TwentySixPointWhat?

1 Mile - Warm-up @ 2:14 min/lap 1/2 Mile - alternating 100's 1/2 Mile - grapevines 1/2 Mile- alternating 100's 1/2 Mile - cool down 1 1/4 Mile - run home Wasn't feeling it but ran some amazing 100's - need to work out a real speed workout but must focus on building my base for GW...sleepy now

Really didn't want to but with a marathon coming up in less than 3 weeks.. well, 2 1/2 weeks now I talked myself into ergging tonight. Was it worth it? Who knows but I do feel a lot less nauseous than I did yesterday, despite feeling the need to take it easy due to said nauseousness. I'm thinking that it was those damn brownies made with old applesauce... and then left on the counter at room temperature for a day...or two.. remind me not to do that one again anytime soon.

Ran the usual loop tonight - minus 1/2 on the track - 6.7 - as I ran two loops on the trail instead. This getting dark early crap still bugs me; but it was an absolutely glorious night for a run. I wish that I were feeling better so that I could run longer and harder. It's always a catch, remembering not to overdo it and push too hard. That's what Thursday's are for, speed work and hills. Tuesday's are for relaxed mid-distance runs. -1/2 up Hanover -1.5 - 2 loops on trail -1/2 down Hanover -4.2 - loop through downtown Still feeling nauseous whenever I eat; a coworker asked if I could be expecting, and not to take offense to her question.. my response.. not offended..i wish that were a possibility. back to our regularly scheduled program.

perhaps one of the best things that I've read lately: The road is my church. Sweat is my prayers. Running is my religion.

Hit 11.0 today- Woke up with enough time to down some oats and coffee and chat with S- before realizing the time and rushing out to meet the group. Passed them on Hanover on my way to the front lot. It was brisk but beautiful; the perfect morning for a run! Ankle held up; who could ask for anything more? Dressed a bit over my comfort zone but as my top was fleece it was breathable and not too unbearable. Met with Bev for some personalized yoga this afternoon and we developed a strategy to loosen my tight muscles and worked on breathing exercises. Tomorrow is a rest day; I'm thinking that it'll be a swimming day if I have anything to say about it. Getting nervous about having the base to have a comfortable GW marathon on 17 FEB...this one is in the hands of the gods.

Met the group at Hyperion at 0-dark hundred...0730 to be exact. Temperatures hovering right around 27 degrees and the sky was a bit overcast. Opted for pants and a long sleeve poly & gloves. I didn't seem to settle in to the run and actually feel the kick until about 5 miles in, again... However we were laying down some pretty fast miles and gabbing away. Got a stitch which dissipated when I shut my trap and well I was able to sprint up William to a perfect 6.5 finish . Felt really good until about an hour ago when my sugar dropped and exhaustion from overexposure hit. Need a nap but too much work to do - let's see if this break helps. Got 12 on the schedule for tomorrow AM...then Monday is a rest day.

Ran 6.0 today - 1/2 up Hanover to the track and then 6 loops on the shell path..hopped up on the track for alternating 100's and then 1/2 home. Weather was absolutely perfect; crystal blue sky and 30 degrees. Managed to brushburn my legs from the seams on my shorts; need to remember to body glide them next time. It was a gorgeous day for a run! I'm getting stronger - which is a very GOOD thing!

Hello Moon! So after no activity yesterday I decided to do a bit of speed work tonight. 1/2 mile up Hanover to the trail, 3/4 mile loop and then a series of 100's - sprints, side-steps and then sprints again which cumulated with a relatively fast 1 mile 'cool down' after which I took my sorry, LATE butt home! I'm feeling really good, all of this cross training seems to be paying off - the test will be when I attempt the 10 miler on Sunday. I'm anxious to see if I've lost my base and if my foot is actually 'healed' - Fingers AND toes crossed on this one!

Tonight ended up being absolutely perfect for an outside run, with a splash of speedwork thrown in but..yeah, I decided to be disciplined and rather than follow my old ways of overdoing it I went to the stinky gym instead. I ergged for a 10k in 50:12; with the equivalent of a sprint every 2250m. It was actually invigorating to keep a steady pace of ~2:20/500m and then pick it up to ~1:55/500m. Maybe it's my body getting used to the motion but it is certainly more enjoyable than last week. Hopped into the pool afterwards and remembered my nose plugs. It's ironic that I haven't swum freestyle in over a week and well, I managed quite well. Except for the caveat that I could not swim a full lap without feeling like I needed to wet myself. After consulting with my running partners, I decided that no it's not okay to pee in the pool... grrrr!

