April 30, 2005
I'm (Momentarily) the Good Kid
Out of respect for my family (who don’t even know I have this blog) I won’t detail the drama, but suffice to say, in the last 24 hours two of the kids (not me!) in two completely separate situations have given my parents some VERY interesting things to think about. Every time my mom contacted me in this time period either over e-mail, IM, or phone call, the conversation started with, “You are not going to believe this.” Finally she said, “Yeah…your Dad needed to get out of the house. He went running.” [This is the link to how all of this relates to my blog!] See what a good coping tool this sport is!! Sidenote: Everyone is fine, nothing REALLY bad happened.
There was some serious delayed onset muscle soreness yesterday afternoon/night from the quad exercises. It necessitated a nighttime walk to A) remove myself from my computer and B) loosen the legs up. It was GORGEOUS out. Also, my neighborhood is known for having really safe parks. This must be why there are NO monkey bars! Nevertheless, I found a poor substitute and attempted to do a pull-up, which I still can’t. It’s interesting b/c I think I am in good shape b/c I run and cross train-but really, I have no upper body strength and as is evidenced by the lunging exercises I can’t do, I have no lower body strength either. I have numerous things to work on.
I went to the gym this morning for a core class and lifted upper body. I also did some lower body exercises that are good for the quad/knee. I biked to the gym (only 1 mile each way) but other than that decided not to do any cross-training. My priority is running so I don’t want to abuse my poor knee (which feels great!) with other activities. If all goes well I will build up the running and then add the cross-training back in next week.
Everyone must feel this way about their own injuries, but I honestly feel knee injuries are the worst ones to have. It really limits all of your activity choices. There is just a limit to what a hurt knee can handle-and if you feel like working out after that limit, that’s too bad. I feel like other injuries lend themselves so much more easily to cross training.
So far today I did some laundry and some reading before I went to the gym. I am going to see Fever Pitch later with some friends from undergrad. They also went out to a bar last night but I just wasn’t interested at all and stayed home. I am not so into the bar scene anymore. It started with my running-you can’t party as much. For a while though I tried to plan the running around the partying. And now, I’m just not interested. It’s a combination I am sure of taking my health and running more seriously and just growing up. Other than that-I have lots of schoolwork planned for this weekend. My finals are spread out over a few weeks which is ideal, but that means they start…now.
Posted by Audrey at 12:21 PM | Comments (0)
April 29, 2005
Lunging-Disabled
Some people look so athletic and strong and in control when they are lunging. They are holding free weights and lunge, go upright, switch legs, and lunge again. They look so powerful.
Not me.
This was the first time I ever tried lunging. At first I held free weights but I quickly abandoned them. I was literally in the middle of a doorframe while I lunged so I could hold on to it with two hands and ease myself into the lunge position. In my own defense, I don’t know that I NEEDED the doorframe. It was kind of a comfort thing so I wouldn’t lunge too far and cause pain-which was a distinct possibility since I had so little control.
The rest of the knee exercises I have all done before. However, I have not gone through them since last summer and they brought back all of my memories from my first time through rehab. At the time I was backpacking through Europe-yes, with my ankle weight. The metal bars in the weight showed up whenever my luggage was x-rayed and constantly got me tagged for more thorough security searches. I was also staying in hostels (one with 22 people in a room) and I had ZERO privacy while I did my strange-looking exercises. This was the most amusing I am sure for my roommates in Amsterdam, most of whom were enjoying the numerous “influences” the city had to offer. Doing the exercises in my apartment is much easier on my psyche-but SO MUCH less interesting. This is hands down the most boring form of exercise I have ever done.
Today I ran for 26 minutes along my regular fall/winter route. There are no T stops along it, but it was nice to be back. I think I had the patella strap in the wrong place. It was on my upper arm above my elbow. I brought it with me in case I needed it but I wanted to try running without it. I actually had no knee pain and I was not that surprised. The last time I did the knee exercises they helped after one day-the day after I started doing them was the first day I walked around without pain in months (I was way worse off that time). I don’t know that muscle can really develop that quickly-but something happened last night. My quads were tired when I was running which is good. It means I succeeded in doing a good knee/quad workout.
I did my knee exercises again after my run, iced (my knee, calf, and bunion), and took some more ibuprofen. Now my sedentary life resumes for the rest of the day.
Posted by Audrey at 12:08 PM | Comments (0)
April 28, 2005
Advice X3
I called my parents last night (who have a medical background) to ask their opinion on if I can take anti-inflammatories based on all the science/drug info that has recently come out. No one should generalize for themselves, but for me and my health concerns, etc., they think it should be fine. Yeah!! (B/c it really helps! It's amazing how much better my knee feels after I take it.)
