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September 29, 2005
Disappointment
I have a real injury. I ran for 27 minutes (T) and stayed close to home. My calf doesn’t hurt but it feels all funny when I run. It doesn’t hurt when I walk, bike, or do toe raises. Maybe this is what people mean when they say they have a “tight” calf. I have no idea. Here is my plan:
Friday through Monday: No running. Biking (only if my knee feels okay), swimming, lifting, core stuff, and kayaking allowed.
Tuesday: 25 minutes.
Thursday: 40 minutes.
Saturday: 40 minutes
Monday: Tufts 10K
Other than that, my goal is to handle this with more grace than the last time I hurt my calf in the spring. I was ridiculously sad I couldn’t run and I was completely ungrateful for everything else going on in my life. The only exercise option really open to me last time was swimming and I didn’t feel like going b/c I had no love for swimming and I was bitter I couldn’t run. (That was a much longer injury). This time I am going to keep working out and will keep myself busy so I am not all sad. It is just so ridiculous how attached I am. And it’s only 4 days!!
I also went to a core class at the gym. This was mostly b/c I can’t be trusted to actually do the exercises at home.
Posted by Audrey at 07:38 PM | Comments (5)
September 28, 2005
I have this many body parts?
I went swimming at 5 PM today for 34:39. I did the usual-half with a pull buoy and half regular crawl. Before that I took a 45 minute nap. I have no idea why I have been so tired lately but I can sleep at anytime. I have a 16 session pass to the pool. I am going to try and see if I can use it up before the end of 2006. I have 13 sessions left. That is extremely doable (or I will spend lots of time there in December). :) I also just finished my knee exercises and core workout.
Injury update:
*Left Knee: Bruised from falling, but does not hurt. The scrape is healing.
*Right Quad: Feeling much better post-massage.
*Right Knee: Hurts a tiny bit when I bike. What?? That is very weird for me. I am fairly certain it is from running funny to try and make my calf not pull funny when I was running on Tuesday. Yes, I was consciously experimenting with different strides, one of which was weird to my knee. Yes, I know better. (Might also be from not doing my knee/quad exercises while I let my quad heal).
*Right Calf: Doesn’t hurt at all. Not when I bike. Not when I walk. It actually doesn’t hurt that much. Just “pulls” a little when I run which is a warning sign from the spring (see two months of sad blogging to accompany that injury). Actually, don’t go looking at those entries. I was a sad mess.
*Left Hand: Hurts to touch on the top of my hand next to my thumb. It must be from the fall. No big deal.
*Right Hand: The cut from the fall is healing nicely.
The only real concern I have is my calf. It’s hard to tell if I am really hurt b/c it feels completely fine during day-to-day activities. I am NOT going to feel guilty about being hurt. (If only I hadn’t run so fast on that training run….If only I hadn’t run on Tuesday when I knew it didn’t feel quite right…). I didn’t do anything drastically wrong and I just don’t have the strength to blame myself for this one. Rightly or wrongly, I am chalking it up to “it just happened.” I am going to try running tomorrow and check out the status.
If we field enough players for a team I am signed up for soccer. Sunday nights. Starts mid-October.
Posted by Audrey at 09:59 PM | Comments (3)
September 27, 2005
Your Choice
You can read about what you like:
Dragging Myself Out of Bed
I heard the alarm at 6:15 this morning and went through a rapid mental checklist of when else could run if I slept in. In between school and work (no time), in the break between classes (I still had reading to do for the later class), or after all of my classes (it would be 9:15 and I wouldn’t make it to the gym before it closed at 10). It was now or never. I got up and put in my contacts but in truth I was still debating. Should I run tomorrow instead? I took the contacts OUT of my eyes. Then I decided to suck it up, tried to figure out which contact went in which eye, and found clothing to wear (portions of which I slept in last night). I ran for 47:26 in a loop around the Charles. I have actually been crossing a highway to get to the river almost directly under a sign that says “no pedestrian crossing.” However, there was no way I could cross it during rush hour this morning. I followed some other runners and found a bridge over the highway. That was a good (and safe) find (that only took me a year to figure it out).
I Used Tools
I have been riding my bike home in the dark recently so I decided I should use the blinking red light/reflector my mom got me for Christmas last year. This meant I had to take out my tool kit and use a screw driver. It was the easiest task ever (there was one screw) but I felt very hard core. I haven’t used any tools in over a year. I rock. And now I blink.
New Employee Brings Bike; Quickly Put in Place
I intern at a medium-sized office where everyone knows everyone. My coworkers noticed that I ride my bike to work and it was the subject of lots of conversation. They told me all about the other employee who rides his bike to work. When they saw me locking my bike up outside they insisted I bring it inside so it would be safe. This was very kind of them, but I silently smiled inside b/c I have locked my bike up in MUCH worse places without a second thought. I work in a really safe neighborhood. (Though it is admittedly always preferable to have my bike inside.)
Then the other employee who bikes stopped by to say hello and chat. “So how far is your commute?” he asked. I’m not sure I would really call it a commute. “Oh, it’s just a mile. I bike to save some time.” [At this point my boss overhears our conversation and interjects to mention I also bike to school.] So I add, “Yeah, that’s another 1.3 miles from here.”
So um, how long is your com... “16 miles.” Is that… “Each way.”
SOCCER!!!
People in my running club may make an indoor soccer team. Oh yeah.
Posted by Audrey at 10:23 PM | Comments (4)
September 26, 2005
I am Buying a Cowboy Hat...
…as soon as possible. The Brooks and Dunn and Big and Rich concert last night was amazing. Our free lawn tickets (which I won at the giant maze) were upgraded to free seating when we got there which was great. I am not a huge concert goer and I thought the show was awesome. I loved the groups and I want to go see them again!! Of note is that it is definitely getting chilly here. Fall has arrived and we needed blankets.
I ran for 40:55 this morning. I did half a previous route and half of a new route and went exploring in some really nice neighborhoods which was kind of fun. My out and back route passed three Dunkin Donuts within a mile and a half of each other. The establishment saturates the town. I felt pretty good and I tried to pick up the speed at the end of the run to mirror in some minute way the sprinting I was doing at the end of the group run where I got dropped the other night. I think it may be a good habit to get into picking up the pace at the end. I am also really sore from the lifting and sit-ups I did yesterday.
