pilates on the reformer now for a couple of months. I really love it. I see it making a difference both mentally and physically. But, my favorite instructor took another job at another studio (and I have no idea where she went) and the new instructor at the Y, well, I don't particularly like her style.
So I took a break. I didn't do it for a few weeks. I missed it so I wanted to try to find something else, something similar. Most studios are STUPID expensive, but there was a first time fee for a local place call Butcher Shop Fitness. As my mom says, only a masochist would go to a place called Butcher Shop, but I've got to tell you, I loved it. It was like pilates on steroids.
So I took a break. I didn't do it for a few weeks. I missed it so I wanted to try to find something else, something similar. Most studios are STUPID expensive, but there was a first time fee for a local place call Butcher Shop Fitness. As my mom says, only a masochist would go to a place called Butcher Shop, but I've got to tell you, I loved it. It was like pilates on steroids.
Meet the Megaformer. Pictured: not me.
The megaformer is about twice the size of the reformer and has more pulleys and has a front and a back and has about a zillion different weight settings (springs). The workout itself is called Legree Fitness, which is like some dude that made up his own version of pilates. The workout was intense. I shook and sweated and felt like I had zero fitness. But it was awesome. I went back a second time. And now I have to find a way to afford to get a monthly pass or something so I can go all.the.time.
Have you tried Legree Fitness before? Have you seen the scary megaformer? Would you go to a workout facility called Butcher Shop Fitness? :)
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Warm Up Columbus Half Marathon 2017
You can't win them all. Or even come close, I guess.
I'm in the thick of marathon training. It's four weeks until the race which means I have 1-2 weeks of heavy training left. My body is shattered. I have back pain that is not going away. My calves and hamstrings are tight. I am so tired I could sleep at the drop of a hat. My mind is fragile. I'm teetering somewhere between excited for the race and wanting to not do it at all. I want to quit with every workout I do and yet I'm excited to run every day. I am a mess. You would think with this fitness, now would be a good time to run a half marathon. Except, it wasn't. My body and my mind just said no and I had to work to finish the race.
In the last mile I got passed by two women and that didn't make me happy. I wanted to go with them but I really had nothing left. In the end I came up 10 seconds short of 10th place and an award. This may be the first time I've run this race and not gotten an award. I'm not going to lie, I was super disappointed with this race. I wanted it to be better. I wanted to be faster. I want to look thinner and leaner like I feel. I want to be fast like those chicks that were whizzing past me. This wasn't the confidence booster I needed going into the last few weeks before the marathon.
But, the marathon is a different beast and I don't have to run balls to the wall like I do in any other race. Plus, the marathon is at the beach so there will be other things to see. And the husband and maybe the kid will be there. I need my support team.
Just a few more weeks of focus and then the real goal.
For bonus blogging points....is this 26point2ers Amy's KOB? Dude, he was FLYING!!! He lapped me no fewer than 4 times during the half marathon.
I'm in the thick of marathon training. It's four weeks until the race which means I have 1-2 weeks of heavy training left. My body is shattered. I have back pain that is not going away. My calves and hamstrings are tight. I am so tired I could sleep at the drop of a hat. My mind is fragile. I'm teetering somewhere between excited for the race and wanting to not do it at all. I want to quit with every workout I do and yet I'm excited to run every day. I am a mess. You would think with this fitness, now would be a good time to run a half marathon. Except, it wasn't. My body and my mind just said no and I had to work to finish the race.
That's me in the grey tank with black arm sleeves and green shoes.
I started off well, maybe even a little too fast. I was in the 7:30s-7:40s - a pace I should be able to hold. I was trying to calm down, though, as it felt a little tough and I knew there was a lot of race to go. With longer training, those first couple miles lie to you, so I kept telling myself that. Unfortunately, it wasn't until mile 5 that I felt good and also unfortunately, that seemed to be the only mile that felt okay.
You'll see in a lot of these pictures that I'm looking over to the right. Lots of speculation on Facebook as to why. It is actually because the husband and kid stayed home and I was hoping they'd surprise me and show up. I was always looking for them. I really wanted them there.
In my head I wanted to drop out of this race so badly - at the 5K mark, at the 10K mark. But the course is a one mile loop you do again and again. I could talk myself into doing "just" another loop.
Don't I look exhausted?
