I think I’ll remember my own LIFE

So, the hip still hurts, but nowhere near as awful as it felt Saturday and Sunday.  However, my trainer and I agreed I should lay off the running the rest of this week.  Yay permission to slack off!

So, in order to celebrate this, I went to the gym and did an arm workout instead.  I’m such a loser.  (I promise I’m taking tomorrow off though!)

I’m also incredibly weak.  It’s crazy how hard lifting can be after not doing it for a week or two.  I felt like spaghetti arms there!  But I did manage to do a full 3 sets of pull-ups and dips (um…ASSISTED pull-ups and dips…I love that machine) so I always feel strong after that haha. 

I also got to get Oscar today after work.  He’s ridiculously fat again (he’s so cute when he’s all roly poly).  I know why he LOVES going to my friend’s house whenever I go out of town.  They feed him SO MUCH FOOD and he LOVES it.  I thought I had given them enough food to last him through until Thursday or Friday (I always add a few extra days in case something awful happens to me), and they ran out of it this morning and had to supplement his food with some milkbones. 

I had to laugh when I saw him this afternoon.  Seriously…he looks like a fat little sausage.  Even K laughed and called him a fattie.

He’s also super tired (they wear him out making him run around outside all day), so I’m currently holding him in my lap listening to him snore.  Love the little booger.  I really do.  I hate leaving him behind when traveling.

Unfortunately, this past weekend was just the beginning of my traveling.  I will be driving home to New Jersey EVERY weekend in May.  Sigh. 

I have a bunch of wedding things I have to do for L’s wedding, a family portrait I have to attend (I may just ask J and L to hold a picture of my head or something haha), and a wedding to participate in.  Super busy month. 

I’m kind of annoyed.  May is my favorite racing month in Richmond and there are 3 races I wanted to do…but can’t do any of them since I won’t be around.  Sigh.

However, starting next week…my trainer and I are going to work out my training plan for September’s half marathon in Philly….super excited! 

Anyone want to join me????

I honestly can’t tell if I’m disappointed with this race or not.  A few weeks ago, I had been hoping for a 3 hour-ish finish time.  Then, after getting sick and not being able to breathe, I was kind of just hoping for a finish finish.  But I’ve felt better the past few days and could actually breathe again, so I thought maybe I could do better than I thought.  However, I also haven’t done much running in the past two weeks (after my last long run in Jersey, I’ve only run 2 times…for a grand total of 5 miles…because I couldn’t breathe AT ALL when running).  So, I had to take that into consideration.

Then, the hills.  I understand Nashville is located in the mountains.  However, I apparently didn’t really comprehend what that meant.  Especially when the race is billed as “faster and flatter”.  If this is “flatter”, I’m glad I never ran this race in the past.  It was INSANELY hilly.  As in, you run about a quarter mile straight up hill, then another quarter mile straight downhill, and maybe about 50 feet of flat ground before you start up the next hill. 

I did NOT do anywhere NEAR enough hill training for this race.  As evidenced by cramping calf muscle starting at MILE 3 (Hello…RIDICULOUSLY early in a race to have cramping).  Also, what marathon doesn’t have some sort of icyhot, bengay, anything to put on cramps???  I stopped every few miles and used ice cubes to numb my calf until I could move on it again.  It threw off my stride quite badly though, and around mile 12.5, I felt this horrible popping sensation in my hip flexor and this sharp pain ran all the way up my side and back down my leg.  

It was excruciating pain and then it went numb, but in a painful way.  If that’s even possible!  I almost fell on my ass at that point, and I’m pretty sure I started crying.  I forced myself to keep moving and not give up so close to the finish.  I even managed to run it in for the last half mile (although I’m pretty sure my finisher’s picture is going to look like I’m taking a poop and crying at the same time from the lovely grimace on my face). 

I managed to snag a bag of ice and spent the next 20 minutes with the ice bag pressed to my groin.  I looked hot. 

However, after all that, I still felt about 100 times better than I did after the Virginia Beach half marathon, so I can’t complain too much. 

