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October 31, 2005
Office Needs a Drying Rack
Because I can’t run:
-I can’t read Runner’s World. (It puts me over the edge. I am saving my issue for a few weeks.)
-I am super flexible. (All running related tightness is gone. I had honestly completely forgotten that I used to be flexible.)
-I have to wake up earlier than usual to hit my pool’s limited swim hours.
This morning I got up at 6:20 and was in the water by 7. I was doing my last lap when they blew the air horn to call time at 7:30. That was cool. I had been running around my apt and then sprinting to the pool on my bike to make it there in time so it was satisfying to have succeeded. I swam for 29:40. It had been about 2 weeks since I last swam and for some reason I started having flashbacks to my tri training from the summer. I think it was b/c the bulk of my swimming (ever) was from when I was tri training and (also like this summer) today I had to swim, shower, and head right to work. Whatever the reason (maybe I am just antsy from not running and I have extra energy) I missed tri training (which is the complete opposite of not running)!! I want to do another one. [Not sure if I mentioned this before-but a girl I go to school with and I are going to train for one in spring 06]. I also got about 4 miles of biking in b/c I went from home to pool to work to school to work to home. My new schedule is annoying, but at least I get to be outside a lot.
When I was at work today I didn't want to leave my bathing suit soaking wet in my backpack so I hid it under a spare desk (someone else shares my desk when I am not there) on my towel with a note next to it saying I would be back for it later when I returned from school. It seemed normal to me at the time. In retrospect, what if I found my boss' swim trunks under a spare desk with a note next to it? WEIRD. Maybe I should rethink my drying location.
Posted by Audrey at 02:59 PM | Comments (4)
October 30, 2005
Worst Prom Ever
I headed back to Boston this morning and slept for three hours on the bus. Both Friday and Saturday nights at 2 AM I was wishing I had been asleep 2 hours earlier while my friends were still planning on being out 2 hours longer. We didn’t even go out until 11 PM. I am tired!! I had lots of fun though and dig NY a lot more now. For Halloween my friend M and I dressed up in matching (cheap) ugly prom dresses, had a guy friend wear a suit, and went as “the worst prom ever”-two girls in the same dress and only one date between us. Our date was so funny, he showed up at our “pre-party” with corsages for us! I also preserved the feet. I was wearing a short black dress and (b/c we were walking all over the city) socks and sneakers. I had heels that I changed into at each destination-but there is NO WAY I was wearing them to walk all over. My friend who did wear the heels throughout was amazing but that would NOT have made for an enjoyable night for me. At one party she put my sneaker orthotics in her purse (they wouldn’t fit in mine) b/c they are quite pricey and I didn’t want to leave them with all of our other stuff (coats and the sneaker parts of my shoes) ditched in the corner of a bedroom.
On the way back from the bus station in Boston I stopped at the gym and ellipticalled for 35 minutes. I then took myself home and caught up on life. The second quarter of school starts tomorrow so I must organize.
Posted by Audrey at 06:57 PM | Comments (1)
October 29, 2005
NY Lifestyle
-Friday, 3 PM, Somewhere between Boston and NY
I’m on the bus headed to NY. Traveling alone, it’s a much cheaper option than driving. ($36 roundtrip for the buses vs. $50 gas for driving +parking costs). Plus, I don’t have to pay attention to anything for hours and hours. I took a nap, am doing some reading, and now I am blogging. I had to wait for my seatmate to fall asleep before I blogged though. He was checking out my magazine as I read and I didn’t want him reading my blog as I typed!
-Saturday, 9 AM, Brooklyn apartment
I had to stop blogging b/c the guy woke up. I’m kind of disappointed in myself that I care what other people think of me enough to stop writing-but I also felt like someone was watching me write in my diary!
Yesterday due to travel I was only able to get to the gym for 20 minutes. I used the time to lift and do some core stuff. I figured that was probably for the best. Even though I have technically been given the go-ahead to elliptical and cycle, it is probably a good idea to let the tendonitis feel a little better before starting in. I did get lots of walking in though during my travels around NY last night. I have never been to Brooklyn before and it is so cute. I love it. We went to dinner (where I had my first blueberry margarita), an apt. party by NYU, and then to a bar to meet some other friends from undergrad. We stayed out late (for reference, dinner was at 9 PM). (Also for reference, last call in Boston is around 2 AM, and the trains stop running at 12:30 AM. Not so in NY). I was falling asleep. I never stay out that late on my own. You New Yorkers are crazy!
Today we are headed to Peanut Butter & Co. (my friend wants to go and I am humoring her…um, yeah), Halloween costume shopping, and the movies. Sounds PERFECT to me. I really wish I could run...but we won't touch that thought. The best thing to do is stay busy (it's like going through a break-up!) and I am all about that today.
Posted by Audrey at 09:41 AM | Comments (2)
October 27, 2005
Today did not rock
I ran for 30 minutes at 10:30 AM. It still hurts just below my knee, on the outside, even after 3 days off. I was really worried about my knee b/c I knew this is a soccer injury rather than an overuse/running injury. There is definitely twisting and such involved in that sport and I was worried about ligaments and meniscuses. I called my primary care physician (I need a referral to see an orthopedist) and made an appointment for 2:20 PM. It was great she was able to see me so soon and she was actually able to diagnose me herself. I trust her. Verdict: my knee joint is stable with no major issues. I have tendonitis. No impact sports for 2 weeks, at which point I can slowly start again. No running or soccer. I can elliptical and cycle. I tried to negotiate-well… I’m not in a lot of pain-what if I feel better after 1 week? “No running. You need to let the inflammation subside. Take anti-inflammatories and ice.” (Both of which I am already doing). If I am not better after 2 weeks I can try PT. In short, my doc thinks I will be back running in 2 weeks and back to full strength in 4 weeks.
This sucks! After two weeks it’s not like I can hop back into my training. I have to slowly build up again. I am always building up. How am I supposed to get faster if I am always building?? I hope I can even JOG the turkey trot (this is the second race this year in which I rallied family members to run with me and then got hurt.)
At the same time-what am I going to do? I am very annoyed-but there’s nothing I can do about it and it is “just” a hobby. Hopefully someday I will run really fast in a race and look back on these past few months and think, “It was worth all the heartache.” Or maybe I will spend the next few years injured every other week. It’s hard to predict…
I then got on a bus and headed to a group interview for a position next fall. I did pretty darn horrible if I do say so myself. That did not make me and my gimpy leg feel very good about myself. Sighh…but life will continue on :)
Oh yeah, in regards to all of your comments about competing against my brothers, I think ShoreTurtle was right on point when he said my sibs are probably gunning to beat me too. He is SO right about that. So why am I stressing? Girls are too nice...
