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February 27, 2005
Weekend Recap
I shouldn't make a habit out of this...I stayed out too late for the second Friday in a row, which made it hard to get out of bed to run/exercise yesterday. I went to another girls' night happy hour/dinner with friends from college and beyond. They're all party girls, but it's fun because they are all very hot and always have lots of drama surrounding them. D. and I had to sneak out the side door of the bar at 11 to spare grief from everyone. Of course, that messed up my routine because I wasn't feeling quite awake when R. and I went to the gym. I lifted easy (though not feeling too strong) since I had swim class in the afternoon, then started on the treadmill for 3 minutes. I just did not feel like running indoors when it was so pretty outside, so instead I rode the stationery bike for 15 minutes to let R. finish his cardio. By the time we did a couple errands and got home, I didn't get to run as we were meeting some of our runner friends for lunch at Cheesecake Factory. We hadn't seen them since our wedding, and both couples just got new kittens, so we were like a bunch of parents oggling over their babies. It was too cute.
After lunch, we went to the triathlon store to check out sale wetsuits that I had seen on their website. And did I get the deal of the century. I guess there aren't many midget-like, <100 lb triathletes out there because my $280 wetsuit was only $50! At that rate, I decided to splurge on a bike tank on sale too...all quality stuff. I love bargains, especially when you don't have search too hard. I felt really squished in the suit, but I took the owner's word that it's supposed to fit tight. He's letting me take it to the pool to try it out, and if it's still uncomfortable, then I can get the next size up.
Gotta love it when your timing and planning are on. By the time we were done with our early afternoon activities, it was time for swim class and we had all our gear in the car already. There was a little extra time, and I so desperately wanted to run on the trail, but my belly was still full from lunch. I got a jump start on drills and a few laps before C. arrived, fresh from her massage. I felt like today was a breakthrough because not only did I tread water successfully for the first time but also the movements (stroke and kick) and timing felt more natural than ever. Could I be morphing into a dolphin? Not likely, but it was such a confidence booster to feel smooth and on top of the water. She gave R. a couple pointers on hand and arm positions, and even though he's been swimming for years, he immediately felt the difference. We're definitely getting our money's worth!
We rushed home, again, in an attempt to run before our dinner outing with other friends, but we hit traffic on the highway. I was so frustrated because I had been trying to run *all* day, even just for 15 minutes. I felt like a smoker who hadn't had a cigarette all day - very edgy and grumpy. R. kept calling it "runner's anxiety". I had only enough time for a 19 minute run, if that counts as one, but I ran as hard as I could with all the clothes I was wearing (fleece pants, a long sleeve shirt, and sweatshirt - hot!). It felt soooooooo good to get it out of my system, though, with 10 minutes to spare to get ready. I have to thank Marine Corps training for my ability to get showered, dressed, groomed, and out the door in lightning speed. And I have to thank my husband for running with me into the ground all day long and always having such a great attitude.
So, fast forward to Sunday. I went for an easy 60 minute run this morning, interspersing four 40 second walk breaks, as my cardio was still fatigued. The trail was mostly clear, just crunchy ice on the bridges over which I had to tip toe shuffle. I tried not be bummed about feeling fatigued and focus on how much fun it was to be outside, how beautiful it was, etc. I won't have time for cross training today. I'm not happy about that, but sometimes other stuff takes priority. I've got to study, attend my goddaughter's baptism, and fly to San Diego for a work conference. I won't get there 'til 2am eastern body time, so I hope not to be a grump tomorrow. Oh yes, and to get up early enough to run around the resort, since the gym is closed all week. Bah! The good news is that there's another gym only 4 minutes away that opens at 5am...with a pool! You can bet I'll be there.
Posted by Leilani at 12:14 PM | Comments (2)
February 24, 2005
A Pretty Standard Week, So Far
Since I've been following through with my marathon recovery plan, there hasn't been anything exciting report on the running front. On Tuesday, I ran for 30 minutes easy, but a tad faster and with less effort than my last two runs. After that, I swam for 45 minutes with lots of breaks and pool ran for 10 minutes. My left shoulder was achy from lifting on Monday, so my motivation to hammer on the laps wasn't too high. My hips/butt were also sore from either lifting or spinning on Monday, I'm not sure.
Today my original plan, because I had the day off (I'm "working" on Sunday night - flying to San Diego for a conference), was to swim early, then go to spin class, and run...basically, to do a brick workout to practice for the triathlon. Yet, when morning rolled around I couldn't pull myself out of bed because I stayed up too late working on the computer. I did spin for an hour and run for 40 minutes. I was surprised at how easy the transition was, as the last time I did a mountain bike duathlon, my quads were slow to get into running mode. I just hope the transition from swim to bike is as easy come May, being that swim is my weakest event.