Then came a comment from my Mom concerning my knee: "Are you doing your knee exercises?"
The trainer at my gym this morning: "Your knee hurts? What are you doing about it?" [Ice, ibuprofen, knee exercises]. "Yes, make sure you strengthen around the joint."
Third, salesman from Marathon Sports (running store): "Make sure you are strengthening your knee. Do some lunges. Hit the weights. Consider getting your bike position checked out at a bike store."
So...I guess I should do my knee exercises that I stopped doing when I started running again. My knee seemed fine!! I have an ankle weight, hand weights for added resistance, and a whole list of exercises (with tiny people illustrating the different positions) and my aforementioned yoga mat. They are so boring, and hard, and not as fun as running. So, I start again tonight :) Well, I actually started yesterday, but tonight I will do the whole gamut of them.
I was at the running store to pick up a patella strap. Does anyone have any experience with them? I may try it for fun (ok, not fun, but just to see if it works) but I don't want to become dependent on it and I kind of feel like if I need to use it I shouldn't be running. Does anyone have any experience (good or bad) with them?
I lifted upper body this morning. No, I did not spend ALL day thinking about my knee. Just a significant chunk of it...
Posted by Audrey at 04:08 PM | Comments (1)
April 27, 2005
Fun and Not Fun Running
Fun things: putting on my running clothes (i miss them), running 23 minutes.
Not fun things: knee was weird (has been bothering me even when not running-i swear it hurts the most in the shower. isn't that weird? i think it's b/c you are only turning your upper body and might be putting pressure on your knee), and calf (in a new place) was weird towards the end of the run.
I speculate the not fun things are due to the recent increases in bike riding-I hope. The boat house is a 15 minute bike ride away and I have also started biking to school every day b/c I was sick of how long it takes to walk (20 minutes each way). There is also probably some compensation thing going on with my calf. Plus...I don't know. Some unidentifiable X factor is probably bothering me-like I am a broken person :) Good news is no bike riding tomorrow just b/c of the way my schedule worked out. Maybe I should be using this recovery time to take it easy and recover..hmmm...novel idea!
Nothing else of note. (ok, I did take some ibuprofen. it helped me ease back into running in November and i took it after my run today b/c i think it may help).
Posted by Audrey at 04:42 PM | Comments (1)
April 26, 2005
Today's Musings
Things I remembered to take to the gym with me this morning:
Bike Lock
Locker Lock
Helmet
School Clothes
School Books
Toiletries
Visor
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Wallet
Cell
Keys
Breakfast
Afternoon Snack
Ice Pack
Item I forget:
Headphones
It was a very quiet 30 minute elliptical. I also used a Dynaball (for balance) and did some wall squats for the knee.
I actually went on the water today for sailing. It was another student, myself, and one "instructor." The instructor has only been sailing himself for three weeks which I found reassuring-it couldn't be that hard then, right? Actually, it was super windy (a red flag day) and very hard to sail. I also didn't understand what my fellow sailors were talking about as far as sail angles, wind speed, turning, etc. All of a sudden it hit me, "Are you two engineers?" They both were. So I definitely need to head back out on the water on a green flag day with people who can speak to my English major brain :) I saw little kids sailing so I am hopeful I can sail-with more practice!!
Finally, a very tragic thing happened earlier this week. One of my best friends from DC e-mailed me today. One of his roommates (mid-twenties) was jokingly wrestling with a friend (as guys do) and the friend hit the floor wrong with his head and broke two bones in his neck. He might be paralyzed from the waist down and he is having trouble breathing. It is so sad. I am not sharing it to try and impart some sort of lesson any of us don't already know about appreciating each day, etc., but more so just b/c it is something important that happened and I know it caused me to reflect on lots of things after I found out and keep the guy and his family in my thoughts.
Posted by Audrey at 07:35 PM | Comments (2)
April 25, 2005
Running Partners
On my trip back to Boston I made eye contact with a cute pilot. Yes, EYE contact! So I thought to myself, would it be fun to date a pilot? This caused me to mentally revisit a conversation I had with another runner recently about what skills or profession the perfect “partner” for a runner would have. Here is our initial list in no particular order:
1. Personal Trainer
2. Orthopedic Surgeon (for evaluations and advice, not the actual surgery). This first crossed my mind b/c my sports doc is married to a runner. How practical for her!!
3. Masseuse
4. Works at a running store (and gets a great discount)
5. Physical Therapist
6. Works for a sports company (and gets free, cutting edge stuff to test)
Am I missing anything else? Some athletes date/marry their coach, but if I had a coach I don’t think that would work for me at all.
