I lost my banana…

Today is a list kind of day…

1.  The other day I put a banana in my purse and walked to work.  I have no idea where it went between my apt and my office.  I went to grab it around 11 am and it was nowhere to be found.  I will admit that I *might* have eaten it and I just don’t remember.  Monday this happened with another banana and I asked my office mate.  He confirmed consumption of said banana.  So… not sure…

I love everything about this

2.  My summer project kicked off with a bang last Friday.  Whew!  The project involves all of my administrative weaknesses.  To say it’s been a challenge is an understatement.  I woke up at 4 am Thursday morning with a major panic attack.  I had made a mistake on Wednesday and at that point I was sure everything else was wrong, too.  I was breathing through it and it started to go away and then a whole new wave of panic hit.  I put on some soft music and continued to breathe.  I saw this last night and will repeat it:

I will say, this is a GOOD challenge for me.  Even despite how much my ADD brain struggles with/hates it.

3.  I went back to my running beginnings and purchased some Asics.  I got the Nimbus to be exact and I’m fairly certain I mentioned this already.  I’ve done a few runs in them on the treadmill and I do like them.  They kind of feel a little clunky compared to the Brooks Glycerins but the cushion is nice.  And they are a pretty mermaid green (not the actual name, mistake on their part) – always helps!

ooo – shiny

The toe box is wide enough for my flipper-like feet and I’ll probably take them out and about this weekend.  I still really like the Hokas though.  Or maybe I like the idea of the Hokas?  I’m thinking I should just give shoe experimenting a rest.  I just bought some Altras (they were on sale) and I ran in them for about 5 mins on the treadmill last night.  I am not convinced these are for me.  I do LOVE the wide toe box though so I might give them another shot.  Maybe.

3b.  I emailed the Hoka customer service to see if they come in a wider width and a) they got back to me within 2 hours – nice! and b) they suggested I try the Conquest or the Bondi 3.  They suggested an exchange but I didn’t buy my shoes through them and I’ve been wearing them.  Sooo, I will need to wait on this purchase.  But the hills are once again alive with my hopes!

4.  This race is coming up so quickly!  May 10th!  EEK!

5/3 riverbank 25k run

5.  I’ve actually gone to bed early a few nights this week.  As in, I turned the tv off at 10 pm and maybe checked out some pinterest for a bit then SLEEP.  Strange.  Part of this has been me failing asleep on the couch.  While not ideal, it does mean I am getting a few more zzz’s so I’ll take this as a first step.

6.  Saturday is the first day off I’ve had in two weeks.  I’m elated.  Sunday I need to come back to the office so I’m especially looking forward to the island in the stream.  Nothing fancy planned – laundry, a run – the basics.  But the day will be ALL MINE.

yay!

7.  Everyone has been put out by the rain this week.  Me?  Nope – reminds of WA during early spring!  I have wimped out and ran inside on my treadmill though.  For a couple of hours I decided the treadmill is making me a wuss since I run inside when the weather is kind of crummy.  Then I realized I would likely not run at all and once again came to the conclusion my treadmill purchase was a good one.

Just some random musings, I guess.  I feel like there was something of real substance I was going to include on this list but maybe that was just my banana story and shoe update.  Oh and the panic attack – when I share about these it helps me for some reason.  Not terribly exciting but you know life isn’t always giant bundles of hula hoops and glitter.  I’m good with that.

this is what you get when you search “hula hoops and glitter”

 

c’mon quad, give your calf buddy a hand

I’ve definitely jacked up my calf.  I am less than thrilled.

For the last month and half, my left calf has been bothering me.  It’s been really tight and I didn’t pay much mind to it.  I figured it would work itself out naturally.  WRONG!  On my ill-fated run in Indy (yes, I’m going to keep linking to this!) the last mile and half, my calf was screaming.  This is the reason I turned around – when I would attempt to run, it felt like my calf muscle was trying to break free from my leg.  It actually scared me a bit.