But, the marathon is a different beast and I don't have to run balls to the wall like I do in any other race. Plus, the marathon is at the beach so there will be other things to see. And the husband and maybe the kid will be there. I need my support team.
Just a few more weeks of focus and then the real goal.
For bonus blogging points....is this 26point2ers Amy's KOB? Dude, he was FLYING!!! He lapped me no fewer than 4 times during the half marathon.
Tuesday, February 07, 2017
Life Update
It's winter. It's dark outside. I'm working all day and surviving the evenings. And I'm running lots of miles. There's really not a whole lot to say. But I swear there's a few of you reading this that would probably like an update.
Let's start with the dog since I left you hanging last week.
Sloopy
We brought Sloopy home from the hospital one week ago today. The first two days were rough. We cried a lot. We didn't sleep much. I worried we had made the right choice in doing the surgery. I worry about her quality of life. I worry about our quality of life. But after several days we have settled in and seen improvements that give us hope. Honestly, the bathroom thing is not that bad. She's easy to squeeze the pee out of her (most of the time) and when she has to go #2, she does. She doesn't leak and I've only been peed on twice. It's kind of like having a baby all over again, except I can put the dog in her crate and she will sleep all night. The first couple of days were rough in getting her to eat and especially with taking her medicine. Now she eats her own food and we're down to one medicine a day which she easily eats with a chunk of cooked chicken. She still has no use of her back legs but we have seen improvement. She now wags her tail, which, from what we read, is voluntary and a good sign that signals are moving down her spinal cord. She also stiffens her legs when picked up and can hold herself up for a blink because she's still not stable. She has started licking in hindquarters which may mean that she has regained some feeling and is trying to get the pins and needles she's feeling. We have even seen her move her legs a few times. She does not respond to pain, however, she doesn't respond to pain even on places she can feel. She's never been a dog that yelps when she gets hurt. Her staples come out next week and we have a follow-up in a few weeks. From what we have learned and read, this is a VERY long process. We are trying to be patient and still holding out hope that we have made the right decision.
Running
My marathon is coming up fast. It's only about 6 weeks away. My training has been okay, at best. I was on a roll until I got sick the entire month of December and then I basically had to start over again. Two weeks ago I did an 18 miler that felt like death. When I got home I had to have Dave take off my shoes and pants and help me into the bathtub. This past weekend, though, I did a 20 miler that was great. I hit all the paces and it didn't seem so bad. I wasn't that sore and have been able to return to working out quickly. This week is another big week of training ~45 miles for the week, and I will conclude with yet another 20 miler. I, finally, get to race next week and am hoping for something good.
Back to Work
I've now been back to work two months and things are starting to fall into place. Those first couple of weeks were really rough. Anderson and I both battled some serious illness. We both had sinus infections. We both had pink eye. We had a cough that wouldn't quit. We both visited the doctor twice. And then one day we were better. Now every time I see a kid with snot all over his face at daycare I get nervous, but Anderson has been in preschool and child watch programs for years so hopefully we are over the initial sickness shock to our system.
Just a few weeks after I started at my job they informed us that we were moving offices to a different suburb. I was PISSED! I specifically chose this job over a different, probably, better option because it was walking distance from my house and I could keep the little one in his preschool. I was so upset that I even thought about calling the other company and seeing if I could continue with the interviews. But, I have decided to stay put. Yes, I will have to pull Anderson out of his preschool and put him in his daycare all day (which is one of the best preschools around, but not a Christian preschool like he is currently in) and yes, I will have to drive to my job now, but I have to give this a chance. It's good for me to get back in the game, refine my skills, and then decide what I will do in a few years once Anderson starts school.
In addition to the full-time job, I have continued to fill in time-to-time at the Y. It's kind of a pain in the butt, but I like it there, I'm comfortable there, I adore my manager there, and I also get to keep my reduced family membership. I have no plans on leaving and they have no plans on getting rid of me, so I'm sticking with it.
God's Watching Over Us
Probably the most stressful thing for the last several years has been finances. It's hard to be on one income and my part-time job paid for nothing. We thought me returning to work would allow us to live a little more comfortably and be able to do the things we wanted to do. But our dog getting sick really threw us for a loop. I have been scared out of my mind. Would I be able to do my marathon in March (it's out of town)? Would our vacations we planned this year be put on hold? Should we cut back on some of our expenses like TV, etc. (things you don't need but would struggle to live without)? But God's been watching over us. We did our taxes which is going to help out tremendously. And Dave got bumped from a flight this week that gave us big money in airline vouchers. So this month is still going to be a challenge as we pay off our credit card debt but barring any other craziness, life should return to normal soon.