I ran 22 minutes (T) this morning. It was fun. I feel out of shape but if you go slow enough anything is manageable :) It's a little cooler out but still beautiful and sunny. I am headed to a long day of classes now-straight through until 7:00. Enjoy!
Posted by Audrey at 08:48 AM | Comments (4)
April 24, 2005
Homework, Yoga Mat, Gym, and Homework
I woke up early this morning and did some reading and started a paper (see post below from earlier today) and then hit up my yoga mat. While I despise yoga, I do have the mat from when I first moved into my non-carpeted apartment last summer and didn't have a gym membership anywhere. I also couldn't wear shoes besides flip-flops (post foot surgery) and had knee exercises I needed to do (for runner's knee). I was a complete disaster and trying to find a way to workout...but I digress. So I have a mat and I broke it out this morning. Friday night I was watching VH1 and Self Magazine's One Hundred Most Wanted Bodies. Apparently Brittney Spears (pre-pregnancy) used to do about 1,000 sit-ups a day. Usher does a lot too and all the stars seem to do them with great frequency. So while significantly fewer people will ever see my abs than will see theirs-I figured I should be able to fit in a FEW today to help my running. :)
Then I went to the gym to elliptical for 30 minutes. I did the sit-ups at home so I could park at the gym for less than an hour which makes it free. I didn't feel like biking since it was raining and my wrist hurts (I think) from all the biking. I tell you, it's always something!! I always get these weird cross training injuries like the knee from swimming and the wrist from biking since I don't ease into those the way I know I need to be even more careful to do with my running. The elliptical was fun though and I got in my first hard workout in a while.
Now it's sunny but I do have a lot of work to do so I am staying home dilligently to finish it. Enjoy the night!
PS. I was going to try doing a pull-up at the gym just to see if I could (since Alison just tested herself) but I chickened out b/c the gym was so crowded and I got self-conscious. Maybe when it's less crowded...I mean, what if I can't do any and I am just hanging there??!!!
Posted by Audrey at 04:08 PM | Comments (3)
School Project on Health of Female Athletes
I am doing a project for school. Can anyone suggest an organization that would be considered an authority on health for female athletes? Specifically, if a particular group were to issue a press release or do a media campaign on the dangers of the female athlete triad (amenorrhea, disordered eating, and osteoporosis) people would see them as credible. I am not sure who is respected in the field. If you can't think of a group that would be respected for health for female athletes, any group that represented female athlete interests (not specific to health) would be acceptable. Even a group specific to collegiate female athletes would be acceptable. I am looking for as many groups as possible.
If anything comes to mind...Thanks!
Posted by Audrey at 10:44 AM | Comments (3)
April 23, 2005
I Do Actually Run
I ran 16 minutes (T) which I am calling 1.5 miles. My calf felt completely fine.
I biked to the boathouse, 15 minutes each way (along the Charles which is beautiful, everything is blooming), and learned (in the rain) how to rig a boat and what all the different parts of a boat are called.
I am having dinner tonight with my oldest friend. Well not old age-wise (he's my age) but except for relatives I don't think anyone has known me this long-he's from my hometown and we played baseball together when we were 11. We went to different high schools but we were in rival church youth groups (is that an oxymoron?), went to the same college, and now live in the same city. There is just a connection you have with someone who knows your hometown (especially when it's in a place as special as NJ!), the other kids you went to school with, and how goofy you used to be (or still are).
Posted by Audrey at 02:48 PM | Comments (2)
April 22, 2005
Theory, Practice, The New, and Mice
The Theoretical
This morning I was writing to a friend who reads the blogs and I wrote something to the effect of, "I wish I wasn't so emotionally tied to my running." I know I have said the same thing to Becky recently too. I mean, it's not fun being sad or worrying about losing fitness if I can't run if I get hurt or sick-and it's not fun being hurt from running either! Because I am hurt I can't even work out a more normal, moderate amount this week. But a few hours after I wrote that, as I was biking to the gym, I thought to myself, "Well, what parts of my life aren't I emotionally attached to?" School, work, relationships-if those aren't going well that affects me a lot too. I have selective memory I guess-I seemed to have forgotten the anguish of watching soccer games from the sidelines b/c i had a hurt quad or softball games from the bench b/c I had a broken arm. It's so cliche, but if you are going to do something all out (and what other way is there to do it) you are necessarily more invested-and probably more likely to get physically hurt (unless we're talking about a bad grade-but that still hurts emotionally). So I guess it's inevitable that I care so much about running since I like to think am devoted to it. Therefore, I retract my statement!
The Practical
Hit the gym to elliptical for 26 minutes-until I started to feel my calf and my knee. Stopped. Took a three hour nap to catch up on sleep for the week. It was fabulous. I biked to the boathouse later in the day. Also, no more ibuprofen for me unless something actually hurts a lot. The orthopedist I taught last night suggested I cut back and I read an article in People magazine today about the controversy surrounding the types of pain killers/anti-inflammatories I was taking. Consequently, I have been motivated to stop.