Posted by Audrey at 07:54 PM | Comments (0)
October 26, 2005
Not my finest moment
4/6 of my family is running in the local Turkey Trot: me, my dad, and my two younger brothers. While the point of all of us participating is NOT to compete, when I suggested the race I just assumed I would easily beat them all. I have been running faster than my Dad recently, in April my 14 year-old brother ran a 30 minute 5K (his first race), and my 23 year old brother works out a few times a week, including a few 2-3 mile running days, but he only works out to combat food, beer, and office life. Those are all wonderful reasons to workout-he just doesn’t enjoy running like I do. In fact, he doesn’t like it very much at all.
Apparently, last month the 14 year-old ran a 22:17 5K for cross-country-which is pretty darn close to the 22:11 (on a fast course) that I ran in September. And it came out during our trip to North Carolina that my 23 year-old brother ran a 20:51 5K on no training when he was about 20. By his own admission he is a few pounds heavier these days and he doesn’t love running-at all. Still, he said if he is going to run at Thanksgiving he wants to run fast. As my Dad just signed the three guys up, I am pretty sure the 23 year-old has started training. So what is this??? Stiff competition from my brothers??
It is not fair!! I run. All that time. I like running. I have a running blog. I spend way too much time thinking about running. I hate that they have an advantage b/c they are guys. I mean, I guess I should be glad they run faster than me b/c I want my brothers to be athletic and the general standard for guys is faster than for girls, but, if I am being honest with myself, I would still like to be the fastest. Aren’t I horrible? I feel like I’m not-b/c it’s ok to be competitive, especially w/ siblings-but I feel like I am b/c I want to be faster than my male relatives which means I am hoping they run slower than me which isn’t good b/c they are guys…I guess I hope we all run fast-w/ me just the fastest :) Man, I totally suck…I wish we weren’t related. Then it would be okay for me to want to beat them, right?...well, I honestly wouldn’t care then. I don’t care at all if guys (who I am not related to) beat me. What is it with families??
My leg feels a lot better. It doesn’t hurt when I walk or jog in a straight line, only when I pivot (getting out of my car or kicking a soccer ball for instance.) The whole thing is so strange. I have really wanted to swim recently but the pool’s hours have not been conducive to my schedule AT ALL. I went to the gym today and lifted, foam rolled, and did core stuff. I talked to a cute guy next to the bench press-while I had on a gross old t-shirt, my glasses, my retainer, and I had just unknowingly unracked all the weights he was still using. Awesome. I also went to the orthodontist today and apparently my type A personality pays off in other ways. Because I am so compliant with my treatment-meaning I wear the retainer all the time-I am done with my retainer in 2 more weeks-instead of 2 more months. I'm VERY excited about that.
Posted by Audrey at 05:22 PM | Comments (9)
October 25, 2005
Mini Pasta Party
I miss my roommate!! My houseguests Gina (my 3 year college roommate) and her bf David (who says he never takes up too much of the bed) cooked me a fabulous pasta dinner tonight which we topped off with Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. I love having someone to talk to at the end of the day (even though the windows were open and I could hear them coming home late last night and one of them suggesting they crawl into bed with me!) and it makes me miss her even more (plus they just cooked for me). I really liked living with her-do you think the two of them want to move in with me? I am excited to be mostly done with my finals so I can finally spend some time with them. They have been amusing themselves by sight-seeing and hanging out with their other friends in town.
Today I accosted two of my doctor classmates, pointed to where my knee hurt on the outside, and said, “Is this a bone?” The infectious disease doctor and pediatrician hopeful (he hasn’t specialized yet) think I have a soft tissue injury b/c I am not in enough pain for anything worse. I’ll buy that-though I do think I might have an IT thing going on that they are just unfamiliar with. We had a guest professor today sitting in on my class who I happen to know is a sports doc. I really wanted to ask her if where my leg was bothering my looked like IT pain but I felt like that would be inappropriate-we haven’t ever talked before and I would basically just be trying to get free medical advice. I restrained myself. There is also a girl in school who I know ran in college and still runs a little. I want to ask her if this “spot” is IT pain-except I don’t usually talk to her either so that would also be taking advantage. So I didn’t talk to her -even though once I decided I can’t talk to her I suddenly started seeing her all over school.
I was going to swim but since I went to bed at midnight I decided to sleep in. I had to be at work at 8. Then I came home and had people cooking for me so I just changed out of my work clothes (just like my mom and dad do) and got ready for dinner. I really feel like part of a little family! Since I didn’t exercise I will write about David and Gina. He ran about 2 miles. In the dark. In the rain. He is hard core. Gina had IT pain from running this summer so she chatted knee pain with me.
Posted by Audrey at 08:39 PM | Comments (5)
October 24, 2005
Running Injury Encylopedia
Things aren’t too busy. I can’t really see the screen very well. I spontaneously went to the gym and while I was out I decided to spontaneously go to school and I wasn’t wearing glasses. However, I am giving myself props for heading to school even though Laguna Beach is on right now.
I hate blogging about my injuries b/c it is getting old really quickly, but I figure at the very least my blog can act as an encyclopedia of running injuries. I seem to have touched on them all. I think I do have some sort of IT band thing going on on my good leg-or a very slightly torn lateral meniscus. I can’t tell, but there was a lot of pain last night when I was running and changing directions. It is presenting (I think) like IT pain, though I do remember the exact moment of my soccer game a week ago when my leg went weak and collapsed while I was lunging for a ball. When it was happening, which wasn’t painful at the time, I remember thinking “that feels unusual” which is why I remember it. So that’s why I was thinking meniscus. I don’t really know. I am going to rest today and tomorrow. But at 9 PM I decided (in case it IS IT band-related) that I should foam role. The gym closes at 10 so I left right away (putting my coat on over my pajamas) and headed over. Since I was there I decided it would be a waste if I didn’t lift.
I foam rolled. Consulted a trainer who has no idea what is wrong with me. Foam rolled. Lifted. Foam Rolled. Then I came to school to print out some things for tomorrow. I got blood on one copy of materials (paper cut) so I will just keep that one for me.
In other grooming/exercise news-I got my nails done and an hour later smudged one nail b/c it got scraped as I put on my bike helmet. Boooo!! (Biking doesn’t hurt the knee). I have also spent the last two days virtually recreating my running routes so my house guests could go running. We have used paper maps, verbal directions, crib sheets, and computer generated maps to get them where they were going. The success rate in my directions has been 50% so far.