Last night and today were very productive, in terms of doing administrivia and getting caught up on school reading. I updated and submitted my military resume to apply for a company commander position at my battalion. I probably won't get it, as a Major with 15+ years experience typically holds that billet, but I thought it would be a good gesture to show some interest and initiative...not that I have time for those responsibilities with regular work, school, and training. I also had to coordinate some upcoming events we have coming up in the Reserves, like rifle/pistol range qualifications and an exercise in March. I was glad to check those tasks off my list since I won't be able to follow up much next week in San Diego. And finally, I had my military medals mounted (gotta love online shopping). It cost way too much - almost $250, but I need them for my Dress Blues uniform and I don't imagine getting any new awards in the near future that would require remounting.
Ahhh, feel that load coming off my shoulders. It's always nice to cross things off your "to do" list. I feel organized and in good shape to leave things in order before I travel. My main stress now is having a decent place to run/exercise next week.
Posted by Leilani at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2005
I'm a Cheap Date
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a huge consumer of alcoholic beverages. It’s not that I don’t enjoy them - the taste is just fine. On the rare occasions that I do imbibe, I get buzzed/drunk at the drop of a hat, fall asleep, and wake up with a huge headache. This weekend I had a few too many drinks for my no tolerance system. Friday was girls’ night with the runners (including Jessie) at Lauriol Plaza in DC. I was glad that I didn’t have to walk from the Metro to the restaurant a few days earlier, when my legs were still quite stiff. The frozen margaritas lived up to the hype (I had only one), and the warm salsa and chips were absolutely addicting - both better than dinner, though my ceviche appetizer was scrumptious too. It was great to catch up on all the gossip.
I didn’t intend for Saturday to be all fun and no work, but refer back to my title, and you’ll see. I woke up ~7am to run easy for 30 minutes (brrr, it was cold!), bike for 10 minutes on the trainer, stretch and foam roller, and tool around the house until it was time to leave for cooking class/lunch. I think I did a couple of productive things like dishes and folding laundry, or maybe that was Sunday? The Portuguese cooking class/lunch was amazing. It was held at a hidden secret of a restaurant called Caravella in nearly the Tenleytown section of DC. We learned how to make kale soup with chorizo, meat croquettes, salt cod with eggs, potatoes and onions, and passion fruit mousse. The lunch also included seven types of wine, only four of which I tasted. The best part of it all was that the chef talked a lot about the history of the Portuguese food/wine and provided other excellent non-related cooking tips; it made it more of a well-rounded experience, even if I did walk out a bit tipsy. The wine made me so drowsy and headachy (I know, that's not a word) that I had to nap for a couple hours. So much for that afternoon lifting session and study time.
Sunday was a little more productive. I got up early to run and bike before church - another 30 minutes and 20 minutes, respectively. The effort was easier and my hip didn’t hurt while running, though the pain returned once I stopped. It was a few degrees warmer (27) and wind-free, so I didn’t need the biking jacket that I wore the day before. I borrowed a great layering trick from Blondie, I think, where I wore a pair of thick Thorlo hiking socks over my fleece mittens. My hands were warmer than ever! After church, we ended up wasting a lot of time and not being able to attend the Chinese New Year celebration for L. because my car had a flat tire. It took a couple hours to get fixed, but that put me in a better mood because we made it to my swim class at 4 and I didn’t have to cancel my chiropractor appointment this morning. When we finally got home last night, I got a bunch of school work done - exercise questions on how the back end of an operating system works. And R. made gizzards and cheesy pasta for dinner, as promised. Yea!
I felt like I got in some good exercise tonight. I jumped back into my hip exercises, lifted arms, and went to my first spin class in a couple years. I realized that I'm seriously out of bike shape. I forgot my bike shoes, and at one point, my feet were spinning so fast that my foot flew out of the cage while we were standing and I racked my knee against one of the knobs. Yowzers! That'll be a nice bruise tomorrow.
Time for dinner. We have leftover chicken, but I'm craving ramen noodles tonight.