The New
Boating was a lot of fun. I went to a 20 minute orientation and ended up signing up for the whole summer. It was even better than I thought it was going to be. Everyone on the dock was nice and with my membership I have access to sailboats, kyaks, AND wind surfing equipment. I cannot wait to learn how to sail. As soon as I can I want to get certified a step up from the basic solo level so I can bring guests out on the water. They said they do have to routinely rescue people who get stuck under the bridges so I won't be the first to find myself in that fate :) Also, I need a wetsuit if I want to go windsurfing. They are expensive, but my friend pointed out it is necessary if I ever decide to do triathlons...but then I would also need a road bike...all these activities are so expensive...
The Mice
I have not caught any yet. I am afraid they are having babies underneath my bed.
Posted by Audrey at 08:10 PM | Comments (1)
April 21, 2005
CPR is Good for Your Calf
1) Tonight I taught CPR. Strangely, in my class of 5 people 2 people were extremely qualified to help feed my calf obsession-an orthopedist and a college track coach. The class went something like, "So let me tell you about opening the airway-and here is where my calf hurts." Okay, I am exaggerating (a little) but I did get some advice. As in, oh wow, that's very near your Achilles, be careful, Achilles injuries could get you out for 6 weeks, and why don't you try shoes with a big heel (track coach) and make sure you ice and only run every other day (orthopedist). So while not hugely revealing (though admittedly i think i would only be truly satisfied if they touched my leg and it spontaneously got better) it's definitely more info to add to the arsenal.
2) No more freaking out. I figured out a plan for my next marathon (run 4 days a week-no speed work) taking the day before and day after my long run off (from running AND cardio cross-training) and putting a real cardio cross-training day in the middle of the week. That is what got me through my first marathon unhurt AT ALL. I always seem to do better on low mileage (big marathon and half marathon PRs after large chunks of time off due to injury immediately preceding the race) so why don't I embrace that?? I've known it for it a while even though I don't like to admit it. I guess I will do the whole quality not quantity thing. It's not ideal-b/c I run b/c I like to run so it would be fun to run more miles-but this plan will hopefully beat the alternative of running ZERO miles b/c I am hurt.
Also, I figured out I don't have to start training until July 24 for the Philly marathon so I have May, June, and July to get a mini-base of sorts.
3) I am sick of writing about T stations and figure it is equally boring to read. So the code for me collecting another T station will be (T) following the mileage. I will only write about it when something interesting happens.
4) Boating blog starts tomorrow.
Posted by Audrey at 09:09 PM | Comments (2)
April 20, 2005
Exhausted
Remember when I said I needed to go boating b/c I had this abundance of free time? I am definitely paying for that comment today. I still work part-time for the company I worked for before coming back to school. Today was one of the rare days I have put in a full day’s work for them since I moved. I usually work from my apartment but today my tasks required a commute, putting on a suit, and interacting face to face with other human beings. This means I had to use actual PEOPLE SKILLS instead of just e-interacting with people. Tomorrow night I have my other part-time job and right now I have reading and homework. When it rains it POURS, right? Always. At least I am not bored now :)
Before work I walked to a T stop and ran the 6 minutes back. It was complete curiosity to see how I would feel rather than any sort of workout. The calf was okay but not perfect. I will try again on Friday at which time I predict good things. After work I hit up the gym to do a core/abs class and lift. I like this one trainer's class the best b/c it is so hard. He really kicks our butt. Then I went to the supermarket to buy mice traps. How gross is that? I tried to buy them last night but I got the snappy kind and couldn’t use them b/c I realized the chances were slim to none I would catch a mouse without breaking my fingers.
I ended up going for an hour bike ride yesterday night instead of lifting, etc. since it is gorgeous in Boston. I found a park I hadn’t been to and on my ride I randomly found three T stations. This is good because now I know how to get home from them. I can’t believe some people look at wildlife, cool cars, etc., and I get the most excited when I spot T stations. When I decided I just had to detour over and see which ones they were I really felt like I had gone over some sort of weirdness cliff-but I did it anyway.
Tired...two days till boating...
Posted by Audrey at 08:16 PM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2005
Boating for Runners
I am lifting upper body and doing some core exercises today (a class at my gym that kicks my butt). My knee is bothering me for the first time since November (see entry from a few days ago about stupid aggressive swimming three days in a row earlier this week :) so I am not going to do any sort of lower body stuff today. I also decided I am not going to “predict” when I will start running again. I will simply wait until I get better. Which may be tomorrow-seriously :) At least I will be if the amount of ibuprofen I am taking correlates to my rate of healing.