Posted by Audrey at 10:21 PM | Comments (1)
October 23, 2005
Group Dynamics
The score of tonight’s game was closer: 6-4, with the other team scoring twice in the last few minutes. That was so painful. I didn't get to play very much b/c two of the other girls sucked up the playing time without subbing out which was very annoying. I made sure to warm up this time. I did a 4 minute jog outside of the soccer complex. I definitely should have run longer but I didn’t. I would have liked to have worked out a little bit more on my own today but I did not have any time.
I was overcommitted to group activities today. I have two group finals due Tuesday. I met with both groups today for hours each and both of the groups wanted my assignments that stemmed from those meetings sent around to everyone by early evening tonight. I was, however, committed to my soccer game and haven’t yet touched the assignments. There is definitely a certain pressure to get your work done and do a good job (and make it the game and do a good job) when other people are counting on you. On that note, off I go…
Posted by Audrey at 10:17 PM | Comments (1)
October 22, 2005
Not a lot about running
Things are okay. I am pretty exhausted emotionally. There were tears. There was plenty of laughter. I met people I share DNA with that I have never crossed paths with before. My father gave an amazing eulogy/reflection which is when the tears really started to fall for a lot of people. I always forget how talented my family members are. I think of my Dad as the guy who gets bagels on Saturday mornings, grounded me in HS (I deserved it), and reads a lot. But he is a great writer and a great public speaker and as soon as I found out he was speaking I knew it would be wonderful. He does it all the time, but I have never actually seen him speak in front of other people before. In regards to the eulogy and the pictures I saw of my grandpa this weekend, it surprised me how much of a life my grandfather had before I came on the scene. I had managed to forget he had a career, had hobbies (home improvement), and had a long long life with my grandmother and their children. At the lunch I sat at the kids’ table with the other grandkids (aged 25-11). That was really enjoyable; they’re pretty amazing. There are 8 girls and 2 guys. I really enjoyed seeing my immediate family even though it is very hard seeing my mother so upset and there is just something very wrong with watching my 14 year-old brother be a pall-bearer. (My extended family is short on guys and we provided 3/6). B/c I’m the oldest it was the first brush with death for all of the grandkids and it was intense. I realized on the plane after I put my laptop away right before descent (finals are this week) that I haven’t had a chance to think about any of it.
I got off the plane and came home. Had a snack. Cleaned for 30 minutes. Went running for 4.88 miles (47 degrees, rainy, hilly, 42:22, 8:40 min/mil). I am leaving in an hour to pick up my college roommate and her boyfriend from the airport. They are staying with me for six days. I haven’t seen her in 2 years. I am really looking forward to their arrival. The day after she leaves I head to NY via greyhound to see other friends. No time to think right now which is why I wanted to get some thoughts down. I have a very bad memory sometimes and these are all things that deserve lots of thought. At least I won’t be bored or lonely for a while. Now to the airport. YEAH!!!!!
Posted by Audrey at 05:03 PM | Comments (4)
October 21, 2005
Normal sized-but not in runner world
No working out today.
This is way too much information but all the women in my family were talking about chest size. I mentioned that I wish I had a smaller chest. My mom said, “I know, I know. You don’t have the perfect running body.” Um, I guess she remembers my complaints from before when I was telling her that other women in my family would be better suited for running (chest-wise). I am completely normal sized, but I am big for “a runner”-or at least for running clothing. At the wedding I was at a few weeks ago two other girls (well-endowed, but nothing crazy) and I were talking and I said, “Yeah, all running clothes are cut for really small-chested girls.” My friend interjected and said, “No, they’re cut for boys.” I thought that was hilarious b/c it feels so true a lot of the time. All running shirts fit in the shoulders and then just look bad/too tight across the chest. I hate it. I guess the process of natural selection would leave small chested people running at the elite level. However, lots of people of all different sizes are runners and need clothes that have some room to spare!!
Posted by Audrey at 06:54 PM | Comments (2)
October 20, 2005
Double
8:30 AM, Boston, MA
Around the pond, 38:XX, approximately 4 miles, approximately 45 degrees, alone
4:30 PM, Chapel Hill, NC
Bike path, 20:09, approximately 2 miles, approximately 89 degrees, w/ dad and two younger brothers
Posted by Audrey at 10:07 PM | Comments (2)
October 19, 2005
Out of touch
Admit this is weird. On two separate occasions my mom has given me cell phone holders for use while running. I don’t use them. She knows I don’t use them. I REALLY don’t want my cell phone when I run. I have an ID tag. That is the extent of the gadgets I carry. My mom JUST e-mailed me with a picture of a third prototype:
i know you hate these things, but i think they are good to have if you are a runner, esp if running alone. what if you get hurt? let me know if you want one for christmas.....
I restrained myself from immediately shooting back an e-mail that said: um…still a no. I figured I would ask-does ANYONE carry a cell? If so, is it b/c you have children? Are you on call for something? I just don’t see why I-no kids, running in a city with lots of people around as well as public transportation, and no responsibilities where people would ever need me immediately in the next hour-would ever need one. I'm open to suggestion-am I off base here?
Posted by Audrey at 11:46 PM | Comments (11)
The pre-homework blog
I woke up at 5:45 AM and was worried that I was going to have another horrible night of sleep. But then I realized I had my alarm set for 6 AM anyway and I had already slept over 8 hours. I got up and went to the gym where I foam rollered, ellipticalled for 30 minutes, and did some leg presses and wall sits (to benefit my quad/knee). I biked to the gym (using the blinking light I single-handedly installed on my bike!) and had to go the long way b/c it was still dark and not safe to go through the park I usually cut across. It felt so great to be up early, starting my day, and getting a workout in. I really like the elliptical but haven’t done it too much since the winter just b/c it has been so gorgeous out the past few months and I wanted to be outside. Plus, I was tri training over the summer and there is no elliptical event. I feel a bit sniffly with a slight cough but I am much much improved over the past couple of days.
In the rest of my life-I love my dentist/orthodontist and his whole office staff. I had to go today. Too boring to describe why, but if anyone in Boston has any teeth issues please let me refer you! Also, even though it doesn’t hurt anymore, having a retainer is still annoying. I usually eat something between breakfast and lunch (especially when I workout in the morning) but I was at a really long meeting. I didn’t exactly want to take my retainer out in front of everyone and then subsequently have to excuse myself to go brush my teeth. So…I pre-planned a fluid snack. I ate applesauce. But then in the afternoon, when I was by myself in the school computer lab, I wanted to eat a Balance bar and it was SUCH a process. Use hand sanitizer. Take out retainer. Eat balance bar. Go to bathroom and brush teeth. Put in retainer. I tell ya, my teeth and gums are going to be SOOO healthy by the end of this.