Unfortunately, because I was in a hurry when I got back, I didn’t stretch at all.  I did a decent job of cooling down as I walked to Baskin and Robbins that evening and walking to the restaurant for dinner.  However, the knot in my calf was displeased with me in the subsequent days.

the unhappy camper

Saturday, I headed out for a run and within the first few steps my calf was bothering me.  I hadn’t even gone a mile before I had to stop and stretch.  I proceeded to do this at each stoplight and it did help a bit.  I also noticed engaging my quads really helped.  Hmmm… perhaps I’ve been relying too much on my calves as my source of power while running?

My purely unscientific theory is running on the treadmill this whole winter has changed my stride a bit and I’m not using my bigger leg muscles much.  So, I picked up my knees and did my best to put my quads to work.  The good: I was running at a quicker pace.  The better:  it made my calf feel better.  The not so good: WOW!  It was exhausting!  Haha, these muscles certainly are not as strong – I see some squats and wall sits in my future!

hmm… this holds true for both my arms and legs…

It could also be time to retire my Brooks.  I’ve been wearing them since Oct?  Early Nov?  This includes all of the training for Dopey so they may be ready for greener pastures.  I do have my Hokas but I’m still on the fence as to whether or not these are MY shoes.  I keep going back for my Brooks when leaving for a run so I think this probably means something.

I foam rolled, stretched, iced, compressed and rested on Sunday.  I had plans to run but I realized this was a dumb idea.  I took Monday off as well and iced away.  Tuesday was a mentally taxing day at work and I had extra coffee and work stress coursing through my veins.  Part of me was screaming, “THE COUCH!  THE COUCH WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER!”  Then there was another part that was whispering, “what about a run?”  Somehow, the whispering part of me won out and I hit the streets.  I concentrated on lifting my knees and landing as close to midfoot as I could.

thanks for being there for me, couch!

Ta-da!  My calf felt much better during the run.  I also wore some compression socks and stretched 3 or 4 times at stop lights.  I wore newer shoes and spent some quality time working the knot out when I got home.  Funny enough, I had the energy to run 5 miles or more but I didn’t want to push it too much.  I think I ran somewhere between 4 and 4.5.  I originally thought I would only be able to run 3 so this made me happy!  A side note, picking my knees up is proving I’ve been shuffling about during my runs!  Just need to keep adjusting my form… and taking care of this little whiny calf!

is that runner-girl drunk?!

No, I wasn’t drunk.  But toward the end of yesterday’s 9 miler, I was kind of weaving so it looked like I was!

this is about how fast I was going too

I need to back up a bit…  Friday night I stepped on the treadmill fully prepared to run 5 miles.  Due to some sickness during the week, I hadn’t run since Monday and I felt it.  Also, pain killers were my friend this week and I think these added to my sluggish steps and made for this awful run.  My dad called at mile 2.6 and then I didn’t get back on the treadmill.

Soul-sucking run – Check!

nope. done.

I figured Saturday should be a redemption run, right?  I knew I wanted to go a bit longer but didn’t have a firm number in mind when I set out – yes, outside.  This was a huge help.  I felt pretty good in the beginning.  I ran up this giant hill and then ran around downtown.  I increased my speed for about a mile and half.  It felt great!

goooo Amy gooooo!

When I do my longer runs, I get nervous about speed since I want to have enough energy to finish.  I need to stop being so cautious since I’m never going to get faster unless I attempt to push it.  In theory this is the right attitude.  In practice, it sure is tough!

I did have to end up walking a little at three separate times.  I was kind of bummed but I know in a week or two, I won’t have to again so this is helpful.  My last mile and half I was bobbing and weaving like a drunken sailor.  I was BEAT.  My hip was hurting.  My ankle was hurting.  My legs were exhausted.  So, while I thought about hitting some double digits, it would only to be able to say, “I hit double digits!”.  It certainly wasn’t the smart thing considering my body was yelling at me to stop.  At least I listened.

I probably wasn’t exactly ready to run 9 miles.  Two weeks ago I did 8 and that felt MUCH better than yesterday’s 9.  I haven’t done enough during the week to support these longer runs and I know this is the way you get injuries.  My calves are TIGHT this morning.  I failed to foam roll/Tiger Tail last night and I’m regretting it today.  My plan is to hit a few more miles today since the weather is cooperating.  Not to mention, yesterday’s run was only marginally better than the aforementioned soul-sucking one so I need some good running mojo.