Ran 6.3 miles this morning - temperatures hovering below 20 degrees but the sky a brilliant shade of blue. As I set off on my run I was debating my selection of clothing; this was my first run this season in below freezing temperatures. There is a certain beauty in a crisp winter morning that is unparalleled. D- bagged on me, but I didn't mind. I needed some alone time to sort out my thoughts and to gain some perspective. This morning I was thinking about perseverance. There was an older gentleman in his pine green sweat suit, walking on the canal path with a walking stick. He had the biggest smile on his face and it was obvious that he was clearly enjoying himself. I had to draw inward and appreciate the simplicity of joy itself. Today was a good day!

Today was an off day and so well, yeah, didn't do any form of organized physical activity. I cleaned my house and raked my yard instead.. nevermind that it was well below freezing outside. sleepy tired.. zoinks!

Woke up this morning just in time to hear a loud >>...pop...<< and then my electricity went...no coffee.. no heat.. nada. decided that then was just as good a time as any to waddle to the gym for my 10k erg. I was draggin' and it showed. Forgot my nose plugs again, so ended up water running and then doing a butt load of rescue pulls, which I might add, are not easy after having just rowed a freakin' 10k!

And...she's back.. ran 3.5 tonight and then spun for a 1/2 hour. Felt amazing.. don't want to push it but also don't want to remain on the sidelines for the next week either. Will start again on Monday!

Too Cold to Exercise? Try Another Excuse

Last night I canceled swimming. I couldn't seem to muster up the energy to drag myself to the pool. Found out yesterday morning that IT's NOT A STRESS FRACTURE!!! WHooHOooo! Looks like this little girl will be running this come Monday! I know that I said that I would wait until 26 JAN to run again, but the rules have changed with this very poignant piece of information. I ergged again tonight. I feel like I've been hit by a truck but I know that all of this cross-training will be a huge pay-off come the end of the Spring race season. I forgot my nose plugs tonight so instead of swimming laps I focused on treading water and rescue pulls instead. whew.. time for sleep.

Canned the workout last night in favor of wings and beer with an out of town friend. Busted my butt tonight ergging for 10k - I've got blisters and the sore muscles to prove just how out of shape with relation to other sports that I've become. This cross training is really going to be a good opportunity to keep myself injury free!

Does Exercise Really Keep Us Healthy?

Woke up just after 8 AM this morning ...this no running is starting to cramp my 'early riser on the weekends' style. Sat outside with signs and goodies for the group as they ran by. It's really difficult not running - I miss it more than anyone realizes and not running is killin' me. But a promise I did make, so 26 JAN is my goal. Threw down an hour in the pool, WITH nose-plugs! I can swim a full length of the pool before I start to panic with regards to not having enough air. This will be my tasker - practice, practice, practice! Banquet was tonight - D & I had some good laughs but other than that the evening was completely uneventful.

Today has been one for the record books if ever I lived one. First, I met the group out at Pickett's for a ride on my new bike....schweeet, right?! Got my left shoe clipped in and well, it got stuck. D- suggested that I ride her bike so we exchange shoes, wearing one of each other's shoe. Rode to the cannons and on the way back I clipped in to her bike with my right foot and got that one stuck. We managed to get that one unstuck and headed on our merry ways home. Well, my adventure wasn't over....apparently it's not okay to go 30 mph in a 25 mph zone, even if you are going down one big-ass hill and to maintain 25 mph would require operator to ride her brakes all the freakin' way. That's about all that I'm going to say about that! (insert a lot of unladylike words here) I was ready to be done for the day and it wasn't yet noon when I saw that my new goggles had arrived... yahoo! Points forward toward a positive attitude here! Decided to throw d

Quite an extraordinary woman.. her final words to her husband..via letter should anything go wrong. "Please know I am quite aware of the hazards," she said. " I want to do it because I want to do it . Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others."

After driving around the parking lot for over twenty minutes, looking quite the site as my hands flew off the steering wheel multiple times in exasperation as one after another I lost many parking spots to other patients. I finally made it to my appointment fifteen minutes late, which included the twenty minutes of circling the parking lot and then walking to the hospital entrance and then getting lost in the hospital...being on-time is a lost cause! No news until Monday, however, I'm a bit concerned that the initial scan was of the top of my right foot, not the injured left....something just wasn't right about that technician. Maybe they shouldn't leave older male techs with much younger female patients which isn't to say that he wasn't professional, because he most certainly was, but that I think he took the wrong image... oops. Got a new tri-bike from K- today. I'm very fortunate to have such amazing friends! tomorrow I set out for her maiden voyage with

Tonight I went rock climbing. Was very apprehensive about coming down off the wall wrong. This all could have been avoided if I would have just sucked it up and paid to top-rope.. but I'm a cheapo and well, only budgeted $10 to climb.. and when the not so kind clerk refused to give me the reduced student rate of $7 I refused to pay and therefore bouldered for $9 instead. Yes, I have a huge amount of my father's stubbornness flowing in these veins. As a result, my shoulders ache from depending on them to carry me because I couldn't trust my legs to support me for already mentioned reasons. Silly me. Off to sleep.. got to go get radioactive tomorrow.