I am headed to NC tomorrow. I think we may have finally found someone to perform the services. Apparently there aren’t a lot of Catholics down south so you have to book a traveling priest. It’s okay to laugh-we all did. We just can’t believe how hard it is to “book” someone to do the service. I am really looking forward to seeing all of my family and I know my grandma is too. I talked to her the other night and that was great-and sad. I am bringing my running shoes and I know my little brother is too (he is missing x-country practice and is going to get his miles in). If I had to guess I would imagine my Dad will as well. I don't think he travels without his sneakers.
Posted by Audrey at 07:15 PM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2005
Coughing up gross stuff. No big.
I still feel disgusting but that’s okay. Even though I only have a cold I feel so guilty for going to public places and exposing other people. I have become a complete germs nutso. My school is really cool though. They have all of these touch-free hand sanitizers all over. I made sure to use them liberally.
I feel about the same. I am really tired though. I was up until 4 AM. I think it was because I felt so gross, but also b/c I took a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. I watched some tv, had a snack (I know it’s probably not necessary to snack in the middle of the night-but I had eaten over 8 hours ago!), then did some schoolwork. Needless to say I didn’t get up at 6 AM to go running. I did up at 7:30 though for work and considered taking my first sick day in years. I ultimately dragged myself to work and then to school where I fell asleep from 5:05-5:15. I was in class. That is so rude. I can’t believe I did that. No one said anything but I still feel very badly.
I came home and went running at around 7 PM for 26:20. I took it pretty easy and doubt I even ran 3 miles. It was dark and I broke out my reflective vest. It was my first real run since Tufts so that was fun. I was glad I was running alone b/c I was spitting lots of gross stuff. Overall it went okay. Before the run I had localized knee pain that, from reading other people’s accounts, seemed IT Band in nature. However, I don’t get IT pain. It’s just not one of my staple injuries. (I don’t get shin splints either). I looked at my leg and sure enough, there was a bruise. I figured it must be from the soccer game and was probably the cause of the pain and it was therefore okay to run. I am going to try and stay up until 10 PM and then go to bed. I seriously need to get on a normal schedule.
Posted by Audrey at 07:53 PM | Comments (4)
October 17, 2005
(Not) Exercising While Sick
I haven’t been sick in a good long while and I could feel this illness coming on. It’s not too bad at all but I have a slightly stuffy nose, I lost my voice, my throat hurts, and I’m coughing up some phlegm (sorry for the details). I was SO hot this morning when I woke up but I don’t know if I have a fever or if my apartment was just disgustingly hot which it sometimes gets in the winter. (During the blizzards last winter I had the windows open). I just feel yucky. I haven’t mentioned it, but I have also been sleeping so much over the past week. I have been getting a pretty normal amount of sleep at night-maybe a tad less than usual-but I have been taking a nap or two a day. I just woke up from a two hour nap for example so these are no baby naps either.
I think the sleeping may be from working out hard. Tufts was last week and I have been playing soccer/sprinting. But now that I know I am sick that probably has the most to do with it. It’s kind of scary how tired I’ve been. Also, I am getting leg bruises again (even before I started playing soccer) so I know I have to be more diligent about taking my multi-vitamin and eating red meat.
With all this in mind I decided not to go to the gym today, even if I don’t feel that bad. I had originally planned on swimming but then I slept in after the late night of soccer. Then I was going to elliptical and lift but I just feel so disgusting. I figure I will take advantage of this opportunity of not training for anything in particular to take it easy. I clearly need the rest and I am sure my gymmates will appreciate me staying home. Maybe if I rest I will kick this thing sooner? What's annoying is if I rest today-but am even sicker tomorrow. Oh well, c'est la vie.
Thanks for all your kind comments and e-mails re: my grandpa.
Posted by Audrey at 04:39 PM | Comments (3)
Coping through Sport
I just got back from my double header. Surprise! We showed up for our 9:45 PM game and were told that that was the first of 2 games for us tonight. (And the indoor field is a pretty far drive from where I live). I am completely beat. We lost. Both games. By considerable margins. Our goalie did an AWESOME job or it could have been much worse. I had two goals. One was pretty cool. But overall, I am calling my play pretty darn ugly. I was getting my butt kicked left and right. I have negative jumping skills. I try and jump and I get shorter. [In HS there was this COMPLETELY embarrassing picture of me in the paper getting squashed by this other girl as we both went to head the ball. It looked like I was getting shorter and was just getting smooshed by my competitor (who also happened to look really horrible in the picture even though she was jumping higher). My face was all contorted. If my brother is reading this he can probably vouch for how bad it was. When I came down to breakfast the day it came out my dad just looked at me and said, “I hope you have a sense of humor.” The thing is, it’s not like the photographer caught me at a bad moment. I realized tonight that it was probably pretty accurate of how I (don’t) jump.] The games were fun though and as we lost by more and more the guys on our team seemed to get rowdier and rowdier and they were pretty funny. Everyone took the loss(es) in good spirits. And it is very cool playing on a team where half of the team is from a running club. Everyone was making jokes at practice and before the game about how out of soccer shape they are-but objectively, they are all in GREAT shape. I mean, some of them have marathons in a couple of weeks and even the people who aren’t in the running club all seem to be into working out. Of course they are in good shape. Plus we had plenty of subs. We had 4 girls tonight which was better.
I was really looking forward to playing. My mouth hurts. I wrote a paper all day Saturday. My grandpa died Saturday night. (My list of issues isn’t exactly in order of importance). I just needed a distraction. I knew that once I was playing I would stop thinking about everything else that was on my mind and the games did in fact do that. I love sports. I would write more about my grandpa but I am still sorting it all out. I mostly feel for the older generations in my family. I can’t imagine what it’s like for his spouse (they were married 50+ years) or his children (including my mom). What this means immediately for me is that I will be headed to Chapel Hill for the funeral later this week sometime.
Posted by Audrey at 12:55 AM | Comments (7)
October 15, 2005
No exercise
My mouth hurts. I had a smoothie for lunch. I learned to not schedule public speaking for the day after getting a retainer. I mean, what are the chances?? I never have to speak in public and today I had to speak at an Open House for my school to about 60/70 people. I started talking and realized I had a lisp. There is nothing wrong with having a lisp per se, but I was totally thrown for a loop and could barely get the words out b/c I didn’t recognize my voice. I did not enjoy the experience and don’t think it went particularly well. I think I said something like, “I came to school here b/c I like health.” Whatever I said, I did not give particularly earth shattering insights. When talking about student life, though, I did remember to say the weather is not that bad here in Boston and I managed to run outside all winter.