- - - - - - - - - - -
So that's what new. Life has been busy. Life has been uncomfortable. We're managing. We're going to get through all of this and see the sunlight again. And I swear I will revive this blog with rainbows and puppies sometime soon.
Let's start with the dog since I left you hanging last week.
Sloopy
We brought Sloopy home from the hospital one week ago today. The first two days were rough. We cried a lot. We didn't sleep much. I worried we had made the right choice in doing the surgery. I worry about her quality of life. I worry about our quality of life. But after several days we have settled in and seen improvements that give us hope. Honestly, the bathroom thing is not that bad. She's easy to squeeze the pee out of her (most of the time) and when she has to go #2, she does. She doesn't leak and I've only been peed on twice. It's kind of like having a baby all over again, except I can put the dog in her crate and she will sleep all night. The first couple of days were rough in getting her to eat and especially with taking her medicine. Now she eats her own food and we're down to one medicine a day which she easily eats with a chunk of cooked chicken. She still has no use of her back legs but we have seen improvement. She now wags her tail, which, from what we read, is voluntary and a good sign that signals are moving down her spinal cord. She also stiffens her legs when picked up and can hold herself up for a blink because she's still not stable. She has started licking in hindquarters which may mean that she has regained some feeling and is trying to get the pins and needles she's feeling. We have even seen her move her legs a few times. She does not respond to pain, however, she doesn't respond to pain even on places she can feel. She's never been a dog that yelps when she gets hurt. Her staples come out next week and we have a follow-up in a few weeks. From what we have learned and read, this is a VERY long process. We are trying to be patient and still holding out hope that we have made the right decision.
Running
My marathon is coming up fast. It's only about 6 weeks away. My training has been okay, at best. I was on a roll until I got sick the entire month of December and then I basically had to start over again. Two weeks ago I did an 18 miler that felt like death. When I got home I had to have Dave take off my shoes and pants and help me into the bathtub. This past weekend, though, I did a 20 miler that was great. I hit all the paces and it didn't seem so bad. I wasn't that sore and have been able to return to working out quickly. This week is another big week of training ~45 miles for the week, and I will conclude with yet another 20 miler. I, finally, get to race next week and am hoping for something good.
Back to Work
I've now been back to work two months and things are starting to fall into place. Those first couple of weeks were really rough. Anderson and I both battled some serious illness. We both had sinus infections. We both had pink eye. We had a cough that wouldn't quit. We both visited the doctor twice. And then one day we were better. Now every time I see a kid with snot all over his face at daycare I get nervous, but Anderson has been in preschool and child watch programs for years so hopefully we are over the initial sickness shock to our system.
Just a few weeks after I started at my job they informed us that we were moving offices to a different suburb. I was PISSED! I specifically chose this job over a different, probably, better option because it was walking distance from my house and I could keep the little one in his preschool. I was so upset that I even thought about calling the other company and seeing if I could continue with the interviews. But, I have decided to stay put. Yes, I will have to pull Anderson out of his preschool and put him in his daycare all day (which is one of the best preschools around, but not a Christian preschool like he is currently in) and yes, I will have to drive to my job now, but I have to give this a chance. It's good for me to get back in the game, refine my skills, and then decide what I will do in a few years once Anderson starts school.
In addition to the full-time job, I have continued to fill in time-to-time at the Y. It's kind of a pain in the butt, but I like it there, I'm comfortable there, I adore my manager there, and I also get to keep my reduced family membership. I have no plans on leaving and they have no plans on getting rid of me, so I'm sticking with it.
God's Watching Over Us
Probably the most stressful thing for the last several years has been finances. It's hard to be on one income and my part-time job paid for nothing. We thought me returning to work would allow us to live a little more comfortably and be able to do the things we wanted to do. But our dog getting sick really threw us for a loop. I have been scared out of my mind. Would I be able to do my marathon in March (it's out of town)? Would our vacations we planned this year be put on hold? Should we cut back on some of our expenses like TV, etc. (things you don't need but would struggle to live without)? But God's been watching over us. We did our taxes which is going to help out tremendously. And Dave got bumped from a flight this week that gave us big money in airline vouchers. So this month is still going to be a challenge as we pay off our credit card debt but barring any other craziness, life should return to normal soon.