It ended up taking me about 3 hours and 30 minutes, which is a lot slower than I had hoped for, yet at the same time, when I take into consideration the crazy hills and how hot it was today, I feel like I should be satisfied with that time (I’m not really…but I feel like I should be). 

Also, it’s over a 12 minute PR.  So I can’t complain too much right?

Yay we’re in Nashville! 

First thing I did when we got to the hotel?  Slip on the tiled floor and almost fall flat on my ass.  Just what I need.  Get to Nashville and break my leg or something.  Lucky I caught myself and didn’t actually fall.  But seriously. 

Anyways, second thing we did…ate some super yummy barbecue.  Seriously.  Super yummy.

If you go to Nashville, go to Blackstone Brewery.  And drink their beer.  It’s fantastic! 

Anyways, I’m super exhausted…so sleeping early tonight and touring tomorrow! 

So, I do NOT have pnuemonia, yay!  Nor do I have lung cancer.  Both are fantastic news.

I am now medically cleared to run the half marathon…let’s just hope I can actually PHYSICALLY run the half marathon. 

The doctor does think that I have exercise induced asthma (like I had as a kid) so she made me do all sorts of breathing tests and took x-rays of my chest. 

Then she prescribed an inhaler for me to use and see if it helps. 

So, hopefully I’ll be able to actually run this weekend.  Even in the unseasonably warm weather in Nashville! 

Anyways, 2 more days till we go to Nashville!  And, Viper even pointed out a fun thing to look for during the race.  Crazy ass man. 

So, I was told I’m boring.  Apparently all I write about is running, pooping, and my dog. 

Sadly, that’s pretty much all I actually do/think about…so I have nothing else to talk about.  My bad. 

However, in an attempt to be different, I will talk about my awesome weekend.  I slept in late on Saturday and didn’t have to be up until 8AM!!!  Super excited.  Then K and I went to the west end and did a 3 mile MS walk.  It was partially sponsored by my company so our team got lots of fun stuff.  We got nice T-shirts and hats and a super cool Coleman flashlight/lantern combo thing.  I’m pretty sure it’s left over from the merchandise sales we do twice a year, but whatever, it was free and it was nice.  Then after the walk they fed us yummy barbecue and hotdogs.  I love southern barbecue.  yummm…

I was slightly moronic and forgot that the sun is out from 9:30-11AM (the time I was outside) so my arms and one side of my neck got slightly sunburnt.  Idiot.  But nothing too bad (it’s already pretty much faded).
After the walk we went to the chili cookoff at the racetrack which is basically just a big outdoor fair/concert type thing.  While there we got to play basketball (the thing they have in arcades) in front of the army boys (they let us play twice so they could stare at our cleavage longer)…seriously.  We watched the scantily clad girls of Taboo get paid $1 to spank people.  Kind of creepy considering it was a family oriented type place.  Ate no chili, but did eat some AMAZING funnel cake and fries!  And drank some yummy beer. 

What a wonderful afternoon.  Then hung out with some friends that evening.

Sunday was pretty much uneventful.  Did some laundry and designed (and made) a pair of fingerless gloves that I will be giving to a friend to sell at her tent at festivals.  Sweet!

All in all…it was exactly the type of weekend I needed to feel better.

Now back to my regularly scheduled programming:

Speaking of running…Nashville is this Saturday!  I’m so freaked out.  It doesn’t help I’m still feeling sick, and can’t breathe AT ALL.  I tried running a short run over the weekend and hacked up a lung along the way.  I’m really not getting better.  Sigh.  So, now I’m super concerned what is going to happen this weekend.  (I am going to Patient First tomorrow to make sure nothing is seriously wrong before I attempt to run 13 miles this weekend). 

However, I’m super excited to go to Nashville!  I seriously can’t wait!  Yay leaving Thursday morning!

I just hope I can manage to run more than I think I will be able to.  If things go as they did this weekend, I will be able to run about a mile before I have to pull off to the side and die.  So we’ll see how that goes.  Sigh. 

Anyways, hope everyone is having a wonderful week!  Wish me luck…I’m totally going to need it!!!!