I can also barely walk. My quads are SOOO sore from soccer. I was going to run today, which might help the leg soreness, but I have a paper to write that I have been putting off and I think I should rest my knee before my game tomorrow.
Posted by Audrey at 05:47 PM | Comments (1)
October 14, 2005
Is yogurt a liquid or a solid?
I have done my time. I had braces for 2 years in middle school, which is a horrid time period, when I was an ugly mess anyway. Braces are pretty standard for that age. Now I am 25 and I have a retainer. I CANNOT believe this. I got it today. I knew it was coming, but it didn’t really bother me until I actually put it in. I had thought it was going to be completely clear, but no. You can see the bar. It’s just on the bottom for one crooked tooth so all my teeth don’t eventually follow suit and it’s just for 3 months. But COME ON people. There should be a statute of limitations on orthodontia. AND, I have to change the way I eat. Right now I eat a million times a day. I like snack foods (yogurt, Luna Bars, pretzels, and fruit) and smaller easy meals (think pancakes, cereal, and sandwiches) b/c I don’t like to cook, so that’s what I eat. But apparently I have to wear my retainer all the time and brush my teeth after I eat anything before I put my retainer back in. I told the dentist I am really into snacks and he and the hygienist laughed and said I will have to consider this a “snack guard.” Then I said, “What if I am on a date? Do I just tell my date-Excuse me while I take out my retainer?” The pair did not think this was funny at all and fell over themselves as they both practically shouted instructions to NEVER put my retainer in a napkin so it doesn’t get thrown out. (As if THAT is where I would put my retainer on a date). They both followed me into the next room to repeat this message. I just sadly said, “Yes, I know the rules. I remember from the FIRST time I had retainers.” As a consolation they said I don’t have to brush my teeth after I drink liquids. On the way home I started wondering where yogurt fit into the solid/liquid continuum.
In other news, despite all of my whining I am not too sore from soccer yesterday. I biked to the pool (a little over a mile) and swam for 25 minutes, all crawl, half w/ the pull buoy and half without. Then I did 5 minutes of sprints w/out the pull buoy. I am a little bit sore from soccer (and from lifting yesterday) so it felt good to bike and swim and stretch out a little. I also love wearing my new bathing suit b/c this one fits unlike my older one that was super stretched out. I guess I will go do my knee exercises right now. I might go out to dinner with a friend tonight so I will be jumping right in with the retainer/eating out dilemma. Awesome.
Okay, I totally want a snack but I JUST brushed my teeth before blogging. This is so annoying.
Posted by Audrey at 04:38 PM | Comments (2)
October 13, 2005
I'm in love
with soccer. We had a team practice tonight where we just scrimmaged and it was so fun to play again. It’s been more than a year since I have played. (I was on a team in DC with some ex-coworkers). I think we are Team Dandelion and there will be either pink or yellow shirts. It’s so funny, b/c I was so worried about the slight twinge in the back of my leg during the day today-but I KNOW my whole body is going to sore tomorrow. I don’t think I have sprinted (except for the last .2 miles of Tufts) in a LONG time. When did I become such a baby that I am already afraid of being sore tomorrow? That is definitely a new thing with me. The other cool thing is it is a co-ed league and there has to be 2 girls on the field (out of 6 players) at all times. My team has 3 girls on it so I will get to play a lot. The flip side of that is that it sucks for the 13 or so guys on the team that are sharing 4 spots on the field. In my experience it always ends up that way in co-ed leagues though. Therefore, if you want to play a lot-be born a girl.
I also ran about a mile to the gym this morning, lifted weights upper body, did some core exercises, did some balance exercises, foam rollered, and then ran a mile back home. Lilly commented on my blog and suggested that I lift if I didn’t already as a strategy to avoid injury. That’s a good suggestion but-and maybe this is my downfall-I prefer not to lift lower body. Except for quad exercises to help my knees I just don’t do it. Other exercises always end up hurting my knees when I try to lift with my legs-even years ago before I started running.
I think my injury from earlier this week is better. At the very least it will be hard to distinguish if I am still hurt tomorrow b/c I know it’s going to be BAD all over when I wake up. Go dandelions!
Posted by Audrey at 11:39 PM | Comments (2)
October 12, 2005
QQQQQQQQQ
The Q key on my computer was just fixed, but the fan is STILL broken. Annoying.
I can walk again. There were a few moments of shocking pain this morning when I first got up and whatever tissue had fused together last night behind my knee was torn apart, but after that I loosened up more and more throughout the day. I feel pretty good right now. I even think I could run.
I have just been resting (and eating chocolate) for the past two days. There has been no real exercise and I am not too motivated to do any later tonight either. I had a lot of things to catch up on after my long weekend so I have been taking care of regular life. I finally washed my clothes from this weekend-some of which were still wet from Saturday’s rain-and my apartment just SMELLS better. Everything was just gross from lying around damp throughout my travels. My brain was also on a complete thinking vacation for a good chunk of time so it’s satisfying to be back to my usual routine. I could still really stand to catch up on some sleep though so that is definitely in the plan for tonight.
Posted by Audrey at 08:03 PM | Comments (2)
October 11, 2005
This is funny
I limped over 3 miles today. I pulled something behind my knee (all the way on the back of my leg, not behind the kneecap). I started to feel it during the cool down yesterday, then it felt okay, and then when I woke up this morning it hurt to straighten my leg. I have been limping b/c it feels SOO much better to limp than to walk normally. I get injured a lot, but I haven’t had a limp in a while. Frankly, I am also just beyond caring if I am making a scene with the limping! I also wasn’t exercising or anything, the three miles comes from my normal walking to work and school routine. It was a bit painful, but it was unavoidable.
I am not even annoyed I am hurt. I am glad I got my race in. I think I will be better soon. I want to chill out anyways with the running for a week or so. And I think it is really kind of funny. I mean, I am ALWAYS hurt. ALWAYS. I just hope I am better for soccer practice on Thursday night. I am pretty sure I will go no matter what, but I would prefer not having to limp my way around the field. I am sure my teammates, who I don't know, would be thrilled to have a gimpy one on their team.