- - - - - - - - - - -
So that's what new. Life has been busy. Life has been uncomfortable. We're managing. We're going to get through all of this and see the sunlight again. And I swear I will revive this blog with rainbows and puppies sometime soon.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Weekend
I was planning on an easy weekend. I didn't have to work at the Y; I had easy training; and the goal was to work on our bathroom remodel. Unfortunately, the weekend didn't go that way.
Friday afternoon was hectic. Anderson was tired, I was tired, and we were not getting along. There was a lot of yelling on both sides. Our dog, Sloopy, is a very nervous dog. With loud noises, especially yelling, she begins to shake and pants and wheeze. I noticed she was doing this Friday but didn't think anything of it. We snuggled her and babied her and went to bed as normal.
Saturday she continued to wheeze, which seemed odd. In addition, she wasn't really going anywhere. Usually she is my shadow and follows me everywhere. She just stood in one place and when she did move she was limping. Her back legs weren't working right. She looked like she was drunk. I was very concerned. We decided to take her to the emergency veterinarian.
They evaluated her there and the news was not good. She had a herniated disk in her back which would require surgery and shouldn't be a big deal, EXCEPT, our dog has a heart murmur and she would need to be seen by a cardiologist to determine if her heart was even strong enough to make it through surgery. Sloopy is only 7 years old and a member of our family so we had to give her a chance so we agreed to go forward with all of this. We had to leave a $4400 deposit up front.
The cardiologist evaluated her on Saturday evening and said her heart looked better than they thought so they approved her for surgery.
Sunday morning, the phone rang at 7:55am and it was the vet hospital. Sloopy had gotten worse overnight. She now no longer had function of her back legs. The possibility of recovery had dropped significantly. She needed surgery right away and even then may never be able to walk again or go to the bathroom by herself. Again, we agreed to have the surgery done. They did more test on her and did the surgery. We did not hear back again for nearly seven hours.
The update we got after the surgery is that she had a very bad herniation and because of the force of the hernia, her spinal cord had been badly bruised. They told us not to come that day, that she needed to rest and recover. A tech called us later in the night to let us know she was alert and responding and even told us she had moved her back legs.
This morning, though, the doctor called us to report there was no news. Sloopy was alert and happy and sitting up, however, she has not yet moved her back legs (unlike what the tech had told us) and she has not responded to any pain stimulus. The doctor said that's right where she should be, that only time will tell if she gets function of her legs back again. We get to see her today after work. Oh, and the financial people are probably gonna tell us we need to spend another $2000. (Guess, we'll be putting that camper up for sale!)
This has been extremely rough. Dave and I have cried all weekend. Our dog is not that old! We want her to come home with us and be the dog she was before. But we also have to make tough choices about what happens if she never regains mobility. And on top of all that is how all of this is explained to our son. He has been with us through all of this and we've been very delicate in our wording to help him understand what's going on without scaring him. I wish this didn't happen. I wish this nightmare would be over. I want my Sloopy girl to come home.
Saturday she continued to wheeze, which seemed odd. In addition, she wasn't really going anywhere. Usually she is my shadow and follows me everywhere. She just stood in one place and when she did move she was limping. Her back legs weren't working right. She looked like she was drunk. I was very concerned. We decided to take her to the emergency veterinarian.
The cardiologist evaluated her on Saturday evening and said her heart looked better than they thought so they approved her for surgery.
Sunday morning, the phone rang at 7:55am and it was the vet hospital. Sloopy had gotten worse overnight. She now no longer had function of her back legs. The possibility of recovery had dropped significantly. She needed surgery right away and even then may never be able to walk again or go to the bathroom by herself. Again, we agreed to have the surgery done. They did more test on her and did the surgery. We did not hear back again for nearly seven hours.
This morning, though, the doctor called us to report there was no news. Sloopy was alert and happy and sitting up, however, she has not yet moved her back legs (unlike what the tech had told us) and she has not responded to any pain stimulus. The doctor said that's right where she should be, that only time will tell if she gets function of her legs back again. We get to see her today after work. Oh, and the financial people are probably gonna tell us we need to spend another $2000. (Guess, we'll be putting that camper up for sale!)