Posted by Leilani at 02:22 PM | Comments (3)
February 18, 2005
Swim 'n' Bike
My pesky hip is still really bugging me, like sharp, deep pain - even just sitting down at work. I tried yesterday to get an appointment with my chiropractor or massage therapist, but no last minute appointments were available. So, I have an early Monday visit with the chiro and have to settle for stretching, stretching, and more stretching 'til then. To feed my exercise hunger while remaining in recovery mode, I swam 800 meters+ in the morning and biked for 22 minutes after work yesterday. I had to pat myself on the back because I swam 16 laps in 35 minutes, which, to *real* swimmers, must be super slow. Considering I was deathly afraid of water all my life until late December, I'll take it! This morning I beat that time by ~5 minutes, swimming 800 meters in 30 minutes, then adding four more laps. I can definitely tell that my recovery time between the latter laps is minimizing. Whoo hoo!
This weekend's going to be quite fun. Tonight, I have a girls' night happy hour with my running club (haven't seen many of them in ages), then a Portuguese cooking class and lunch with one of my bestest friends (whom I also haven't seen in a long time) on Saturday, and a Chinese New Year's celebration with our new goddaughter and her parents on Sunday. Hopefully R. will make me some chicken gizzards too, our Valentines dinner postponed. Mmm, that would make the weekend complete. We must be among the few crazies in the world that actually enjoy gizzards.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Posted by Leilani at 05:08 PM | Comments (1)
February 16, 2005
This one deserves its own post
There's hope for us all. A friend and fellow club runner sent this article about a guy who's kicking our arses...and he's 73! It'd be nice to beat, or even come close to, that before the sunset of my life - not that 73 is *that* old with better health and medical treatment these days.
Posted by Leilani at 07:00 PM | Comments (0)
Recovering for Real
Thanks for the encouraging words! They truly did pick up my spirits after that disappointing experience. I’ve gotten over my “I never want to run another marathon again” attitude, and I'm ready to move onto the next thing once my legs recover. They're still a bit sore and my right hip hurts massively (the "butt pain"), but at least my knees are bending more so it doesn't feel like I'm walking around with my legs locked out. I’ve printed out Pfitzinger’s six-week marathon recovery training plan, and I plan to follow that close to a “T”. There, it's in stone. Between Grandfather Mountain (July 2002) and Philadelphia (November 2002) Marathons, I didn’t take any down time because it would’ve cut into the next training cycle. And my thinking at the time was that I had PRed at the three marathons before with only three to four weeks in between, I could come back fast for this one too. I ended up overtraining, running too fast, and throwing up several times near and after the finish. I don’t want to fall into that trap again and set myself up for failure. I’m older and wiser now - actually, I’m not but I can laugh at myself - my two failed marathon experiences, and the good ones as well, have taught me a lot about myself. Things like I need to be more patient and slower in the early miles; balance those hard workouts with easy ones; cross train more like I used to; don’t put so much pressure on myself. If I can stay healthy and train smarter this next go around, I may or may not PR, but I think it could be pretty dang close. That and remember why exactly I do this stuff - for FUN and the LOVE of running - and not to stress myself out so much as if marathoning were putting bread on the table.
I guess the whole point my jibber jabber is that I’m going take time to recover appropriately, as mentally painful as it will be to take it easy for three to four weeks, so I can start again physically and mentally refreshed for some shorter spring workout races and fall marathon season. I don’t know how my hip’s going to fare, but I plan to be consistent with my hip strengthening exercises. Also, the new massage therapist I saw on Monday is certified in kinesiology, so I might work with her to remedy biomechanical or muscular imbalances that must exist. It’s worth a try.
So far, in week one of recovery, I took Monday completely off, biked for 30 minutes and lifted yesterday, and I'm taking off today. Usually, I'd be jogging by mid-week post marathon, but I'm going to err on the side of caution and just jog twice and cross train this week.
Posted by Leilani at 06:53 PM | Comments (1)
February 14, 2005
Freescale Austin Marathon
Thank God it’s over! I was glad and thankful to finish the marathon. At the same time, it was so anticlimactic. I felt disappointed and ashamed of myself and in terrible pain that simply finishing seemed to be no victory. Austin was my tenth (ultra)marathon, easily beating out Philadelphia 2003 as my all time worst marathon experience. One of my enemies in the two most recent ones has been my impatience, ultimately resulting in awesome fades.