Posted by Audrey at 09:24 PM | Comments (4)
October 10, 2005
Overall Goodnes: Ugly Splits
Today was a rollercoaster day. I took the T (subway) to the race. The first low point was at 10:30 AM when I was at the race site in the stairwell of a parking garage surrounded by other people, huddled into a ball on the floor. Everyone was trying to avoid the rain and I managed to snag a pretty prime stairwell spot in the corner. People thought I was probably meditating or something but I really just had my head on my knees b/c I was trying to nap and I wanted to stay indoors to keep my sneakers dry. I was thinking to myself, “This is gross! I am so crowded! This is why I run at smaller races where I can park! I hate racing! When you go for a training run you don’t have to hang out for over an hour before the start!!!” I still had on all of my warm-up gear so at 11 AM I went out into what was now a drizzle to stake out the bag check area. It turns out bag check was exposed to the elements and I had my cell with me, so I walked over to my gym which has a branch near the Boston Common (where the race was starting). I had brought a lock with me just in case I needed to do this. I went to the gym and ditched my stuff and used the bathroom. I headed back out to the race and warmed up for a (very) little.
I stood in the 7 min/mile pace group and there were not too many people in the 5 min/mile and 6 min/mile groups so right before the race everyone moved forward. That was kind of fun b/c I didn’t have to start too far back at all. I was momentarily worried I was a bit too close to the front when I saw someone with racing flats near me, but a quick glance around showed that most people in my vicinity had regular trainers on. At this point I had on a throw away shirt (Cherry Blossoms 2002 where I was a volunteer) so I ditched that on the side of the road. It had almost stopped raining at this point and I wasn’t very cold. I was feeling less hateful and pretty good about racing at this point.
Mile One: 7:12 As I went through the split I was very excited. I didn’t feel too badly and I felt better than I had in the 5K a few weeks ago.
Mile Two: 7:20 I’m still feeling okay. I wasn’t too worried I was slower. Since I have a tendency to start too fast I figured this was probably a better pace for me to be running than 7:12.
Mile Three: 7:27 I feel horrible. “I am a moron. I can’t believe I started so fast. This is the start of a four mile bonk. I completely overestimated by running ability. What was I doing running a 7:12 mile? Moron. Moron. Moron.”
Mile Four: 7:39 Still feeling horrible. See quotation immediately from above.
Mile Five: 7:32 This is a huge 8K PR for me (Total race time 37:12). Even though 8K is less than 5 miles, I am still at least 2 minutes under my best 8K ever. (I don’t think I have run in any 5 mile races.) Physically though, I am racing hard. I don’t feel dreadful per se, but it hurts.
Mile Six: 7:25 I feel good. I am excited to be almost done. I realize I am going to be able to finish without bonking. I can see the finish line. I start to run all out, passing bunches of people.
Last .2 miles: 1:28
Total time: 46:05 (Chip) 46:12 (Gun)
I enjoyed the race and would recommend it. It was awesome to be in an all female race. I only saw two men running (they even had race numbers) out of the 4,500 finishers. The course is pretty and I think it was well organized. I got to start near the front, I had plenty of room to run the whole race, and I didn’t feel too crowded despite all of my worrying.
It wasn’t crowded afterwards either and I had no trouble spotting Alison, Blondie, and P who were all walking together. I have only met Alison and Blondie once each before (and P never) so I was very excited to see them! Blondie and Alison changed into trainers and the three of us went for a 20 minute cool down. Afterwards Blondie and I went over to Alison and P.’s and then went to grab some food. Blondie and Alison both also felt the third and fourth miles were hard so I feel less foolish for having some trouble there. I had just forgotten that all of the miles of a race do not have identical conditions. (Even so, I did still start out too fast).
Anyway, it’s my second PR of the year. I know I wrote before that I hadn’t PR’d yet this year but I am pretty sure I PR’d in an 8K on New Year’s Day. I am pretty happy with my time today and I feel like less of a loser about my running. I am always hurt and I don’t run many miles and I partied way too hard this weekend so I was feeling pretty uncommitted to the sport. However, I guess things are okay and this run was a nice confidence booster. I look forward to the next race. I had originally thought about doing a 10 mile race in mid-November but I am not sure I want to train for it. I think I would prefer to just run healthy for a little bit before racing again. My dad e-mailed me today to say he and my brother have agreed to my suggestion that we do a Turkey Trot 5K so that will probably be my next race. I am REALLY excited for all of us to run together and I just hope we are all healthy for it. One last thing I would like to work on: Not positive splitting quite so badly. The direction of my splits is pretty darn ugly.
Posted by Audrey at 07:13 PM | Comments (14)
October 09, 2005
Calculating
I’m back in Boston. The weekend was crazy and I definitely did not get the extra sleep you are supposed to get leading up to a race so that it’s “okay if you can’t sleep the night before.” Honestly though, I don’t think anything could prevent me from sleeping well tonight.
I was rereading my list of reasons why I might be slow tomorrow and can’t decide if I am being lame. Why would I make such a list before a race?? OR, is my list part of a healthy evaluation of what is going on with my running and a “useful tool” to pick a goal time tomorrow? It’s hard to know if I am being weak…or brilliantly smart.
Here is the plan. I put my 5K time from 9/17/05 (22:11) into an internet race predictor calculator and it says I should be able to run a 46:42 10K. A second calculator predicts 46:15. Both times seem kind of fast. I then picked 47:00 and put that into a pace calculator which said I need to run 7:33 min/miles to pull off 47:00. So I am going to start at 7:33 min/miles (as best I can since I am not very good at pacing) and then adjust faster or slower depending on how I am feeling.
I hope my running shoes dry by tomorrow. They are still wet from the run in the downpour yesterday and then being in my suitcase after that. I may have to go with my old sneakers. I also got my race packet about an hour ago. This is the biggest race (participant-wise) I have been in since I ran Marine Corps in 2002. I am worried the course is going to be more crowded than I prefer. It is also the first predominantly female race I have participated in which I think is kind of cool.
Posted by Audrey at 04:11 PM | Comments (3)
October 08, 2005
Trapped Sneakers
I woke up at 8:30 AM to the Best Man lifting up the corner of the futon I was sleeping on. “Sorry,” he whispered. “My sneakers are trapped under here. I have 25 minutes to go running before the craziness starts.” The kid already sounded a bit on edge to me! This is the same guy that went to the race with me this summer. He headed out for his run. I got up, put on my sneakers, and headed out for 40 minutes of my own.