As I have alluded to, my quad still isn’t quite right so I got a sports massage today. I think it was effective as my leg feels better already. I told the therapist that my quad and calf were bothering me (The calf is a new thing today. I think it was from twisting my ankle this weekend. I do that sometimes.) and she asked how my knee was. That was an astute question. I told her I have a chronic knee thing but it’s been feeling much better lately. As she was working on the rest of my leg she told me that my right foot feels funny and asked if I have had surgery on it. Well, yes, twice. She then said that right where I had been complaining of pain in my quad was where the muscles come together and that they were all sticking together. Gross. But she worked on breaking all of the bad tissue up and tried to get the knots out. She also worked on my hamstring a tiny bit. Then she moved over to my left leg and said everything on that leg feels completely fine and that there was a marked difference between my left and right leg. I know this-I get all of my injuries on the right side-I just feel somewhat gimpy having someone else notice. There is so much wrong with it (according to different massage therapists) that sometimes I am surprised it still works! I feel like I should be dragging my right leg around.
I also met with a professor today who basically told me, “Anything is possible.” He was not talking about anything in particular. He was just passionate about life. It is so wonderful and inspiring (and much needed) to hear that out loud.
Posted by Audrey at 06:53 PM | Comments (4)
September 25, 2005
Shorts Length
My hand is completely fine. It was a false alarm as far as injuries go. I actually just got back from the gym where I lifted and I had no problems. I have kind of alluded to it before-but to recap-I am freakishly weak. I have never in my life done a single pull-up, even after months of lifting 2-3 times a week. It is just not in the cards for me. And now, since I haven’t lifted in a month and a half, I am back to my baseline level of weakness. Today I was benching 50 lbs. (15 pounds less than my summer maximum, which is my maximum ever) and I was lifting two to ten pounds less for each of my other exercises. In a way, it’s satisfying to see how much stronger I was able to get from lifting before and the changes you can make to your body. On the flip side, I don’t really care how strong I am. I am lifting just b/c I think it’s healthy to do something for my upper body. It wasn’t really my workout priority before either. I just did it more often b/c it was the only exercise I could do given my injuries. Now I am doing it for similar reasons-to be healthy upper body-wise and/or if I want to workout and should be resting my legs or such.
I was also wearing really long shorts. I originally bought these shorts for my mom to workout in. A year later she gave them back to me b/c she thought they were too short. (And it’s not that I wear scandalous clothes to workout in. I usually wear conservative clothes to the gym. I don’t even like wearing running shorts to lift in.) I think there is definitely a generational gap on this issue concerning the appropriate shorts length.
Also, the scale at the gym is now in kilograms. That’s really weird, right?
This morning I did my knee exercises and my core stuff. And that's all she wrote.
Posted by Audrey at 04:35 PM | Comments (6)
September 24, 2005
Past Due
Last week my college roommate G sent this e-mail to a bunch of our friends:
i pulled an audrey last night. I had my first running accident. got back from the hospital [where she works] and went running...on the way back it got dark and i tripped on the sidewalk and fell :-( yeah so i had to walk the rest of the way home with blood dripping down my shin. it was kind of embarrassing b/c these people saw me fall. at least i was only 2 blocks from home by that point. i had to laugh, though, audj, because it just made me think of you :-)
It has been a couple of years since my last running fall. I have fallen three times that I can remember. I only needed stitches once. I can still pinpoint the exact location of two of the falls (within a mile of each other along the Potomac near the Lincoln Memorial). Today, right next to the Longfellow bridge on the Boston side, I added a fourth.
I was about 25 minutes into my run. I think I tripped on a tree branch. I got up immediately. The first thing I did was stop my watch. It was just a reflex-you stop running, you stop the watch. My first concern was if I had broken my wrist. I landed with most of my weight on the side of it and I know that’s a common way to break it. It was fine though. It actually didn’t hurt. I glanced at my knee which was dirty and bleeding. I few people asked if I was okay which was mildly embarrassing b/c they had seen the fall. Honestly though, I have been WAY more embarrassed in my life so this doesn’t really compare with the most embarrassing moments. I also cut my hand.
I started running again. For the next 5 or so miles people were glancing at my bleeding knee as they ran by. Around mile 5 (so about two miles later) I started moving my fingers around and realized my little finger hurt a bit. I spent the next twenty minutes bending it and prodding at it as I ran trying to decide if I needed an x-ray. (I mean it HAS been a whole month and 6 days since I was at the ER for a tetanus shot). I think I’m okay. I’ve broken my fingers and toes a lot and this one seems comparatively unhurt b/c I can bend it all of the way.
When I got home I just stood on my porch for a few minutes trying to decide what to do first: 1) ice my quad 2) ice my knee 3) clean my knee 4) ice my hand 5) stretch. I finally decided on stretch, clean my knee (shower), and then ice everything.
I ran for about 1:15. Route was BU-Longfellow bridge loop, plus getting to and from the Charles, plus adding on at a local park. I have no idea of the pace-which definitely varied greatly throughout the run. I'm guessing it was about 8 miles. I had originally planned to go to a core class at my gym after my run. Instead, I am just sitting here physically and mentally recuperating :)
Posted by Audrey at 11:14 AM | Comments (5)
It's Like Riding a Bike
I appear to be back on-line. Earlier today saw me dealing with tech support and doing some nonsense as downloading Spyware protection, dealing with phone line filters, and cycling modems. I guess that is all pretty basic stuff to some of you techy types, but it’s still a learning curve on my end. Don’t be fooled by the blog-Alison takes care of almost everything except the actual typing!
I went swimming for 30 minutes today. Since I have only been swimming every week and a half or so I feel really strong when I go b/c I am so well rested. I did mostly crawl, ½ with the pull buoy and half regular. I also did a couple of laps of backstroke just to shake things up. It felt pretty good to stretch out and swim. I also had a blast from my past. The pool is at the local high school and someone on the boys’ soccer team missed the goal by a lot and the ball came rocketing over to me in the air as I walked by. Dormant reflexes took over and I did a trap to take it out of the air. I loved just being NEAR the soccer ball. The incident did nothing to ease my craving for the sport. There is actually a free league at my school this semester that I can’t play in b/c I have class that night. I seriously considered asking for an exemption from the required class b/c I don’t think I have much to gain from it given my specific career goals. I finally thought of something I would gain from attending the class-and I also decided it was worth going simply to avoid being known as the girl who asked to change graduation requirements to play in a rec soccer league.