OH!  That reminds me – yesterday’s run also included a forceful headwind, some snow and chilly weather.  I swear my weather app completely lied to me, they made it sound like the conditions were much friendlier than they turned out to be.  So I warmed up on the couch with Simon and some Twilight – I needed a good movie marathon.

this is EXACTLY how I feel about movie marathons on tv!

my internet connection went on strike

For those of you who are new to these parts, I have lots of issues with my internet.  I’ve been put in “internet detention” more times than I like to count and sometimes the connection isn’t reliable.  However, I thought most of these first world troubles were behind me.  Insert evil laugh by my router.

this is my version of “foreshadowing”

The router’s shenanigans have been going on for days.  I did all I could to fix it (with my limited techy knowledge) and I read completely confusing directions on how I might be able to reboot it.  Umm… nope.  Finally, yesterday I bit the bullet and ordered a new one.  Naturally, when I got home 2 hours later it magically started working again.  I may have called this inanimate object some not-so-nice names.

Oh well.  Life has been moving along here.  Get this, yesterday it was in the upper 40’s and the sun was shining!  It was pretty amazing.  People were out in shorts and short sleeves.  Now, I don’t think it was quite warm enough for this but it was positively wonderful.  Everyone was in a much better mood too which was nice.

I’ve also been running.  Last Thursday I did 5 miles with some speed work.  You know how runners write they did 10×9309235 and this makes sense to people?  It has never made sense to me.  I mean, I got the overall theme but I didn’t understand how to put it into practice.  On Thursday, I just decided to run hard for a certain time length.  I picked 2 mins and pushed it.  Whew!  I think I did this 5 times?  Well, once I looked at the distance, I had gone .25 of a mile suddenly I understood!  So I did 5×200.  I think.

this is how I felt!

Friday I hit the treadmill again for 4 miles.  My goal here was to run each mile without a break in between.  When on the ol’ ‘mill, I have to pause and/or walk a lot more than when I’m running outside.  Or maybe it’s because there aren’t any natural stops on the treadmill, i.e. a stop light.  This was a good challenge for me!  I proved to myself I can run further than I anticipated and I got into a decent rhythm.

Saturday my legs were fatigued!  I decided going to Red Robin for french fries and campfire sauce was a much better option than running.  Sunday I accomplished 8 miles.  In order to get the miles in around campus I had to back track a bit and run up and down ALL OF THE HILLS.  I wish I was exaggerating!  Oh and then the headwind was really helpful.  I felt very pleased with myself when this was run was said and done.  There was one point at mile 6.5 where I pushing it up another hill.  My mind started screaming “uncle” and I started to halt.  But I kept trudging up that hill.  I wish I could say it was pure heart and determination, however, I’m certain it was muscle memory.

source

After the running, I’ve been stretching, foam rolling and doing a bit of ab work.  The ab work isn’t enough to make a major dent but I need a gateway to something more substantial.  The stretching and foam rolling are quite helpful with some twingy areas.  About 5 years ago, after a bad break up, I decided to see how many days I could go without a rest day (I also wasn’t eating much or sleeping – it was a great/healthy time).  I made it 20 days.  Back then, I hadn’t incurred any injuries yet which was only because I was a new runner.  I had no idea how to care for my runner body and never stretched.  My body looks back at those days and curses my silly ways!

And here is a cute gif of a pig

Hope your Monday was a good one!  Welcome Tuesday!

diy all the things!

Edited:  I looked up “diy gif” and there was one of a guy cutting off his thumb.  I’m hoping it was fake.  Nasty.

I’ve mentioned it before but when I get really into obsessed with something, I like to buy EVERYTHING all at once.  I have so many ideas running through my mind that I want to just dive in – of course I need all of the supplies, right?

ohhh yes, my glue gun is my new favorite tool!

*Sigh*.  Traditionally this leads to my partial downfall.  I will buy everything but then start to lose momentum.  Pretty soon, there are 1/2 started projects all around me.  They clutter up the place (even more) and I put off finishing them.  I’ve got all of the supplies after all, so I can do it anytime!  Fast forward and only 1/2 of them are done.  And some of the fun part is over with.  Boo.