So, let’s talk race day and my two nemeses. I woke up at 5:30 on Sunday having gotten more sleep than I do back home. I was excited but relaxed, prepared to conquer 26.2 in a not so speedy manner but at least a strong one. At 5:50, I heard thunder crash, saw lightning flash through the window, and it started raining cats and dogs. I chuckled to myself, “No sweat, this should cool things off at least.” By the time R. escorted me to the start line, the rain had subsided to a light drizzle. I felt like a new kid being dropped off for the first day of school. I looked for a friendly familiar face (Meghan) in the 3:30 pace group, but to no avail - it was a sea of anonymous people in the dark. When the National Anthem was sung, an immense sense of pride and patriotism rushed over me as Austinites all around were singing at the top of their lungs, hands over their hearts. The start was sounded promptly and off we were. My breathing seemed a bit labored early on, which I attributed to the humidity because I didn’t feel like I was working that hard. I as well as other people commented on how annoying it was that the mile markers were difficult to spot. I didn’t see one until mile 3. I was clocking between 8:15-8:30 splits and having fun, feeling strong but warm for the first 11 or 12 miles. The first six or seven miles traversed numerous strip malls and office parks (booooring); a couple times we were running directly into sunlight so bright that it was hard to see far in front of me. It was getting hot and humid fast! I don’t recall exactly when or where I started feeling bad, but it was absolutely demoralizing to pass the half marathon finish knowing that I had 13.1 more miles to go since I wasn’t feeling stellar. My left quad started tightening up, but it was my right hip (nemesis #2, circa summer 2004) that was in most pain. Each impact felt like a crushing sensation on the lateral area with residual tightness in the flexor. I ended up walking a lot of miles 17 through 26 feeling like the biggest loser as the 3:40, 3:45, 3:50, and right before the end - a one-two sucker punch - the 4:00 pace groups passed me by. My energy level was there but my hip/quad couldn’t push any harder than they were already working without hurting myself more. Add that to the fact that I was ready to burst into flames, if spontaneous human combustion were possible. It took me a good six hours for my body temperature to return to normal.
A tiny part of me wants to throw in the marathon towel, but a bigger voice in me says, “Are you going to let that dang marathon get the best of you?!!” I agree with Jen, that I’d rather chase that PR and grab it by the gonads (hopefully sooner rather than later).
Even though it was a rough day, R. and I had a great time in Austin. We got to meet Meghan, Richard (another running blogger with a cool British accent), his wife, Jen, Andy, and their family and friends. The pasta party was fun and delicious. Thanks for hosting, Jen! I wish we had more time to hang out because everyone seemed so cool in the brief period we saw each other. Alas, it’s time to return to the rat race. I’m really looking forward to my massage after work, so I can stop walking down the stairs backwards.
Posted by Leilani at 01:29 PM | Comments (11)
February 11, 2005
Carb Loading
I’m feeling quite bloated right now. I started (kind of) carb loading on Wednesday, but today kicked off the real *bloadfest*. I’ve been eating and drinking all day long - all for a good cause. It will all become fuel for energy come Sunday, so I hope. This morning I ate a yogurt and banana on the drive to work, then got a bacon/egg/cheese sandwich on wheat at the office cafeteria and drank a 20 oz bottle of carb-infused XLR8. Lunch was comprised of a leftover burrito bowl from Chipotle and a can of tomato soup. I’ve already drank more than 32 oz of water, and I’m getting ready to eat an orange. This is more food or drink than I usually consume by mid-afternoon, and while not all of it is carb-like, it all equals fuel.
R. and I fly to Austin tomorrow. We arrive around noon, check into the hotel, meet Meghan at the race expo, go to Jen and Andy’s pasta party, sleep, run a marathon, shower and eat, and get back to DC Sunday midnight. Yowzers…was I insane when I booked this trip? If I could do it over again, I would have added an extra day either on the front or back end of the trip, but I was trying to save us money and would have felt guilty about taking a day off since we’re going to St Croix for a week in May. And it just came up that I’ll be gone from work for two weeks in March for my annual Reserves training at Quantico, VA. I guess I don’t want to be a vacation-hound.
But now I’m off to a co-worker’s farewell happy hour. He wants me to do a shot with him, though my better judgment tells me that it’s a bad idea. I’m not a huge drinker anyhow, but we’ll see. Have a great weekend everyone!
Posted by Leilani at 04:33 PM | Comments (1)
February 10, 2005
Three Days to Austin!
I know, I know...I've been slacking on the blog this week, not that there's been much exciting to report in terms of running. These are the last few days of tapering before Freescale Austin Marathon. I've had to pull in the reins some to not run more and harder, and a busy work schedule has kept me from running overzealously. I wasn't able to run at all on Saturday or Sunday as it was a drill weekend. Inspectors from Kansas City showed up on Friday for a surprise Mobilization Readiness Test, and I got grilled by a couple Colonels when the senior officer (me) wasn't at the formation. I crushed one of the guys hands when we met, and he agonized "Please, not so hard!" Thankfully, my unit passed with accolades! I got home late on Sunday night and all I wanted to do was sleep, which was exactly what I did after dinner. No Super Bowl, no blogging, nothing but blissful zzzzzz...