I just got home from pizza and movie night with some college friends. They finally did something I was interested in…more specifically, we hung out and didn’t go bar hopping :) As we sat there checking facts about the movie on-line to see where the producers screwed up, we decided we probably weren’t exactly bar worthy anyway.
Posted by Audrey at 12:38 AM | Comments (0)
September 22, 2005
Commitment
Last night was rough school work wise. As I sat at my computer I realized the next few weeks might not be any easier so if I was going to workout I better figure out how to fit it in to my schedule. I reaffirmed to myself that yes, running is a priority in my life-and not just when I am bored and have lots of free time. So I got up and I went to the gym at around 8:45. I did the elliptical for 35 minutes which was wonderful. I haven’t done the elliptical since the winter (except for a 15 minute experiment in August when I was testing my knee out) and it was kind of cool. I was at all of my old levels (6-10ish) and it wasn’t hard. It was also air conditioned. I was watching tv. It really was fun. Then I used the foam roller and stretched. I really wanted to stay and lift-the alternative was a date with my computer-but I knew I had to drag myself away. Note, working out at night (or maybe just being up so long) necessitates a fourth meal of the day.
I was up until 2 and then woke up at 8. Even though I was tired I had no problem getting up b/c I knew it was do or die time for finishing my work. I actually had adrenaline pumping through me as I was reading and writing. It was weird. I knew I had an impending deadline and that I had to just go go go.
There is a group that runs out of one of the local stores around here and since my planned night run time was pretty close to when they always run I met up with them. We ran 4.37 miles (they all had gadgets that calculated) and I ran it in 34:55 (8 min/mile pace). There were 5 of us running. We all ran together until the last mile when I started to get dropped by more and more of them. The run was progressively faster so we were going much faster than 8 min/mile pace at the end. One guy finished up the last ¼ mile or so with me. I think he didn’t want me to feel badly for getting dropped on one of my first runs with them. That was completely nice of him but it really doesn’t bother me at all. I should have been running faster if I wanted to hang! It was kind of nice running with other people and the bonus is I get to find some new routes. I can’t run with them all of the time b/c they are a tad too fast for me. Plus I really enjoy running in the morning. However, I should definitely be running with them some of the time since they really pushed me.
Posted by Audrey at 10:06 PM | Comments (5)
September 21, 2005
Look How Creative I Am
Well, not at all. I am so tired. There really is no reason I should be this tired as I have only been getting a little less sleep than normal. Things have deteriorated in my apartment. I am already sleeping on the futon (I just woke up from a nap) which usually doesn’t happen until finals. That’s where I sleep when all of my papers get spread out on my bed, which is next to my desk and computer. The biggest news is that I just had hot chocolate. I was lying on the futon trying to decide the best approach for writing my papers for tomorrow. I needed coffee. I haven’t had coffee in years and don’t keep it around the house (which, yes, I know is bad form for when I have guests. My apologies to the people this has annoyed over the years-mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, sis, and sis’ bf.) After some scrambling I managed to find a package of instant hot chocolate in the back of a cabinet that came in a New Year’s basket from my landlord. I was going to have it iced-except I found out all of the ice evaporated from the ice trays over the summer. Yes, I was going to eat old ice. Like I said, things have deteriorated.
For now I am writing. Hopefully I will have a chance to go elliptical at the gym later but I may settle for some sit-ups and push-ups. I do feel much better with the caffeine running through my system. Have a good night all.
Posted by Audrey at 05:33 PM | Comments (1)
September 20, 2005
Blogging
At this point I ran so long ago I can barely remember it. I was exhausted and called it quits on my work last night at 11 PM and just crawled into bed. I woke up at 6:30 and ran for 42:32. My legs are still a bit fatigued from the race but I feel much better. I found a **new route** which is exciting b/c 1) just finding new places to run is one of my goals 2) there were some hills and 3) it was really pretty. There were also lots of other runners which was nice.
I was thinking about my blogging tonight. I am in a creative writing class and today the prof asked the people who contributed writing this week if they have any writing experience. The prof was very impressed by one girl who found time to “journal” for 20 minutes every day. I imagine I will be asked about my writing experience when I turn my first piece in next week. Do I mention the blog? What would I possibly say?
“I write excessively and almost exclusively about exercise. I often don’t use complete or proper sentences. I use a lot of smiley faces and shorthand. I am the star of the writing and, if other characters should appear, they play fleeting and minor roles.”
I imagine I will mention it as it is the only type of creative writing I do (or, for that matter, have done since 7th grade when we did a poetry unit). I think blogging is a very interesting medium and one that is actually pretty distinct from journaling. I am very cognizant of the fact that there may be people reading this. I watch what I say, think about what my audience would be interested in reading, and I do edit my entries before, and sometimes after, I post them. You all definitely get the edited me. Some of my fellow bloggers are much more forthcoming than I am and I really respect that. We all have different kinds of blogs and I think they all may count as some newfangled type of creative writing-though I am not sure how well my blogging prepares me for a culture of medicine writing class or, for that matter, drafting a business letter or memo. I think I will be okay though as, if required, I should still be able to construct a complete sentence with all of the requisite parts.
Posted by Audrey at 10:15 PM | Comments (6)
September 19, 2005
The After Pain
This morning was ugly. The weather was BEAUTIFUL-a chill was even in the air! I was so happy to be running and back on my normal schedule-but I was absolutely shuffling along. Over the past two days I have gotten progressively more sore. Specifically, my quads, abs, and back could feel the effects of the race. I did my pond loop in 40:45. I think my form was poor, I was slow, I was tired b/c I went to bed late and it was now 6:45 in the morning, and the soreness could be felt with every stride. In a way though, it felt nice. It was a satisfying soreness b/c it meant I had pushed myself. Stretching after the run was similar agony/pleasure. However, as usually happens, an hour after I finished I felt significantly better than prior to the run. I am only a tiny bit sore now.