Once my calf and knee are better I will still not be able to run that much right away or do too much cross-training. As a rule, I do NOT do yoga (at any temperature), aerobics, or pilates type activities, so that takes a chunk out of available cross-training options. However, the weather remains beautiful and I quite honestly have a lot of free time this month. So what should I do with myself that will allow me to enjoy the weather and NOT sit around thinking about running from inside my apartment? Isn't it obvious? Community Boating!!
1) I need a new activity. I don’t plan to cut back on my running, but I am tired of thinking about my lower body and my training and my injuries. I just need something else to do the rest of the time that I am not running or doing school/work stuff and there are very few tv shows I like at the moment. (And I need to get OFF of the internet.) This girl I go to school with who suggested the boating (we are signing up together for a one month orientation/trial membership) has a very serious knee issue (a complete knee replacement following a skiing accident) so we were trying to decide if there was ANY way boating could hurt our knees. We are pretty sure there must be SOME way, but we think (without really knowing anything about it) that boating is a pretty safe activity. The deal looks pretty good too-I think you can go as much as you want in one month.
2) I have a visor I don’t wear enough that I think looks "boatingish.”
3) I won’t be wearing out my running shoes this month so I can afford the boating.
4) It’s on the Charles River. What's more Boston than that?
Becky, come play in the water!!
I will be linking this to my new boating blog. Ok, not really. But I will keep the boating blogging on my running blog to a minimum :)
Posted by Audrey at 08:26 AM | Comments (5)
April 18, 2005
Craziness in Boston
The whole city has been overtaken by the marathon and runners. The airport has Boston Marathon signs all over, the subway is filled with runners in the famous Boston Marathon jackets, and most people (not me) in the city have off because it is going to be impossible to get to work and school. I really did have to take a deep breath and remember to breath last night when I saw the first of the runners in the subway because I know those runners are very fast-and I was impressed in a star-struck kind of way. I am so proud of everyone who is running today-in Boston or even a few miles at home. Just getting out the door is worth being proud of.
I am really looking forward to seeing how it all pans out and I SOOO wish I could be along the course watching or at a water stop (my club has an unofficial one along the course). Runners and non-runners alike are making plans to cheer on the runners. Alas, I will have to be satisfied with checking the results when I can first get to a computer-after I sign off from here not until 7:30 PM!
Good luck all, even though you are probably in your final preparations.
As a mini sidenote, I biked to the gym this morning and elipticalled for 30 minutes. No calf pain, so all is good. I am now icing and ibuprofening as I blog.
Posted by Audrey at 08:48 AM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2005
Successful Running Day for the Non-Runner
The race this morning was extremely fun. My brother finished in just under 30 minutes. I had the thrill of watching him sprint down the homestretch (which I hadn't expected him to do) so that he could make that time. I was so startled and excited to see the mini race of him trying to beat this other young runner (a girl) that I forgot to take a picture. I didn't want to miss the action! Other fun things were watching him try to pin his race number on-completely crooked-and talking shop. He wanted to know how fast the world records were for the mile, 5K, and marathon. It turns out he might be interested in cross-country running in high school-which I did NOT tell my parents so they don't pressure him any more to join the team. I want him to run because HE wants to run. It's just too many miles to not enjoy it.
It was also the first race I think I have ever spectated from the vantage point of getting to see the leaders come across the finish line which was exciting. The lead female finished in 20 and change. She was 9. At the start of the race they made an announcement that if you couldn't run 6 minute miles you had no business lining up at the front of the pack. This was clearly directed at her. She didn't run 6 minute miles-but I knew she was going to be good when she didn't move from the front. Her Dad was also there with her (as another runner on the starting line) and since he had her stay up there I knew they knew what they were doing.
I went swimming for 20 minutes today and biked for 10 minutes on level 1. My upper body is exhausted-in a great way though. I swam three times in the last three days (the last time I went swimming prior to this injury was May) and I also lifted upper body yesterday. What is encouraging is that the return to swimming has been much more successful this time than the last time I returned. I fatigued more quickly then. It's nice to see evidence that lifting actually works-who knew?