It was raining pretty solidly. I ran on the Canal. I had a nice reintroduction to the hills from this past summer when I was living a mile from where I am staying right now. I can’t believe how quickly I got out of hill running shape. I was seriously out of breath at the top of the giant hill. I think all my injuries feel fine but I still don’t have a lot of confidence in the fact that I am better. I keep thinking I am not quite healed even though I feel okay. It was kind of nice to run in the rain except for my soggy feet.
In other weird news, I had my orthotics in my purse at the bar last night. Logistically it worked out to where I left my backpack (with clothes, laptop, etc.) in my friend's car, went out, and then I went straight home. But I needed my orthotics for my run this morning before I would be reunited with my backpack. Consequently, they got shoved into my purse which then didn't quite shut. It was cute. Really.
Posted by Audrey at 10:33 AM | Comments (1)
October 07, 2005
College
First and foremost…she was wearing very short tight red spandex and a sleeveless running top that showed her stomach. She could definitely pull the outfit off-just maybe not in the shoe section of the sports store.
As for the working out…I started out the week sleep deprived b/c I still can’t fall asleep at night. I went out Wednesday night and probably drank too much. The sugar woke me at 2 AM and from 3-5. I had to get up at 6:45 and go running. 40 minutes. I was so so tired. But I had to. It was my only chance to run Thursday and I had to go if I wanted to fit in a second run before Tufts on Monday. My calf felt fine, but quite honestly, the rest of the run was kind of rough. It was completely my fault though for not taking care of my body.
Transportation…I flew to DC for a wedding Thursday night. I took SO MANY forms of transportation. I am most proud of making it from BWI (30+ miles away) to my sister’s college campus for $4.10. It involved a bus, the metro, a shuttle, and then some walking.
I’m an alum of my sister’s college so it has been crazy being back. This morning I went to my old gym and swam for 30 minutes. I did 25 minutes of laps and 5 minutes of some sprints/harder swimming. The gym and pool have both been modernized since I was here. I slept in the on-campus apartments last night with my sister and today I have been bumming around with my undergrad friend who is here for the same wedding as me. We stopped by my freshman year RA’s apartment (who lives with another friend of ours) which is where I am staying tonight. They are both going to same wedding too. We are in the student center right now and we just saw my freshman year boyfriend who is on campus for a different wedding tomorrow. We only saw him from a distance (too far away to see the wedding ring I know he is sporting) but close enough to see he has in fact “aged” ridiculously well. An old bf sighting only adds to the “we never left college” type of day we are having. [And I am glad he didn’t see me b/c he’s in a suit and I am in jeans, two ribbed t-shirts, and sneakers]. I imagine I will see him (and his wife) tomorrow though as the wedding he is attending is at 3 and ours is at 1 (my former RA filled us in on these details earlier today).
As for the 10K…I didn’t mention it but I was lightly sore after running for 25 minutes on Tuesday and I was a bit sore today as well after running for 40 minutes yesterday. I don’t think it bodes well for Monday that gentle jogging is making me sore after the few days I took off earlier this week. I think I have had a running injury every other week for a month and a half or two months so I really don’t think I would call my running “training” rather than just exercise. I certainly haven’t done anything different to prep for this race than I usually do when I am running.
All that said-I hope to PR. (What runner doesn’t want that??) I think there is a legitimate chance I might be able to even given the lack of running I have been doing. The last 10K I ran in was years ago and I ran 48 and change (exact time unknown). At the time I remember being surprised that I passed the 6 mile mark and I was still running. I had thought the course was only 6 miles. My bad. Things I have going in my favor for Monday include knowing how long the course is and understanding that racing is supposed to be a little uncomfortable. Things going against me…lack of training, a potentially hurt calf (though it’s doing okay), and having no idea where packet pick-up is. I am excited to see the other bloggers and I wonder if either of them will beat me by more than 10 minutes…I am laying down the challenge!
Back to college.
Posted by Audrey at 04:45 PM | Comments (7)
October 05, 2005
Blogger Fakes Interest in Running
I went to City Sports today and bought lots of really odd things: indoor soccer shoes, shin guards, a bathing suit, and goggles. The indoor soccer shoes were annoying to buy and made me feel really old. The last time I bought indoor soccer shoes (circa 1995) I didn’t have any feet problems. None of the shoes are bunion friendly. (I guess having a bone sticking out of your foot doesn’t make for a smooth connection between your foot and the ball). I did the best I could when picking out a pair and I will just have to see how they do. The shin guards and indoor soccer shoes were both necessary purchases b/c my old ones didn’t survive the move up north (along with my baseball mitt). My one bag of sports stuff somehow got lost. The bathing suit was necessary b/c my one from July is all stretched out. The goggles were needed b/c the ones I had broke the day of the jelly fish and dolphin incidents in August and I have been using them with the two ends of the strap tied together since then (which honestly works pretty well).
While I was there a runner from one of the local colleges came in. She wasn’t wearing much. I would say it was the equivalent of a guy shopping shirtless. It was so weird and I could not stop staring. I hope she was on her way to practice immediately after leaving the store b/c otherwise I have no idea why she was dressed like that!
I went swimming for 30 minutes today. I also biked around a bit and that feels fine on all of my various body parts. While I was testing out indoor soccer shoes I was jogging around the store a little bit w/out even thinking and it was only later that I realized my calf had felt fine during the shoe buying/jogging process. I am still nervous about how it will feel tomorrow though.
There may or may not be blogging tomorrow as I head to DC for a wedding…
Posted by Audrey at 05:02 PM | Comments (5)
October 04, 2005
Relief
I woke up this morning at 7. I stayed in bed for a few minutes. I really wanted to run-but I also didn’t. What if I was still hurt? I had no idea what to expect and I knew I would be very unhappy if I wasn’t better. I finally decided that I would never know if I was healed without trying to run and if my leg hurt I would just stop running. At the time this was a huge revelation.
I hit the road-and I felt okay. About a quarter mile in I felt slight tinges of weirdness in my calf, but I figured that was probably normal as some recently built scar tissue adjusted itself and I continued on. It was such a relief to run without pain in my quad and knee, and, for the most part, without the weird feeling in my calf. The four days off was much needed and did wonders. I also feel extremely well rested and fast (I tried to run slow though) from my mini-vacation from running. I ran for 23:57. I got home and stretched, iced, and took some naproxen. I feel fine right now. The real test is how I will feel tomorrow (no running) and Thursday when I run again, but at this point I predict good things. I also did some sit-ups.