Of note is there was this annoying girl who would not let me pass her. The dirt path is narrow so I would pass her on the pavement and then move back into the dirt. Then she would sprint and pass me and get in front of me on the dirt. Then I would shuffle up to her and pass her again and she would sprint again. I was like [in my head] are you kidding me?? Either let me pass you or maintain a faster speed so I don’t catch you (she wasn't doing an interval workout or anything that i could identify-unless her workout was "sprint when someone gets near you"). It was weird. And annoying. So I pushed her into the pond. Not really.
I have been riding my bike to all of my various activities today which feels pretty nice on the legs-stretching them out a bit more. I have lots of work this week. I worked respectably hard on my three day weekend (which should be pretty standard this fall) it’s just that I have sooo much activity stacked from Monday-Thursday.
Congrats to EVERYONE who raced this weekend. There was lots of running everywhere. It was fun to read about.
Posted by Audrey at 04:54 PM | Comments (4)
September 18, 2005
The Promised Story
As promised, the scoop: A blind runner flew over from kenya to run in the race and his guide got hurt so the race organizers were looking for someone to be his guide. They needed someone who could run 5 min/miles. No one could do it so they told people they could break up pacing responsibilities for different portions of the race. Someone would follow on a bike, and when the first runner got too tired the bike rider would get off of the bike and start running as the new guide. The first guide (the journalist) made it 1/2 a mile before having to switch. Craziness. The runner went on to win in 15 and change and he had a new course record. His family members (or friends?) were there from Kenya as well and one of them (not visually impaired) placed well in the women's race. The whole situation was just so impressive.
Posted by Audrey at 07:44 PM | Comments (1)
September 17, 2005
22 something
I rocked my run this morning. 22:09 or 22:11 (I can’t remember the official time). My splits were not too too bad (meaning simply that I didn’t start off ridiculous fast): 6:59 (1), 7:13 (2), and 7:58 (last 1.1). I didn’t feel like I was going to die at all. As I was in the home stretch-in typical runner fashion-I saw I wasn’t going to be under 22 minutes and was annoyed (even though I originally only wanted to go under 23). I think I could have run 9-11 seconds faster!!! I am extremely encouraged from the effort. I tell ya, my body seriously likes undertraining. It just does.
I left my house pretty early b/c I was up and ready and I wasn’t sure how to get where I was going. I did get lost but it was nothing too major. I called my friend who was “maybe” coming to the race and she confirmed (from bed) that she most certainly was not :) I got to the 10 AM race around 8:45. I checked in and then returned to my car to psych myself up (do some health reading for school).
At 9:30 I left my car to use the bathroom and then do a 6 minute warm-up (I’m not that into warm-ups). [This is the start of a really good human interest story (more later).] At 9:50 everyone started walking over to the start line. It was a pretty small field which I really like just b/c there is parking, it’s not crowded, and it’s just more low key. We started and I felt really good. I had no idea what my 5K pace should feel like so I tried to push it, but not sprint. I was really curious what my split would be. I never run fast when I train so pace is a complete mystery to me. When I hit the mile mark I was relieved I was in the realm of reasonable and tried to maintain the pace.
The second mile was fine. I passed one woman and a couple of guys. The third mile was fine. Nothing eventful. No women passed me during the race. I really didn’t feel too badly. I have no idea what my overall place among women was (I was 7th in my age group, but a bunch of women older than me beat me) but I guess I can put that in later when it’s up on the official site. I cooled down for another 6 minutes, stretched, and then got my icepack out of my car and preventatively iced my quad (no pain so far).
Of note is that this is one of the most amazing races I have had a chance to be a part of. The race was intended to raise money for the visually impaired and there were a lot of visually impaired walkers and runners there. It was so interesting learning about blindness (they handed out lots of information) and watching how these runners competed. From what I can tell visually impaired runners either wear special kinds of glasses that help them see or they use guides. The guide runner and the person being guiding both hold onto some sort of tether/rope. I think the overall winner was visually impaired.
The human interest story will have to wait until tomorrow. There was some guy at the race who was part of the story who is also a journalist. I was talking to him after the race and he plans to write about it for work. I don’t want to steal his scoop! I will try and find the story and link it, or at the very least I will tell it tomorrow after he’s published. It’s pure craziness!
Lesson learned (again) from the race:
Do not get psyched out by people who look like they can beat me. (ie. women wearing little clothing, racing flats, and/or with stick-like bodies, and guys overheard talking about their 5 min/mile times from when they were in their 20s). While these can all be good indicators of speed, I beat a couple of them. I am often convinced certain people can beat me based on an educated guess about their running abilities. However, I am continually proven wrong. You just can’t tell how fast people are based on what they look like. At least I can’t.
Posted by Audrey at 12:55 PM | Comments (10)
September 16, 2005
Personalized Risk Assessment
I had dinner, some crackers and peanut butter for dessert, and am going to go to bed at a reasonable hour. The race isn’t until 10 so I should get enough sleep and have a chance to eat something beforehand. I’m not nervous or anything. I am curious about the weather. I think it might rain. The weather changes drastically throughout the day here (hot to cold and back again) so who knows what it will be like. Enough about me...
Want a personalized risk assessment for developing diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, stroke, or heart disease (and tips for reducing your risk of developing them)? Check it out: http://www.yourdiseaserisk.harvard.edu/
For example, here is how I [given my risk factors] can reduce my risk of getting osteoporosis:
Cut down on the vitamin A you get. Tips:
*Pick a multivitamin with a vitamin A dose that's:
- 5000 IU or less
- made up of at least 20% beta carotene
*Cut back on the number of energy bars you eat.
*Choose more often cereals that aren't fortified with vitamin A, like Quaker Oats or Puffed Kashi.
*Get no more than 1-2 servings of milk on the days you take a multivitamin.
How cool is that info?