This has been extremely rough. Dave and I have cried all weekend. Our dog is not that old! We want her to come home with us and be the dog she was before. But we also have to make tough choices about what happens if she never regains mobility. And on top of all that is how all of this is explained to our son. He has been with us through all of this and we've been very delicate in our wording to help him understand what's going on without scaring him. I wish this didn't happen. I wish this nightmare would be over. I want my Sloopy girl to come home.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
How to Wash Your Running Clothes
After much trial and error I have finally figured out how to wash my running clothes and get the stink out of them. Silly, I know, but they get stinky and good running clothes are expensive so you've got to make them last. I have tried every detergent known to man, including those fancy ones for workout clothes (made me break out), but finally Google gave me the answer.
First I soak the clothes in cold water with some cleaning vinegar. I usually do this for about 30 minutes unless I forget about setting a timer and forget I'm doing laundry (pretty typical) and then they may be in there for who knows how long. Then, after draining the washing machine, I wash them in warm water using Arm & Hammer baking soda detergent. Although the embedded yucky smell may not come fully out it's sooooo much better than it was.
And because a blog post without pictures is just plain boring I give you this...
My kid is sick for the third time in 7 weeks. Again! Daycare is kicking our ass. We just cannot keep him (or us) healthy.
First I soak the clothes in cold water with some cleaning vinegar. I usually do this for about 30 minutes unless I forget about setting a timer and forget I'm doing laundry (pretty typical) and then they may be in there for who knows how long. Then, after draining the washing machine, I wash them in warm water using Arm & Hammer baking soda detergent. Although the embedded yucky smell may not come fully out it's sooooo much better than it was.
And because a blog post without pictures is just plain boring I give you this...
My kid is sick for the third time in 7 weeks. Again! Daycare is kicking our ass. We just cannot keep him (or us) healthy.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
The magic circle, aka, the circle of death!
I have a new passion. Pilates. I have tried yoga in all different variations, but don't love it. But I am in love with pilates. Even better, I have discovered pilates on the reformer.
Sex toy? Exercise equipment? Torture device?
Our YMCA has a boutique location that has small, specialized classes that include pilates on the reformer. I have been going now for three or four weeks and the class size has been just me or one other person. I love it. I love the personal attention. I know I am doing it correctly and she has been tailoring the workouts to what I need as a runner. For example, last night.
I have mentioned to my instructor that I don't have a lot of hip strength and I would love to get my inner thighs tiny enough again to wear booty shorts while running. She listened. Last night we worked on inner and outer thighs as well as hip strength the whole.damn.class! It started with the magic circle, aka, the circle of death.
This magic circle is used in all kinds of torturous ways. Usually we put it between our ankles or our knees and squeeze it while we're doing all kinds of core exercises. Last night we used this almost the entire class. We also put our legs through it and used it to strengthen the outer thigh by pushing out with it while doing some other exercise. Oh, and she wasn't done there. We also stood on the reformer and the carriage and slid one leg out sideways with the springs on to strengthen the inner and outer thigh and hips. It was so hard and yet so awesome. I came out of the class with jello legs but feeling strong and ready to tackle the world.
Booty shorts!!!
I have mentioned to my instructor that I don't have a lot of hip strength and I would love to get my inner thighs tiny enough again to wear booty shorts while running. She listened. Last night we worked on inner and outer thighs as well as hip strength the whole.damn.class! It started with the magic circle, aka, the circle of death.
Circle of Death!
This magic circle is used in all kinds of torturous ways. Usually we put it between our ankles or our knees and squeeze it while we're doing all kinds of core exercises. Last night we used this almost the entire class. We also put our legs through it and used it to strengthen the outer thigh by pushing out with it while doing some other exercise. Oh, and she wasn't done there. We also stood on the reformer and the carriage and slid one leg out sideways with the springs on to strengthen the inner and outer thigh and hips. It was so hard and yet so awesome. I came out of the class with jello legs but feeling strong and ready to tackle the world.
Booty shorts!!!
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
2017 Plans
Yeah, yeah. It's the 10th of January and I'm just now blogging about my 2017 plans. I've got some goals, some big goals, but I'm going to keep those private for now. I'll let you know if I achieve them.
So, here are my plans athletically.