Posted by Audrey at 01:10 PM | Comments (2)
April 16, 2005
No Race for Me
Okay, i feel horrible (emotionally). I am not going to run tomorrow. I just ran up and down my driveway and it's a no go. I can still feel my calf (which does not hurt at all when I walk). I thought my brother AND my dad would be upset with me (my dad for planting this idea in my brother's head and not following through). I called my dad and he was like, oh, well that's unfortunate. How did it happen? (Just regular training). And he told me he was sorry about my leg. This surprised me but made me feel better b/c he understood how I was feeling horrible about 2 things: not being able to run with my brother and simply not being able to run. And he said there was nothing to be done about it really-I can't run hurt. Then he also did acknowledge it was disapointing b/c my brother has been training for two months-which is very true. Then he said that if my brother didn't want to run alone tomorrow he would find a 5K to run with him sometime in the next month. My dad is so smart-brilliant problem solving!! After the phone call I had to go upstairs and tell my brother. I did it really quickly, like a band-aid, and then he said he still wanted to run tomorrow. No hesitation AT ALL. So that is very cool and hard core of him.
Anyway, i feel horrible for letting my brother down. I also feel relief I am not going to do something bad to my body. I had such a bad year last year with injuries I am finally learning my lesson. No running for me for one week from today.
Also of note is that, w/out belaboring the details of my complete soccer mom day (literally) I am not ready for motherhood. It's confirmed-even though I did have one moment of teariness as my brother got out of the car and walked up the hill to ref his first soccer game ever. It's his first job.
As for working out, I am about to go swimming. I need to do something b/c I am having a basic mish mosh of angst, unhappiness, and relief emotions right now related to the whole race drama.
Posted by Audrey at 02:24 PM | Comments (2)
April 15, 2005
Hometown, Swimming, Calf Saga
So I have been in my hometown for 13 hours, my mom has already called twice to check in, and she left a bazillion post-it notes on the kitchen table, on the door (telling me take my shoes off), and in my bedroom with emergency contact numbers and instructions for the weekend. On the roads this morning (while driving) I passed someone who I played soccer with in high school and we waved hello. I am so back in high school right now. Since I am getting an internship this summer, unpaid, earlier this year my parents suggested I get one in NJ and live at home....Well, it is so beautiful here and there is always parking in the suburbs, but the happiness of my life has continually improved since HS (if anyone reading this does anyone NOT have HS angst I would love to hear it) and I am not interested in coming back right now.
ANYWAY, I went swimming this morning. I basically attacked the water because it is the first time I could work out since Tuesday. I was feeling pretty crappy last night which I chalk up to physiological issue-I hadn't really worked out since much earlier in the week and felt weird-and mental issues related to not working out b/c I think I have a real injury, not just a "niggle." I swam for 30 minutes and it was kind of fun to go as hard as I wanted and not have to worry about holding back or having an easy or recovery run, etc. I could just push it. PLUS, it doesn't bother my calf at all so I had no anxiety about making myself worse. I might actually go again later today if I have time.
As for running, I think I have a pretty mild calf strain. I am kind of worried b/c in my ideal self-centered world I know I should not run on Sunday to let it finish healing. BUT, I live in a world filled with relationships and dependancies (which I am very thankful for) but that means I have certain obligations on my end. So, I will join the masses of people running injured next week. All the people who trained for Boston who are now injured and are running anyway will be joined by me running in a 5K at the pace of a new runner. I think I actually have it pretty good compared to those truly hard core runners. I will just heal next week I guess and hope my calf doesn't mind too much. However, it is a strange feeling knowing that I am doing all this healing right now-and am going to hurt it again on Sunday. That makes me feel truly uncomfortable and antsy.
Posted by Audrey at 10:50 AM | Comments (2)
April 14, 2005
Wahoo!!
Okay, I stole that title from another eliterunning blogger who says that but I can't remember who. Feel free to claim your due credit! I simply had to use it b/c I was literally thinking that in my head as I ran this morning. I ran just under a mile to my gym, lifted, stood on those half moon balls that are good for balance, and ran back. Nanda encouraged me to try running, with sneakers and everything, even OUTSIDE (not just around my kitchen) and Becky was right on with suggesting foam rollering to me in school the other day. The trainer at my gym, a runner, confirmed that this morning by independently suggesting rollering. So thanks to the eliterunning team, I was on my way. The calf felt fine. Not 100%, but much better, and I think it was good to get some movement in it. I am mostly relieved b/c I know for sure I will be okay to run on Sunday now. The plan from here on out is to cross-train for real tomorrow (I even have access to a pool) and to run again on Saturday for three miles in a row. Then, I will call myself healed and resume normal training. I am being conservative b/c I honestly feel if I had taken a week off from running when my knee first started hurting in May of last year, instead of running through it, I would not have had pain all the way until November. So now I want to just HEAL.
I am off to pack. I am headed to NJ to baby-sit the little brother while the parents are away. I am flying, so I am going to make sure I keep my orthotics WITH ME after Becky's luggage mishap. I don't want to be separated!! We have a family membership to a gym, that has a pool, so that is timely for my cross-training needs. I will probably do lots of homework since my brother will probably be playing video games most of the time. (Henceforth, the run I decided we should do on Sunday). More to follow on that...