On Monday, R. and I ran 51 minutes easy in the dark. My legs felt heavy from not running for two days, but we picked up the pace a bit for the last 8-10 minutes to stretch out the legs. Tuesday involved 45 minutes of easy running, then 6 x 30 second striders. R. noted that the stretch where I do my striders is uphill on the way back. I had never noticed before, but by golly, I was feeling it for the last two or so. I didn't run on Wednesday, though I rode the stationary bike for 45 minutes and did my pull up/push routine. I've been neglecting the latter as well as my lifting the past few weeks. It was evident this morning at the pool when my back was sore and my upper body muscles had no "oomfph". I'm going to run an easy 30 minutes tonight after work and maybe lift...however, I really do need to read my chapters for this week since it's marathon weekend! I'm really exciting about running in a new town, but more excited about meeting Jen and Meghan. I'm sure we'll each have our own take of the race after the fact. Regardless, it's gonna be good times!
Posted by Leilani at 05:56 PM | Comments (1)
February 03, 2005
Fluffy White Stuff
While my run today wasn't all that great, I took the opportunity to marvel in the beauty that surrounded me. We got a few more inches of snow this afternoon, just enough to coat the trail again and provide a nice running surface that crunched under my shoes. The grass, trees, and lakes were all covered in white and offered a serene and natural background. This was essentially my first snow of the year, since I had been running inside, and I absolutely loved it. The best part was that the it wasn't sticking to the roads, so people weren't turning into crazy drivers. Now, my first "issue" was being overdressed. I wore a tights and a light jacket over a long sleeve shirt. I ended up taking off the jacket, but my legs felt heavy from being so hot. My second "issue" was a tight right calf from running over-consciously flat footed while doding ice the other day, and that's my fault for not stretching and foam rollering as I should have. I'll make sure to visit and revisit that area over the next couple days to make sure it goes away before Freescale.
I still need to go swimming and pack for my weekend warrior job before heading out of town. R. and I never got to swim on Tuesday because right before we arrived, a kid pooped in the pool during swim class. Funny thing was that it was already late, and I was on such a mission to knock this workout out (blinders on), that I would have jumped into the already vacated, poop-infested pool had a gracious lady not told me that it was closed. Yea, how about some situational awareness, eh?
Posted by Leilani at 06:54 PM | Comments (3)
February 01, 2005
Dying to Run Outside
After treadmill running for the last three weeks while I was sick and my run plans being foiled last night by an inconsiderate co-worker who didn't show up to work, I was truly anticipating the opportunity to run outside again today. I was getting absolutely sick and tired of the treadmill. I made it home just in time before the trail started icing over again. I felt so gleeful and free running in the last glimpse of the afternoon sun. It was about 40 degrees, normally shorts and t-shirt weather, but since my internal body temps are slightly askew still, I wore a thin long sleeve. It ended up being a good choice because I got chilly at the end, mostly my hands. I ran for 50 minutes, and I'm getting ready to go to the pool now with R.
Yesterday's efforts consisted of lifting at 5am, then treadmill running for an hour and biking hard for 20 minutes in the evening. I gradually picked up the pace on the treadmill when I got bored and was listening to some motivating "house" songs that kind of speed-inducing.
As for my weekend, that seemed to fly by. It seemed like we barely got a chance to breathe in Virginia Beach, and next thing we knew, we were driving back up to DC. I got in 15 treadmill miles on Saturday, but the remainder of the time, R. and I were helping my mom get ready for the party. It was nice that so many people showed up to her house to honor my stepfather's memory. The priest gave a short prayer service and a few of his friends sung songs or gave short speeches. Then, in usual Filipino tradition, the buffet commenced. There is *always* a lot of food at a Filipino parties. My mom had most of it catered, but she did make a few dishes. R. and I never leave without indigestion because of the huge culinary smorgasbord. I can't imagine that fish and BBQ digest well with tamarind soup, rice deserts, and frozen fruit cocktail salad. So, that trip was the beginning of my seemingly relentless travels for the next few weeks. I'm back in Virginia Beach for Marine Corps drill this weekend, Austin for the marathon next weekend, and San Diego for a work conference at the end of the month. And my battalion Executive Officer is sending me somewhere (?) for a planning conference for a joint exercise in Korea. With both jobs and the new school semester being hectic, it's actually leaving me little time to stress about Austin next week. And that's a good thing!
Posted by Leilani at 07:05 PM | Comments (1)