Swam for an hour this evening after tutoring. Today really just wasn't my day. First, I receive news that the x-rays were inconclusive and am now scheduled for a bone scan on Friday and then while swimming tonight I see my crazy ex sweating away on the stair stepper. WTF!! Swimming was good - had nothing in the tank. Need to figure out how to keep enough fuel in my system to give me the energy to stay alert. Noticed that at the end I felt a rush of endorphins very similar to a six or seven mile run. Must be the endurance athlete in me....I don't kick in until an hour in? More thoughts on that to come.

Saw the doctor this morning and discovered that it's not a torn AFTL but rather a freakin' stress fracture...or so we think. Spent the better part of this absolutely glorious afternoon getting poked and prodded...radiated and manipulated. Fortunately I have an understanding boss and was able to take the afternoon off to effectively deal with all the emotions associated with such terrible news. Waiting on the results which should come tomorrow...

I've agreed to see the doctor tomorrow regarding this defective ankle. Threw down an hour in the pool - Still not up to par but much more comfortable in the water.

But First, Doctor, What Was Your Marathon Time?

After a bit of research I think that I've discovered the root of my pain - a torn anterior talofibular ligament ( AFTL ) - a.k.a...a common sprain. I'm finally listening and am currently icing & elevating the damn thing... RICE anyone? Taking the week off - MON - Swim TUES - Walk - grrrrrr! WED - Swim THURS - Climb FRI - Swim SAT- RUN!?!?!?!? maybe bike? SUN - 14 planned!!!

Ran 13.0 this morning. Started at UMW fields, down through Alum Springs and up to Lee Drive. It was raining and miserable....even after 11.5 hours of sleep I didn't want to get out of bed and again was questioning my sanity. My head was a bit cloudy with a residual headache, which was probably a result of the brick yesterday...dehydration anyone?! D- and I started out with the group but fell back and kept to our own pace. It was a shitty run and I knew that if I weren't meeting a group I would have probably stayed in bed. We ended up walking a fair bit as my ankle started screaming at me. Oy Vey! Taking the week off and concentrating on swimming and climbing. K & C won't allow me to do sprint work on Tuesday and for once I will listen and give myself some time off to ensure a good long run next Sunday.

Ran 4.5 today and then swam for an hour. Ran to Hyperion and ran with K- We got to talking and forgot about our speed, etc. Rumor has it, and according to a Garmin named 'steve', we laid down a 7:52 mile...damn! I kicked it up and pulled my sorry butt to the gym and played in the water for an hour. Right about the time that my muscles started to Cramp I realized that I needed to get out of the water and get some eatin'...didn't necessarily happen right away and as a result I was completely useless for the rest of the afternoon. Watched a movie and then tucked myself in just before 8:00 PM.

Swam for just under an hour tonight. Had to stop before the buzzer due to unexpected cramping in my calves. Who knew that treading water would take so much out of me?!

Ran 4.5 tonight in the absolute bitter cold. I had to keep reminding myself that I 'LIKE ' the cold..the cold is my friend ...I am a cold weather kind of girl. For the first 30 seconds into my run, any passerby would most likely be chuckling at my self-chastisement; 'quit being such a sissy', 'F@&K, it's cold!', 'shut-up and just get on with it!', 'you're such a goddamn sissy!', 'get your ass up the freakin' hill!'. But once I hit the track I remembered why it is that I push myself out the door when those with a bit more sanity stay inside. For the next two miles I was throwing down negative splits and had the perpetual grin, which I've come to be known for, plastered on my face. So, rather than quit the track for the sidewalk, I bartered with myself...give me a good mile of 100's and we'll call it a day. Threw down 1.5 of 100's, including multiple negative splits and then meandered home. My ankle s

Ran 10.7 as a New Year's gift to myself. Felt good, ankle felt good. Started at Pickett's and ran Bubba then hit the trails back to Dizzy for some H2O and then ran to Hamilton's Crossing. Tried to attempt a brick but discovered that the gym was closed for the holiday. grrrrrr. Registered for GWBirthday Marathon today, too. 17 FEB...here I come!