Last night, I couldn’t sleep and thought of a really great idea for a mini makeover for my bedroom.  It will look neato when all finished.  But as I wrote about earlier, I purchased some canvases to paint my bird-branch-masterpiece.  I also picked up some paint to fix-up these small mirrors I have, the triangle banner isn’t hung yet, nor is the twine up that I will adhere pictures to.

Clearly, I have a problem!

So once I found the decor I wanted for my room, I was all ready to hit BUY.  Magically, I held off and committed to not buying it until I’ve finished a few of the other pending projects.  Big deal for me folks!  I’m very impatient person and this pre-buying everything was modeled for me by my mum.  We both have/had all of these amazing ideas and our brains are/were filled with creative ideas!  However, the follow through isn’t/wasn’t all that great.  I very much want to work on this since it’s one of the paths that lead to some of my hoarding in the first place.  Despite my major desire to purchase all the supplies, I’m holding strong to this idea of completing projects before getting everything for the new ones that are swimming around in my brain.

***Awkward transition***  Treadmill run again today.  Thankfully, it was a better than the one the other night.  I did some squats, burpees and some ab work to warm up my muscles.  I definitely think this was part of the problem the other night.  I fueled up with some caffeine as well.  I ordered the coffee protein drink Click a year back but never tried it (eek – recurring theme?!) until yesterday.  I didn’t it mix it well enough and the clumps were very slimy.  Today, I grabbed my alcohol shaker and it worked like a charm.  The boost of energy is appreciated as is the extra protein.  Just don’t drink the bottom dredges when you are almost finished – this is where the slimy chunks live.

this is familiar but still grateful!  I wouldn’t be running at all without my trusty tready!

I’m not one of those people

Breaking news:  this morning I was one of those people who forgot to eat.  Trust me, this NEVER happens.  But I got into work and started working on a project.  And was drinking coffee.  At 11 am, I was suddenly very hungry and realized I forgot to eat my almond/coconut Kind bar.  First of all, this in itself is astonishing considering I love me my Kind bars.  Second, I don’t forget to eat.  This concept is quite odd to me.  Third, it’s probably been 7 years since I last forgot to eat breakfast.  I suddenly feel lost.  WHO AM I?

Why didn’t I eat it straight-away after this realization?  I was meeting my friend for lunch at 11:45 at Panera so there wasn’t really a point.  Although I was nervous that later on I wouldn’t be able to feel full.  This used to happen to me all the time when I didn’t eat in the morning.  I wouldn’t eat until 1 pm or 2 pm and then proceeded to eat the rest of the day/evening.  Whenever anyone asks me how I lost weight in the first place, my answer is always, “I started eating breakfast”.  Really, this changed my eating habits on a permanent basis.

Anyway, back to how I originally started this post.  Not quite sure why I’ve gone all radio silent this past week.  I could blame it on feeling completely exhausted every night after getting home from work.  I could also blame it on some writer’s block.  Then there is the fact I was feeling lazy and falling into a napping habit.  Or because I’ve been taking my meds in the middle of the day in an attempt to make my dosage 12 hours apart.

Hmm… these are all fairly accurate reasons.  So there you go.

Thankfully, these reasons haven’t kept me from running.  I’ve been sticking with my plan pretty well with only a missed run here and there.  Remember – this is good for me!  I did decide to skip the 1/2 this past Sunday.  It snowed the night before (4′) and was a combo of frozen roadways and a freezing morning.  Not to mention, I woke up late and with a headache.  All of these made for running 2 and 1/2 hours seem incredibly less appealing.  I don’t regret my choice although I do feel a bit wimpy.  My treadmill and I are super good buddies at this point.

I also created some art!  I had a bit of help but here is the finished product:

It’s hanging in my living room and definitely helps with some necessary color.  Naturally, now all I want to do is CREATE!  I purchased three more canvases in hopes of painting this:

or at least something fairly close

Thank you pinterest, for ever fueling my project endeavors.