Posted by Audrey at 08:39 PM | Comments (0)
September 15, 2005
Popsicle Madness
My run this morning was disgusting. The weather was so humid that my clothes were drenched by the time I got home. I ran for 40 minutes. I still haven’t been able to fall asleep easily. It’s so strange b/c in DC this summer I was going to bed at 9:30/10 and getting up at 5:30/6. Now I am up until midnight or later b/c I can’t fall asleep earlier. This morning I heard the alarm at 6 and reset it for 7. The extra hour didn’t cut it though and I was still tired in the afternoon. But you know, these things happen-and I can sleep in until 8 or so tomorrow.
Tonight I volunteered for a weekly race my club puts on. My job was to collect popsicle sticks with place numbers on them and write down the name associated with each popsicle stick. This was great for me since I got a crash course on who exactly went with all of the names I have seen via e-mail for the past year. Unfortunately, it was bad for absolutely every runner since this forced them to spell their names between gasps of air moments after crossing the finish line of a 4 mile race.
Posted by Audrey at 09:53 PM | Comments (0)
September 14, 2005
Unwanted Taper
Not much to say. I’m really looking fwd to my run tomorrow. I hate running so little this week (b/c I pushed my weekend run back to Sunday I am running one less day, plus I didn’t run very far Sunday). Also, I wanted to actually rest on my rest days this week too (ie. no real biking or other such lower body cross-training) to benefit the quad. And I didn’t go swimming…b/c I didn’t really feel like it. So I am having unintended tapering symptoms! I am so antsy and I am sure I have forgotten how to run. I even started questioning if I am still healthy since I failed to meet the recommended physical activity guidelines a few times this week. This is absurd I feel this way!! I guess I did cut whatever mileage I was doing by over a 25% so it kind of makes sense. Running is definitely a drug.
Posted by Audrey at 06:02 PM | Comments (8)
September 13, 2005
5K Analysis
I think these are all of my 5K times in the order they were run:
24:14 (I was 14 and running that summer ONLY to train for soccer. My dad was just getting into running himself and he used to run with me even though I was a complete and total disaster. I could never breathe and I always had cramps. I can’t remember if I complained a lot but I do know I hated it. We were on vacation and he thought we should enter the race. My dad ran with me and we spent the majority of the race with him helping me chase down a 12 year-old who was in my age group. We beat her :) I wouldn’t race again for 5 years.)
21:42 (My PR which was in spring 2004. It was a completely flat course in DC around Haines point. I thought I was going to die. But the race was actually pretty fun b/c a whole bunch of my former co-workers all ran it. Also, I have a DC running idol who used to beat me monthly in a race around the tidal basin. She beat me again in this race-but then we cooled down together. It was the first time I talked to her. I was very excited. I am SUCH a nerd.) {Side note-I honestly can’t imagine ever beating this PR.}
23:54 (The race from earlier this summer. It was 98 degrees out.)
So…these are some pretty disparate times from the past 11 years. I have no idea what is a normal 5K time for me. I think it would be pretty accurate to say I don’t have one at this point. Unfortunately, this means I have no idea how fast to run on Saturday. Awesome. It would be very very cool to go sub 23, which would require 7:24min/miles or faster. We’ll have to see. Could the heat have made me that much slower in August? I hate how this is a complete guess!! I need more experience (and some speed work wouldn’t exactly kill me)!!!
I ran for 38:40 this morning at 7 AM. I had to run early b/c I am leaving at 8:30 AM and won’t be home until 9:30 PM. It’s a full day of a new internship and then three classes. Did I mention it’s a full day? The run was hard. The humidity is back and I am pretty tired b/c I haven’t been sleeping well. (I was even supposed to run at 6 AM but I kept snoozing). At night I just lie in bed thinking about random things. I think it might just be the stress of a new routine. Who knows. My leg injury feels fine but I am icing anyway. On that note, I am calling my leg thoroughly iced and I am off to shower.
Posted by Audrey at 08:02 AM | Comments (8)
September 12, 2005
Bad sis or good sis?
I called home yesterday specifically to ask how my little brother’s first cross-country meet went. My dad answered the phone. The answer was-it went pretty well. My brother had fun. He ran the fastest he ever has. He got a uniform (there weren’t enough to go around so the freshmen were given uniforms based on attendance at practice). It was a good time. Then my dad asked if I wanted to speak to my brother myself…um…well, I didn’t want to be a horrible older sister. I mean, I never specifically called home to ask how his soccer, basketball, or baseball games went…so what business did I have calling now? I didn’t want my little brother to think I like him more or am going to pay more attention to him b/c he runs.
In my defense, in my mind this race is kind of more important than his previous sports b/c he is on the HS team rather than recreational teams. I just see that as more important no matter what sport he is playing. (Spare me the comments on sports for sports sake! I definitely believe in all that too, but sometimes there IS an element of competition involved!) But yeah, I have to admit I was pretty interested in it b/c I am intrigued b/c it is running. I can completely see how parents would pressure (or the very least, encourage) their kids to play specific sports. I feel guilty for caring so much how his cross-country season is going and how much he likes it. How is that for a complex series of emotions (normally caring about what is going on in your siblings’ lives is a GREAT thing). Sigghhh, why is nothing simple with me?? Me thinks I am overanalyzing this.[Note, I did end up speaking to my brother yesterday.]
No running today. I biked about a mile each way to the gym and reintroduced myself to the weights (I am going to be so sore tomorrow), my balance exercises (standing with one leg on a squooshy balance disc), and some core exercises.
They are also starting a marathon in my hometown. It's in May 2006. It has an associated 15K and 5K race with it (the latter two races have been around for years). I asked my Dad if he was doing the 15K and I suggested that my brother do the 5K and I would do the marathon. He replied it is WAY too early for him to be thinking about May, and he also reminded me of what I thought of immediately after I e-mailed him: the 15K is the hardest (and prettiest) course I have ever run on. The hills are beyond crazy. Running a marathon on that course would be the ultimate challenge. Which brings me to my main thought: Is it "cheating" to purposely pick a fast course to try and qualify for Boston? I know people do it all the time-but is it okay? Conversely, is it silly and just shooting yourself in the foot not to pick a fast course if you know you need every edge? Is this one of those issues that running purists argue endlessly about?