What are your thoughts on 2017?
So, here are my plans athletically.
- A couple of half marathons. I was thinking one next month, but I'm frozen to the bone. Winter running is stupid. I'll keep thinking.
- Early spring marathon. I would really like to qualify for Boston again. In 2018 it falls on my 40th birthday and I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate such a big milestone (who the hell would say that running a marathon for their birthday is fun?!?!) I have yet to sign up for the marathon, but I'm planning on the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach on March 19th. I haven't done a race yet in Virginia so this also checks that off.
- Aquathlons, aquathlons, aquathlons! Surprisingly there are three or four aquathlons in Ohio that are eligible towards USAT ranking points. I'm going to do as many as I can to help my ranking and to give me experience towards....Aquathlon Nationals. I've got some BIG BIG goals for this race. Nationals will be October 1st in Austin.
- Also some fun stuff like run 2000 miles (that'll never happen but I'll at least try for it), swim 200K yards, do pilates once a week, stop skipping strength workouts, continue to eat healthy foods, etc.
- Read more than 12 books. I know this is the same goal every year, but my Kindle is awesome and I read much faster with it. Now if I could just get the ebooks faster from the library.
- Take more pictures. I swear this is a goal I set every year for myself. I was making a Shutterfly calendar this week and struggled to find enough pictures from last year to put it together. Unfortunately, the memory is full on my phone right now and my laptop is on it's last breath and I really can't afford a new one so I'm not sure how I'm going to accomplish this.
- Be more present. Honestly, I am still really struggling with having put my kid in daycare to go back to work. It's been 6 weeks now and he still cried and throws a fit every time we go (although he does the same at the end of the day because he doesn't want to leave). When we come home I want to pay attention to him. I don't want to be on the treadmill leaving him to play by himself. I don't want to be on my phone reading Facebook. I want it to be family time. Truly, this has been hard. Aren't we all addicted to our phones and Facebook and Instagram (and for me, the TV)? As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer I think family time is going to become even more special.
What are your thoughts on 2017?
Monday, January 09, 2017
Eff this Sh!t!
When I was first starting out I loved winter running. I still love running in the snow but I used to be able to handle the cold temperatures like a champ. As I've gotten older, I don't really want to be in the cold. I hate the cold. Why DO I live in Ohio?
But, of course, I chose a March marathon to try to qualify for Boston so winter training it is. This weekend it was like 7 degrees and I had a two hour long run on the schedule. I was wearing...
Compression sleeves
Wool socks
Tights
Long sleeve base layer
Another long sleeve shirt on top of that
Jacket on top of that
Buff
Winter hat
Mittens
And I was carrying about 90 gallons of water on my back. At first I was hot - sweating within a few minutes. I quickly took my mittens down to gloves, took the Buff off my face, and unzipped my jacket a little. But, my legs were cold and my heart rate was jacked. I was shuffling along and it was sucking with every step. When I finally reached the light were I could turn around or keep going, I said fuck it and headed home. I had the biggest bitch fest when I got there that included me screaming, "I don't even want to do the fucking marathon! I have nothing to prove!"
I wound up with 4.3 miles and I am sore like I ran a half marathon. I'm probably going to try the run again today after work, but even though the weather is looking better, I think I'm going to take it inside to the treadmill.
Bite me, mother nature.
But, of course, I chose a March marathon to try to qualify for Boston so winter training it is. This weekend it was like 7 degrees and I had a two hour long run on the schedule. I was wearing...
Compression sleeves
Wool socks
Tights
Long sleeve base layer
Another long sleeve shirt on top of that
Jacket on top of that
Buff
Winter hat
Mittens
And I was carrying about 90 gallons of water on my back. At first I was hot - sweating within a few minutes. I quickly took my mittens down to gloves, took the Buff off my face, and unzipped my jacket a little. But, my legs were cold and my heart rate was jacked. I was shuffling along and it was sucking with every step. When I finally reached the light were I could turn around or keep going, I said fuck it and headed home. I had the biggest bitch fest when I got there that included me screaming, "I don't even want to do the fucking marathon! I have nothing to prove!"
I wound up with 4.3 miles and I am sore like I ran a half marathon. I'm probably going to try the run again today after work, but even though the weather is looking better, I think I'm going to take it inside to the treadmill.
Bite me, mother nature.
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