Last oddball thing:  for some reason I’ve started saying “oil” in a Southern accent.  I looked for gif or video to help explain this but to no avail.  I think the best way to describe it is, I say “uhl” – I’m not sure where the “o” or the “i” went.  I’m from WA state.

It’s very strange I tell ya.  I have no idea where this came from!

“lazy, lazy, lazy, lazy, lazy, lazy jane.

She wants a drink of water so she waits and waits and waits for it to rain.”  For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Shel Silverstein, the poem “Lazy Jane” is his (it’s in Where the Sidewalk Ends).  I’ve had it memorized since third grade.  Impressed with my skills?!

you shouldn’t be… I was too lazy to look up the poem and thought I had it memorized correctly. I definitely missed a few “lazys” along with some “waits”. Classic me.

Yesterday I said I was going for a run.  Well, I didn’t.  I feel a bit guilty about this considering I know there are others out there who WISH they could be out running but can’t for some reason or another.  But I didn’t want to.  And I was feeling lazy.  I didn’t want to  get all sweaty.  I was productive around my apt and then sat around for a while.  Then I was productive again and by that time the running motivation left me.

This probably wasn’t the best life choice since the 1/2 marathon (that I mixed up the dates) is this Sunday.  And get this – it’s supposed to be in the balmy range of 6-17*.  Eww.  For the record, I hadn’t even looked at the 10 day forecast until now and I’m thinking I shouldn’t have.  Good thing I’m giving one of my friends a ride to the race or there is a chance I would skip it.  I also convinced another friend to run it so how crummy would it be if I didn’t show up?!  Amy… REMEMBER THE T-SHIRT AND MEDAL!  And the feeling of accomplishment of course – can’t forget that when I’m feeling like a human popsicle.

seriously Rose – there was totally room for both of you. It was a decent size piece of wreckage and with a bit of kicking could have supported you both! And Jack – c’mon dude, you don’t need to be a martyr!

I need to get over the aforementioned guilt though.  It was my choice and feeling guilty only makes me resent running a bit.  Like it’s something I’m obligated to do rather than something I enjoy doing.  I feel guilty about a lot of things so it’s something I need to work on… Anyway, there are miles on the agenda today and although my motivation is wavering I’m looking forward to it.  I’ve also decided to commit to Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and some cross training.

Beginning tomorrow (hopefully in the morning!  I am going to give up my snooze button – ha!  My snooze button and I are in a long-term relationship so it’s going to be a tough break up.) I’m starting the 30 Day Shred.  Here is the current state of my arm muscle.

I didn’t take a crappy pic for a “woe is me”. The heat is broken in my apt and it was all I could do to bare my arm even this much!

Yes, I am flexing…

This is the only picture I will post of the current state of my muscles.  I think I have one muscle in my stomach and possibly another one in back – maybe.  I’ve also taken all of my measurements so I can actually feel and see some progress.  I do much better with knowing progress is happening.  During Dopey training I didn’t put any effort into strength training.  I find I undervalue it and don’t pay much mind to the positive effect it would have on my running.  I know, people are screaming about the benefits from the rooftop about the benefits but I am good with denial.

So there it is.  Running the miles tonight and Jillian tomorrow morning.  On my training plan, I also have speed work which I will be doing in the eve.  If my calculations are correct, it is going to be painful considering Jillian will have kicked my booty.  If I live to tell the tale, you will be the first to hear about it!

hmm… the first two are definite possible options!

Are you good with cross training?

Do you feel guilty when you don’t run because you simply don’t feel like it?  Or do you push your way through the feeling and go?

running and birthday-ing

Last week I took a running and blogging hiatus.  I didn’t plan on it nor did I do it on purpose.  My birthday was on Monday (wahoo!) and then the rest of the week I was plagued with migraines.  Thankfully, I am feeling better this week and have jumped back on the running train.

Monday, 2/3 was the start of my plan with my running coach.  Sooo, having to admit to her that I didn’t get any running in was embarrassing.  I almost admitted I did a run on 2/2 but considering it had been a miserable 2 miles I decided not to even bother.

Jamie’s a way better coach than this!