Posted by Audrey at 10:32 AM | Comments (5)
September 11, 2005
Numerical Post
Last night I consulted a map of the Charles and broke out my calculator and tried to figure out a route that was about 8 miles. It took a few minutes but I was successful. When I woke up this morning I was kind of nervous. When I tell myself I am going running for an hour or an hour and 15 minutes it seems so much more normal and manageable than saying, time to get out the door for an 8 mile run. Two of my concerns were: What if my leg hurt? I never have to use the bathroom when I run but I have kind of been eating crap for the past few days (too many cookies shaped like letters of the alphabet-don’t ask) so what if that was a problem? I was so worried about something going wrong that I actually took money with me which I never do unless I know I’ll need it for something, like dinner the other night. (I usually just assume I am invincible and will be able to make it back.)
From past experience I know the Charles is a 10 minute run from my apartment. However, I got all confused as to the exact location of the bridge I was looking for and went the wrong way. I felt like Alison b/c I was definitely behind some random buildings (though not quite body storage worthy) and looking for the path I needed. 20 minutes after leaving my house I found my way to the Charles. I decided that b/c I had gotten lost I couldn’t quite do the bridge loop I had planned out (River St. to Longfellow, which is 6.1 miles) b/c I didn’t want to run too far on my healing leg so I made a shorter bridge loop (BU to Harvard). I thought I would just add on at the end of the run. While I was running I decided that I was being crazy and there was no need to run 8 miles on a healing leg. While I was feeling great I am now super injury cautious and thought it was best not to push it. I’m not really training for anything long, I am racing next weekend, 60 minutes would be more than fine for health and fitness, and as much as wanted to run 8 miles, I was probably better off taking it easy. Consequently, I decided to run the 20 minutes to the Charles, do the BU to Harvard bridge loop, and run the 10 minutes home from the Charles.
I ran the 2.7 mile BU to Harvard loop (the map gives exact mileage) in 24:16 which is almost exactly 9 min/mile pace. I have no idea how far the rest of the run was but assuming my 57:14 minute run was all at that pace I ran 6.3 miles. That makes me happy as it was at least a 10K.
It is almost fall here. My hands were cold during the first part of my run! I REALLY have to do my reading for school now. Happy weekend!
Posted by Audrey at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)
September 10, 2005
Brooks & Who?
Today was pretty and some exciting things happened. For starters, I saw my friend (and her sister) who “lives” in Boston. But she’s a consultant who is always onsite in some far away city and only comes home on the weekends. So she is my “weekend” friend and I haven’t seen her since the wedding we attended in August. The second good news is my weekend friend won me concert to Brooks & Dunn (and the opener is Big and Rich) later this month! Yeah B!!
The whole story is as we were driving to the giant maze I was complaining that I still haven’t found any radio stations I like except for 99.5 (country). When we arrived at the maze 99.5 happened to have a table set up and I dragged my friends over. There was a contest where a DJ from the station was walking in the maze and whoever found him first got concert tickets. After answering my friends’ questions (“Brooks & Who?” “I have never of Big and…oh they sing THAT?? I totally know that song.”) we entered the maze. We were actually the only three entered in the contest and my friend B won and promptly handed the tickets over to me (when I finally got out of the maze) b/c she rocks (and b/c I was freaking out prior to the contest and animatedly talking about country music to the radio station intern). As contestants we also got free admission to the maze which was very cool. Now I love the station even more and I am listening to Big and Rich to celebrate. Oh yes, and while a lot of the inner maze activities were geared towards children (there was face painting village and it was a supervillian maze) I really liked the place. It’s crazy somewhere so farmlandish is so close to Boston. Also, b/c we were in the contest we had to walk around with these giant flags so people from towers could track our progress. I felt really cool :)
And the running demons were bad today. Except for 8/13 (hamstring) I haven’t missed a day of running all summer. However, that day I was at a wedding and was properly amused, visiting with seldom seen friends, and slightly inebriated. It’s horrible when it’s just you + the beautiful weather + free time + your running shoes vs. your brain saying you should probably hold off today Audrey. I hate the running demons. All of you about to taper for the marathon good luck with those!! Anyway, I just took a 3.5 hour nap. ?? That's weird, as I thought I had been sleeping enough.
Posted by Audrey at 07:11 PM | Comments (1)
September 09, 2005
Loser
Suffice to say I am not proud of how I spent my day. I got up early, did some reading for school, went food shopping, and then watched 6 hours of the Real World Austin. I’m not kidding. I took some time out to go swimming for 25 minutes. I pulled the whole time, using just my upper body. My legs aren’t tired, but it occurred to me that my quad issue hasn’t quite healed up b/c my rest days aren’t super restful. Even when I wasn’t running I have been biking all over to do errands and to commute to school. My quad doesn’t hurt that much at all but I can tell it’s not quite right. Given how long it took me to get better from my calf pull in April (when I just kept right on running) I am going to push my long run to Sunday. I honestly could run right now if I wanted to and would probably be fine, but I would rather just nip this thing entirely and get healed. I think two consecutive days off should do the trick (today and tomorrow). Of course it is killing me to miss my run (I am running one less time next week b/c I am pushing Sunday’s run back) but I think it’s the wise choice to try and avoid injury land. Oh, I also did some sit-ups and such today.
The plan is to run for an hour and 15 minutes on Sunday, 40 minutes on Tuesday, 35 minutes on Thursday, and then race the 5K on Saturday.
AND, tomorrow I am going to the giant people-sized maze!!! That doesn't make up for not running but it helps...at least it gets me away from my tv and the Real World.
Posted by Audrey at 08:11 PM | Comments (1)
September 08, 2005
Chatty Entry
This is the third blog entry I started. I decided the first one, about my 10K race goals, was better suited to be posted closer to the 10K race (and after my 5K race). The second one, about how it has been 34 days since my last period (in the realm of normal for me when I am training, which no, is not particularly healthy since it’s so much longer than my cycle when I am injured or before I started running) I decided to postpone posting until I can write it more coherently. It was getting complicated and medically techy and I didn't feel like I was doing the topic justice.
So what to write about? How about: I wonder what people think when I hand them money that has been in my shorts. To start this story properly-I could not sleep last night. I was up until 2, which made running this morning not as good an option as sleeping in. This led me to have my first afternoon run in months. It was a nice change and I was only mildly conscious about what I would eat during the day and when, something I don’t have to worry about at all when I run in the morning.