PS. Most importantly, I got another subway station today! I was trying to hold off as long as possible on claiming the one at my gym simply b/c I thought it would be easy to get. Unfortunately, I lasted a WHOLE WEEK w/out using that one up...
Posted by Audrey at 09:39 AM | Comments (3)
April 13, 2005
No Running, Take 2
My taper for the 5K continues :) This is so annoying. It is beautiful here. I am blogging right now because this is when I would usually be working out. I have been up for a bit, had some breakfast, did some work, and have three hours before class (Yes, those in the workforce will find that COMPLETELY annoying. But I DID have to spend ALL last night studying!!)
I did some barefoot practice running in the kitchen (admit it, who hasn't tested out an injury in some weird part of the house or some other non-running place?) and it was not good. So I will take the day off and probably tomorrow as well. I go back and forth between anxiety (I googled how long detraining takes and figure I should be good for a week before I lose fitness) and acceptance. As my mom always says-what IS is. Consequently, it doesn't matter how long detraining takes since I can't run however much I don't like what the internet has to say about it.
I may do an abs/core workout later and some quad strengthening exercises. I am supposed to do those to avoid runner's knee which I had late last year and I don't do them that often because they are boring. But since I can't do anything else...let's break them on out!!!
Posted by Audrey at 10:26 AM | Comments (4)
April 12, 2005
Conservative Running Week
This will be the most conservative running/workout week I have had since November (when I was just coming back from foot surgery and a knee injury). I am running in a 5K race with my brother on Sunday. He is in middle school. It's his first race and I was the one who signed the two of us up. He has been training for over a month and my Dad, a runner, has been helping him get ready. My calf is kind of bothering me-it's my old stand-by injury, and always the same leg. I could feel it coming on this whole past week and a half but have been running through it. If memory serves me correctly it should be better after a day or two off. If I didn't have to run this weekend with my brother I would have tried to run around it somehow, but there is no way I can risk it not getting better and me not being able to run on Sunday. (My Dad is going to be away so he can't run in the race with him).
I rode my bike to school today-which felt completely fine. Then I went to the gym and tried to elliptical. The calf was okay for that, but I was going on level 3 and not trying too hard. Since I wasn't breathing hard or sweating or getting any sort of workout-b/c I was afraid to push my calf-I figured, what was the point of not resting my calf as much as I could so that I could barely move on the elliptical? So I stopped, lifted upper body, and came home.
I am off to do some homework-and take an anti-inflammatory to aid the calf healing process. Oh yes, I am also breaking in new orthotics by walking around in them. It always amazes me how much time I can spend thinking about running for someone who didn't actually run today.
Posted by Audrey at 05:26 PM | Comments (1)
April 11, 2005
The Subway Game
(My third goal for 2005/2006)
Objective: Run home from each MBTA subway station.
1) You have to make visual contact with the station and get as close as is reasonable. A good faith effort is all that is asked. There is no need to climb over railroad tracks to get to the actual station.
2) Before arriving or while arriving at the subway station you have to intend to do a subway run. No retrospective “ahah!” moments where you realize in the past year you have probably run past all of the stations. If you complete a run without intending to do a subway run-that’s unfortunate.
3) It is possible to claim more than one subway station on a singular outing as long as you head back home from each station you want to count. For example, you cannot run along the red line once and count all of the stations. In contrast, you can run to one stop, head home, turn around immediately, and head back out to another stop.
4) You can get to the subway station in question by any form of transportation. This includes running, buses, getting dropped off, taking the subway out to the station, and other forms of transportation.
5) As part of a subway run you are not limited to running directly home.
6) If I change residences in the middle of the game I can still claim all of my previous runs.
To date, I have five stations, including two from my four mile run this morning.
I decided to play because I was (very) bored one day and needed a new project. Someone in DC ran home from every station (it took him about two years) and I thought it was a fabulous idea. (I think Boston has a much more compact subway system making my task easier.) Plus, I am new here and am always looking for new places to run.
Posted by Audrey at 08:26 AM | Comments (3)
April 10, 2005
Big Eaters, Early Travelers, and Heavy Lifting
When my family gets together it is a mini-celebration, as I know it is for a lot of families. We tend to eat out often and indulge. We were all SOOO full after dinner last night-which was fabulous. However, I couldn’t sleep because I had wine (sugar?) and this wonderful brownie/ice cream/chocolate sauce combination (sugar and caffeine?) which in total has more sugar and caffeine than I typically eat. Any of the nutritionists (or dieticians? Is that the same thing as a nutritionist?) on our blogs feel free to correct me as to if my hypothesis was correct as to why I was awake at 1:30 AM!