I am revising my earlier statement that it is not my fault I got hurt again. I have probably been running too fast too often for my current level of fitness. I blame it on wanting to be faster-right now. After Tufts 10K on Monday I am going to leave my watch at home for a while and just chill out. I have no “base” to speak of and should worry more about running lots of miles healthy rather than fast. I think. I have no idea how to train or what I am doing so I am just figuring it out by trial and error as I muddle along. I just can't believe how often I have to relearn the same lessons.
Also, I tend to freak out when i get hurt and can't run. I hate that I am so attached to something that makes me feel so badly when it gets taken away (complete loss of perspective here) that I often decide I am biomechanically not meant to run, I am going to switch sports, etc. However, every time I make the slow process back to good health (not this injury, but others), I realize, yeah, it's worth the heartache. I felt that way again on a mini-level this morning again. It's worth freaking out, being sad, the knee exercises, walking around town b/c i am refusing to bike so I can rest my leg, and everything else just to be back out there.
Also, do people like their Ipod Nano’s? Is it easy to use? I think that will be a better x-mas gift than last year's power drill...(that Jon informs me is not particularly heavy duty!)
Posted by Audrey at 11:04 AM | Comments (3)
October 03, 2005
Runner not Driller
I have no idea how to use power tools and I don’t have anyone else I can pawn this task off on. Can you picture me drilling into a wall?? I actually have a drill (x-mas gift from my parents) but I have no idea how to use it. I am supposed to select the “correct screw type for my walls” and then drill holes. 1) I have no idea what kind of walls I have. 2) Even if I did know I wouldn’t know the correct screw type 3) Once I manage to buy the right kind of screws (which will be accomplished by explaining the situation and apartment to the patient and kind staff at Home Depot) I have to somehow hold up this really heavy wall thing while drilling. Then I have to also drill holes for my other pictures. This is DEFINITELY a two person job. I am going to be calling in some favors to my friends. I just find it really annoying I can’t do it by myself. (PLUS, I don't care about decorating. At all. I am so not enthused for this project). I think in the year and few months I have lived by myself the only thing I needed help with was when my uncle installed my smoke detector b/c I didn’t have a drill yet. Everything else (which admittedly is not that impressive-at all) was all me. But what if I had just moved here? What if I had no friends or relatives here? I hate being dependent on other people! And I REALLY hate that I am going to have to drill. I feel like such a girl, but I have no interest in learning how to do this. Maybe it will be good for me. Is it horrible that I want a boyfriend just so he can help me hang things?
I was up until 2 AM last night b/c I napped in the afternoon. I set the alarm for 5:45 to go swimming before work-and then snoozed every 9 minutes for an hour and a half. I finally got up, collected my swimming stuff (the new plan was to swim after work), and went to my internship. Unfortunately, I got lost on the mile to work. I went on foot to continue letting my leg heal by avoiding the bike and I tried to take a back way. It wasn’t exactly a direct route. In the middle of the day I discovered that the pool I go to doesn’t have adult swim in the afternoon on Mondays. I could go to the MIT pool which is gorgeous-but it’s much further away. I don’t love swimming THAT much. I will do my knee exercises later. No napping. I am getting a great night of sleep tonight.
PS. The biking guy at work brought an old tire in to work to show me. I couldn’t believe it when he showed up at my desk with a tire! It is different b/c it doesn’t have air so you can’t really get flats. It’s about $25 and a little heavier than regular tires, but it’s good if you commute or are training. It’s not ideal for racing obviously b/c it’s heavier.
Posted by Audrey at 06:33 PM | Comments (3)
October 02, 2005
Inner Running Clock
Nothing much to report today. I didn’t workout. I am RESTING. I might do some sit-ups and my knee exercises later. I will probably be up forever since I just woke up from a nap. I went to the supermarket today so I had all of my favorite foods around the house so that was fun-even though it essentially means no vegetables and limited fruits passed through my lips. I’ll take care of that tomorrow.
36 hours until I can run! Hopefully I will be asleep for at least 16 of those hours.
PS. I think everyone should be forced to operate on runner time. I was awake and attempted to visit lots of stores this morning but they were ALL closed. Not cool!!! Everyone should be forced to accommodate my inner clock!!!
Posted by Audrey at 06:35 PM | Comments (2)
October 01, 2005
Triathlon Gift Buying
I'm bored. To combat my boredome I made a list of all of the states and countries I have run in. (I stole the idea from ShoreTurtle.) Living in the DC metro area set me up nicely for three states (including DC). I should really hit up some more New England states while I am up here. I run everywhere I go so it was a nice trip down memory lane. Though every so often I think of a new state or country I have been to and I get excited that I can add it to the list-but then I realize, “Oh wait, I was injured then.” The list of states I have been to but have been too injured to run in isn’t too short either!
I biked around this morning to do some errands. I bought my dad his b-day present which is triathlon themed. I don’t want to give it away in case he is reading this, but it is, if not “essential” then at least “standard” equipment for all triathlons. It is something he would never buy himself even though he has mentioned he wants to get more into this particular tri sport. I think he just needs a little push-and that extra push is in the mail! (I also bought some workout clothes for myself. Yes, I am the worst gift buyer EVER. That is horrible!!)
I went to the gym and lifted upper body. I benched more this week. 55lbs. My quad and knee don’t feel great. I always seem to all fall apart at once. Maybe I bruised my knee when I fell? I have no idea what is going on. I think I need to actually rest on these next two rest days so there will be no more biking. I HATE resting. I did some test jogging up and down the gym (I am sure the other people trying to get a workout in loved someone running by the weights). I think the calf is okay. We shall see on Tuesday. I have been icing the knee and quad.
Posted by Audrey at 06:47 PM | Comments (1)
It's Cold
Had wine. Feet are tingling. I should definitely be blogging. To be completely honestly, I had ONE glass of wine. I think the reason it is affecting me so much is b/c I haven’t had a drink since Labor Day. I am clearly out of practice.
I went running 8 miles today. Just kidding. I actually went swimming for 30 minutes. It was a good workout though. I considered not leaving the house b/c I was cold but decided having that attitude-while it is still September-will make it a very long winter for me. I did get out my winter bike riding gloves though. I probably walked about 3 miles today on my way to various things w/ one mile involving some serious power walking b/c I needed to catch the bus. I was late b/c I spent 10 minutes I didn’t have doing knee exercises before I got in the shower. That’s normal, right?
I went to a two hour lecture today and spent large portions of it self-massaging my calf. I am also taking Naproxen (like ibuprofen) to help my leg. There is not too much to ice since it doesn’t really hurt. I appreciate all of your comments. I am hopeful the rest will work its magic. I am off to bed. Night!
Posted by Audrey at 12:13 AM | Comments (1)