I ran at about 5:30 PM and did my same loop around the pond. I wanted to avoid as much rush hour traffic as possible. I ended up running for 35:04. I felt springy and passed two different guys (on separate occasions) who were running so I felt pretty hard core (am I horrible for being excited about that?). There was one lady older than me (50?) going in the opposite direction who looked pretty darn speedy which was super impressive. I ended the run in this little town near me and stretched on the corner. Then I walked to this Mexican place, ordered, and pulled a ten dollar bill out of my shorts. I ALWAYS utilize the little pockets in running shorts for my keys, ID cards, credit cards, money, etc. The guy took it (the cash wasn’t sweaty) and then I put the change back in my shorts. He didn’t say anything about it or look at me weird, but if the roles were reversed would I have wanted to touch the money?
Another random point for today is that I LOVE the different running goals runners have. Here is the verbatim e-mail exchange I had with 2 of my friends this morning:
Me: Do you want to do a 5K with me?
B: Sounds like fun. Count me in. I am registering now.
L: Sounds great. I couldn't tell what time it's at, though. We're having a party the night before (and you're all invited, of course), so if I'm not too hung-over, I'm there!
B: Yeah, that was hard to find -- the race starts at 10am. I may be running a bit hungover, but hey, it's only a 5K - right? Or is this another 5 mile switcheroo?
So assuming they take it easy the night before, I have friends going to the race. I definitely won’t be drinking. Oh, about the switcheroo comment B made…I may be guilty of inviting a whole lot of people to run in a 5K race with me on New Year’s Day 2005-that was actually 5 miles.
Posted by Audrey at 09:31 PM | Comments (0)
September 07, 2005
Scary Bike Ride
This is the first time in a long time (maybe ever) I actually thought I was going to get hurt on a bike ride. I got up, put my bike on my car, and dropped the car off at the dealer. I then biked to Franklin Park. Problems with biking to and from the park included 1) it was rush hour and 2) I honestly think people were making a game out of how close they could drive to me without hitting me. I was really unnerved. Problems with biking at the park included 1) there was a lot of gravel and 2) there were lots of sticks on the ground and 3) you have to either dismount or ride your bike through lots of really narrow openings that have been constructed so cars cannot get through. I have a hybrid bike and was going slowly, but my wheels still lost traction a few times on those surfaces. It was NOT a good biking day and I definitely do not have plans to bike back there.
The good news is the park looks like it would be a great place to run. There is zoo parking there so I may drive and then run, or if I was doing a long run I could run there, run in the park, and then run back.
Alison and I were e-mailing a few moments ago about the races we chose to run. We picked two different races for different reasons. Besides liking the date of the race, my reasons included: I liked the course and it is a smallish field (I am not really looking forward to running with so many people at Tufts). That means it should be pretty low key (no crowds) before or after the race and plenty of parking (for my car or bike). It’s kind of cool that there are all different kinds of races for people with different running goals and preferences.
Posted by Audrey at 10:38 AM | Comments (2)
September 06, 2005
Fall Racing Schedule
I am really tired right now for some reason. I got up at 7 AM, ran for 38:53 which I am calling a little more than 4 miles. I did not go somewhere new, BUT, it was a great run. It wasn’t hot, the pond was beautiful, and I ran my loop about 15 minutes faster than I thought I would. The loop must be a LOT shorter than I remember it being from the spring. (I guess I would know these things if I kept a training log :) I had to add on to my run. Luckily there is a mini-park that is perfect for that right next to my house.
In preparation for the first day off school (which started at 1:30 PM) I put on jeans (it’s almost too cold for shorts), an actual nice shirt, I replaced my sports watch with a real one, and put on a necklace, earrings, and a ring. And I did contacts and didn’t wear sneakers. For me, I was crazy styling.
It was fabulous to be back in school. I am (by choice) taking classes completely out of my usual area of interest. I feel a little silly when I have to fill out forms for the professors that ask you to list your experience with the topic and I have to leave them blank. One can only hope that means I will learn the most?
Here is my not so complex fall racing plan:
September, 5K
October, Tufts 10K (Registered today!)
November, 10 miler
Also, I have noticed in the past couple of weeks that I am getting noticeably bigger quads. Cute. That hasn’t happened since I was training for the marathon years ago. So what gives??? But so it goes…
Posted by Audrey at 08:02 PM | Comments (5)
September 05, 2005
Must Embrace Boston
I went running this morning at 7 and all was good with my quad. I ran an easy 31:16 and I didn’t even get too sweaty. It was brisk out and I really wanted to dig into my t-shirt drawer but most of the t-shirts are too big and heavy so I opted for a regular sleeveless coolmax shirt (the blood from my razor cut came out of the yellow shirt nicely). I guess I have been running often as well b/c I have been running short on running shorts for the past few weeks which is actually kind of cool b/c it means I am running.
I have failed on two elements of my embracing boston checklists so far: I haven’t decorated my apartment and I haven’t run anywhere new yet. I went around my usual pond this morning. Granted, I haven’t been there in a few months, but it still wasn’t new to me. It’s just SOO much easier to run the routes I know than anywhere else. Maybe I will force myself to find somewhere new for tomorrow’s run which should be a bit longer.
Not too much else to report. I have been pretty sedentary the rest of the day and have spent almost all of it at my computer. I made my first ever visit to theknot.com and checked out my friends’ webpage and bought something from their registry. Classes start tomorrow which is kind of exciting. As for the rest of the day, I need to finish picking classes (yes, it really takes the weeks I have spent doing it) and I think I need some solid mindless movie watching time tonight.
Posted by Audrey at 03:10 PM | Comments (1)
September 04, 2005
Honesty
I’m back in Boston. My quad feels great. I am optimistic about my run tomorrow. I took the day off from exercise today to rest my leg, drive back, take a nap, do some work, and help my friend move some stuff he stored at my place over the summer.