I am having a FANTASTIC taper week.  To bad taper week isn’t supposed to start until NEXT week.  Sigh.

I did at least force myself to go running today.  However, I also had to take little O to the vet to get his butt poked at again so I only had about half an hour to run. 

And it was cold and raining super hard.  I admit I love to run in the rain, but since I’m still feeling sick, and I wasn’t going to have time to change before going to the vet, I forced myself to run on the treadmill. 

It was as awful as I remembered. 

I ran for 30 minutes, so I only managed to run 3 miles (but hey…I’m apparently MUCH faster on a treadmill than I am outside).  However, it did feel good to be running again, and even though I was having major issues breathing, it was just nice to have my legs moving again.

Tomorrow will hopefully be a 7 mile run, and I just need to figure out how to work in another 7 miles on Saturday (I have a 3 mile MS walk in the morning, and then a concert that afternoon).  THEN…I can begin my REAL taper week.

Oh, and on some exciting happy news…I have a new cousin girl!  Congrats C and J! 

Anyways, have a fantastic day!

Yeah, still feeling like poop.  Not a fan. 

Then, today at work totally sucked.  I arrived at work to find out a coworker (that I actually LIKED) passed away over the weekend in a car accident. 

It basically just ruined the whole day and I’m in a terrible mood. 

And being sick didn’t help. 

So, there is no running or gym workout today (um…not being able to breathe is also a key factor in not working out today). 

Anyways, starting up again tomorrow hopefully. 

So…the 12 miles did not get run on Thursday, but not from lack of trying.  I started running near work but I was forced to run on the side of the road in the grass, that was up to my  knees, and I ran the first 3 miles high kneeing the ENTIRE time.  I was freaking exhausted by then so I turned around and went back to my car and just went home. 

However, I DID run on Friday.  I went to a park near my sister’s house and ran around the park 8 times (it was about 1.5 miles around the park), so I got approximately 12 miles done.  Good enough for me. 

The run completely sucked…but it’s done.  Yay!

Then I got sick, pretty sure I’m dying right now.  (I exaggerate…but seriously I feel like poop).

So, this week:

Monday: Gym (assuming we get back to VA in time to go), if not I’ll run 5 miles
Tuesday: Run 11 miles
Wednesday: off
Thursday: Run 5 miles
Friday: Gym
Saturday: Run 7 miles
Sunday: off

This is my last real week of running before the race.  The following week after this is taper week, and I already know it’s going to drive me insane…but at the same time I can’t wait for the rest!  haha.

Anyways, Happy Easter Weekend to all that celebrate!

So…I went back to the gym yesterday and it had been SOOOO ridiculously long since I had been there…so it was nice to go back.  But, I my thighs ended up being way too sore to run the 12 miles today…so it got pushed back till tomorrow…which totally sucks since after running 12 miles, I then have to drive 5 hours back to Jersey.  

So that’s going to suck big time! 

What are the odds I actually manage to run full 12 miles?  As of now…I’m thinking slim to none.  Sigh. 

This also means I need to have everything packed up tonight so all I have to do is get home, shower quickly, load up the car and leave.  . 

So not looking forward to tomorrow.

Also…could I whine anymore?  Yeah…didn’t think so. 

I’ve been in a funk the past few weeks. 

I haven’t been in the mood to run AT ALL…and when I do run, they’re pathetic attempts. 

I was supposed to run 9 today, I was lucky to make it 5.1 miles before quitting.  I seriously felt like crap the whole time.  I was light headed, and dizzy, and my legs felt like dead weights (and I was fine before running…).  Not to mention I’m still a little stiff from Friday. 

But seriously.  It’s been like this for a while now.  And maybe it would have been ok to not run a few weeks ago, but I have less than 3 weeks until the half marathon, so now is really  not the time to be slacking off. 

Then, my running (or I should say lack of) is pissing me off, so I get in a pissy mood, and I have no desire to do anything.  All I want to do is sleep.  (Hi…I swear I’m not clinically depressed).  I just have no energy lately. 

So, how do you get out of said funk?