My family likes to get an early start to the day so I met them for breakfast at 8. Okay, we were actually all early so we ate at 7:45. I biked 2 miles each way to meet them. I have to mention how much more beautiful Boston is to bike around without traffic.
Afterwards they headed out of town and I was at the gym by 8:40 to lift while completely full of French toast. In general, I don’t like lifting. I typically only lift upper body for overall health reasons and for arm definition reasons. I do the leg press to help my knees, but too many other leg exercises actually tend to bother my knees and I figure all of the running is enough of a workout.
Today, inspired by Blondie who recently upped her weights, I upped all my weights to the next level for the first time since January (that is embarrassing to admit-that’s too long, right?). This was very exciting.
No running today. Later on I have an undergrad alum event and a BBQ with some non-parental relatives. Oh wow, I have to go-my younger sister is IMing me that she and her longterm boyfriend just broke up...this is a big deal.
Posted by Audrey at 09:56 AM | Comments (5)
April 09, 2005
Suprise Running Group
I ran about 8 miles this morning. I took the T (subway) out to a portion of THE marathon course right before heartbreak hill and ran back home. (No, I am not planning on running the marathon next week.) It was my first time out on the course. I intended to run by myself but when I got on the T I found myself in a pack of about 15 runners planning to run from the same T stop as myself all the way to the finish line in Copley. They are part of a local running group that meets each week at the renown Marathon Sports store. I am actually on their e-mail list and knew they intended to do this-I just thought A) in general I ran too slow to comfortably join them, B) it would be quicker for me to run by myself since my parents are coming in town later today, and C) I didn't want to do their exact run.
It was a good thing I ran into them. I had no idea how to get home! I hooked up with three runners and found out that one of them interviewed Dean Karnazes, the ultra ultra marathoner who has been in the news recently. The interview will air at 12:50 marathon Monday on Boston's NPR radio. I also really enjoyed heartbreak hill (yes, it was only about 2 miles into my run). Then closer to the end these two guys who were on the T with us came upon our group of 3 and I joined up with them since they were going a little bit faster than the group I was with. It turns out there were running sub-8, which means (if I believe it) I ran sub-8 for 8ish miles. I felt great! And as far as being too slow for this group, I was in the lead pack. My previous experience with them is on weeknights and one other Saturday where I have been run pretty hard so I am not sure what is up with the difference in speed between the runners who showed up then versus today. It was so nice running with people as I usually run alone.
Then I went to the gym for a 15 minute abs/core class.
Now I am preparing for my parents and little brother’s arrival. On the agenda is Harvard Square, the Harvard Book Store (I come from a family of readers), the Freedom Trail, and Legal Seafood. Happy weekend and for those of you running THE marathon enjoy your taper!!
Posted by Audrey at 12:14 PM | Comments (2)
April 08, 2005
I'm Here!!!
By way of introduction I have been running for almost five years, I am in my mid-twenties, and I moved to Boston in August for grad school. I played other sports when I was in high school, but I used to hate running and only started to lose some of the college “bonus” weight I had collected. I did lose the weight (ok, not really-but I am pretty sure more of it is muscle now)-but the running stuck. My first task was a marathon. After that fall race I knew I was hooked when I actually bought running tights so I could continue to run through the winter.
I ran a second marathon the following year, but it is only in the past two years I have started to train seriously. I don’t have a coach or anything, but I am learning about speed workouts, tempo runs, long runs, etc. I still don’t know what exactly a strider is. However, I do know I am a serious runner because of the emotional “unhappiness spiral” I find myself in when I can’t run. It has been a definite learning process that has been filled with some injuries, some minor foot surgeries (which may or not have been related to running), some great runs, and many fun (and funny) stories. I hope to share many of them with you through this blog and I hope you will share some back.
I am a bit different than some of the many elite running bloggers on this site who inspire me. I don’t cover ground quite as swiftly as some of them so I have different (and some of the same) running goals. Here are two of my main ones for 2005:
1) PR in a few shorter races. Except for the 5K I have some pretty soft PRs so I think I should be able to PR for at least a few distances. In my previous obsession with the marathon distance it didn’t even occur to me to race shorter distances.
2) Qualify for the Boston Marathon. (Requiring cutting 45 minutes off my previous best time). If all goes well I hope to run a fall marathon. According to those internet race predictor calculators we all know and love I should be able to this...so it’s a matter of figuring out how...and as we all know, the marathon is its own unique monster.
There is one more goal that will take all of 2005 and maybe some of 2006 but that requires its own entry (it’s a game and there are rules, etc) so it will have to wait to be explained.
Posted by Audrey at 06:48 PM | Comments (0)