What is interesting are things I say sometimes when I am put on the spot and I don’t have the chance to sit and think like I do when I write my blog entries. For example, my friend who I helped move asked about my triathlon. My response: “Well it was great to do something new. I have been kind of sad about my running for a while b/c I am always hurt so it was nice to have a new type of accomplishment.” I mean, who knew I was so sad about my running? I had thought I was over being sad about it since I was healthier. But it just popped out of my mouth and I’m pretty sure it’s true.
I had another moment this summer when some random guy on the street asked why I was shading my head with a notebook. The public health answer (and the one I usually give) is, “skin cancer.” But no. The word that popped out of my mouth was, “wrinkles.” Again, who knew I was worried about that? On a day to day level I wear sunscreen b/c of skin cancer worries-but apparently I care about wrinkles too. So blog readers, I guess you get the thought out me I would like to portray more than the real, honest me. And I didn’t even really realize it.
Posted by Audrey at 07:38 PM | Comments (0)
September 03, 2005
Shout Out
Yesterday afternoon while my friends went walking I hit the pool and swam laps for 30 minutes. The pool was short (I have no idea by how much) so it wasn’t too hard b/c I had to pause and turn more frequently than normal. They stopped by the pool when they were done and we walked back to the house together where we did core stuff and other strength exercises. One girl here (she says her name is not a secret) LINDSEY used to teach a kick-boxing class so she gave us a mini-lesson (she used to do core stuff w/ her classes) and we had a mini class. It was pretty cool, I learned some new moves, and I LOVED having company for the exercises I hate.
And, in typical runner fashion, I didn’t drink last night and went to bed earlier than my friends so I could get up early. I got up at 6:30 AM and was on the trail by 7. I ran on the Cape Cod Rail Trail Bikeway. I got directions from my friend’s Dad and drove to the trail which was about 2 miles from the house. I ran for an hour and seven minutes and I negative split it by about a minute.
The path is gorgeous and the perfect place for a run. It’s shaded and goes through beautiful scenery. The trail is also perfectly paved and perfectly maintained. So I did what every runner worth their salt would-I ran in the dirt next to the path. My quad is a bit sore. It wasn’t during the run but is now. I have iced a few times today and my friends are very inquisitive about the icing. Do I have a serious injury? How much does it hurt? (My friends are also fascinated with the concept behind the blog). I am icing and taking ibuprofen. I think I have a grade one strain. I am not too worried about it and am just glad I have a rest day planned and I got my run in (it hurt Friday but not this morning before my run).
Later in the day DEB (name also not a secret) (who may run the Tufts 10K) and I took a walk on the beach. We went in search of mud to immerse ourselves in (or at least DEB wanted to). Now we are planning our evening which will probably consist of wine, dinner, games/puzzles/movies, and smores (even though DEB claims smores are best cooked over a bonfire-which we will not be doing).
(I also have to note that going food shopping with health girls rocks. We eat the same types of health things…well, plus lime Tostitos and smores...so that is just a little bonus over going food shopping with people who don't share the health food love.)
Posted by Audrey at 06:52 PM | Comments (0)
September 02, 2005
At least I can type fast
No time for a real entry here so just the quick and dirty.
I decided I wanted to run five days a week since it is absolutely gorgeous running weather up north and I have the urge to run every day. To ease into it, instead of taking a rest day I went running for 16:38 this morning. Tomorrow is my long run.
I am at the Cape right now and my friends are going run/walking in a few minutes and I am going to go to the pool. It's beautiful here...
I don't think I am going to be able to make it to New Haven on Monday (and I can't check your blogs b/c I am on dail-up here) but I wanted to wish the RBF good luck and I hope you have a really good time. That's so exciting. Enjoy!
Posted by Audrey at 05:18 PM | Comments (0)
September 01, 2005
The Meeting
I was up until 1 AM last night. I went out with two public health kids (they went to a bar close to me b/c I told them I couldn’t be out late b/c I had to go running-and so the concessions people make to my running continue) at around 9:30 PM. I got home at midnight and did some work for an hour before collapsing into bed. It wouldn’t have been too bad except I had to be back from my run at 8 AM to wait for the cable guy. I set the alarm for 6, snoozed until 6:55, and left the house at 7:10 for a 40 minute run. I hoped I wouldn’t get lost, hurt, or hit a lot of lights.
It was brisk out. I ran in a t-shirt (rather than a coolmax type of shirt) for the first time since Aprilish. I have this huge surplus of t-shirts that I don’t want to throw out b/c they all have some memory associated with them-but that are basically just taking up space in my drawer. So on one went this morning. I have to diversify though. I was a running billboard for my undergrad again. I had the t-shirt and the visor today. I ran for 38:35. I got near home way too fast (my loop around a pond is very short) so I added two small loops. This was good b/c one loop got me another T station and the second loop took me through a little park. I think I started off slow and then ended at a pretty good pace. I have no idea what pace, but it felt pretty solid.
AND, I met Alison today. YEAH!!! The girl is so sweet-she offered to run with me. And she reads my blog so she knows what speed I run. But I’ll be honest, I didn’t want her holding me back. JUST KIDDING. I actually did decline running with her, but only b/c I couldn’t imagine her getting any sort of workout in and I would feel guilty. She reiterated she didn’t mind, but the only person I like running with who is slower than me is my Dad [b/c he ran w/ me for years when I was slower than him, we are almost the same speed, I think it’s cool we have a legitimate hobby in common, and I really LIKE running with him] and I always just assume people feel the same way as I do about running with people slower than them. I mean, I run for exercise and to get faster and I feel like if you run TOO slowly neither of those things are accomplished. I know that about myself-I like to run at my speed and I am definitely a selfish runner like that and I just assume everyone else secretly feels that way as well.
So, we did go to lunch though which is fun. Becky was supposed to join us but was not feeling so well. Since Becky wouldn’t be there Alison called to tell me what she was wearing which was good b/c I really didn’t know what she looked like (and everyone in Harvard Square is about our age). Everyone has been saying the pictures of her are not accurate! But with her clothing instructions I found her okay. We just chatted and it was really fun and I thanked her for starting this site and letting me post here! She also said again that we should run together sometime and I think I have lost my fear and would really like that. I’ll have to taper for it but it should be all good :)
Posted by Audrey at 03:38 PM | Comments (4)