Jamie was really sweet about it though.  She is the type of person/coach who you don’t want to disappoint.  This works WAY better for me than someone screaming in my face.  I also decided to watch some nature documentaries during my treadmill runs which is actually highly entertaining!  I start yelling and cheering for whichever animal is being highlighted.  I do get slightly heart-broken when a poor creature becomes a meal.

I’m fairly certain my cheers saved the sloth from the giant “jungle eagle”

And my first round of speed work was also on the docket.  Yep, no joke.  I’ve seen my treadmill speed average increase since I got back from Dopey.  What I like about speed work in general is when you pump up the number to run faster bringing it back down again feels so much easier.  Even if originally that lower speed felt tough.  Speed work can definitely display improvements or make me believe I’m improving!

As I mentioned, my birthday was last week.  I always get thoughtful around this time.  I evaluate my life and sometimes I base my life on a very unrealistic scale!  This year, I worked to put a new year into perspective.  It was helpful!  The weekend right before my birthday and then this past weekend, I’ve been spending a lot of time overhauling my apt.  Get this:  I FINALLY got rid of the last cardboard box from my move!  Big deal my friends, big deal.

I also have an overly filled car waiting to be dropped off at Goodwill and some items for consignment.  There are more clothing items to corral, too.  Clothes are one of the tougher things for me to get rid of.  I’ve watched some of my friends go through their clothes and they are some quick little whippersnappers!  Not me!  Then there are some other things that my mom gave me or remind me of her and those can’t go in one of the give-away piles either.  Medium-sized steps are still steps though so I’m happy.

Hope you had a nice Valentine’s Day and happy weekend!

how is it possible NOT to appreciate a snow day?!

Alright, I don’t have wee small children so I am guessing having the whole day to myself is probably a little different from attempting to entertain the kiddies.  Especially when going outside freezes their face “that way”.

I, on the other hand, embraced a snow day with open arms!  Yes, I still needed to work a bit but it was from home, on my couch, snuggled in a blanket.  It was wonderful.

this is how it felt  as I was working

Yesterday, I worked, cuddled with Simon while taking a nap and then did some running!  Wahoo!  The couch’s siren call is much greater than my treadmill’s but I got it done.  I did 6.2 miles and there were a few surprises:

1.  It was the longest I’ve run since Dopey.

2.  When I first started running, I almost felt like I had forgotten how!  I ran last week so this was a weird new calf learning how to walk thing.

or a dog in socks

3.  I did some running in my Hokas.  At first it was very strange.  I mean they are comfortable and not heavy at all, just different.

4.  After running in them for about a mile and half it started to feel more normal.  Usually, I’m a bit stop and go on the treadmill but I fell into a decent rhythm.  I’m going to credit the shoes.

5.  I did four miles in the Hokas, after doing the first two in my Brooks.  I don’t think I will run much more than that at a time until they are broken in a bit more so my feet and legs get accustomed.

used this to ice my wonky ankle

6.  I can’t quite tell if the shoes are too big or not.  I tried them on at the Disney expo and the woman who fit me said “these feel about right”.  Is this a definitive answer?  Am I over thinking this?  They feel big but let’s face it, these shoes don’t look the most streamlined so I can’t tell.  I ordered a pair of 8’s so I can do a comparison to the 8.5.  At first, I felt my heel slipping out but once I tightened the laces it was better.  Enter some neurosis about wanting the PERFECT shoe.  Seriously, it’s an illness.

7.  I got to look at my beautiful organizational handiwork!

ooo – so pretty!

I know folks talk about how they lose fitness and whatnot if they aren’t running much.  Yesterday’s run felt great and the lack of pressure was welcomed with open arms.  I didn’t realize how much I fixated on the challenge with every run.  Many thoughts that consisted of, “if you can’t run x distance today how are you going to run 48.6?” or “if you don’t do this run you are never going to make it through the whole weekend!”  You know, lots of self-support going on there!

But things have changed.  As previously mentioned, Mile 14 changed my running world a bit and gave me the boost of ego that I needed!  Oh look, this picture just happened to fall into this post!

I might actually frame this

Happy winter y’all!