Day 3, Week 3: A quick injury and workout update.

And now for a quick injury update:  Still injured.  Yep.  Most certainly.

Left butt is not cooperating when running outside.  It was so sore after the run I blogged about on my last post that I couldn't even bike ride on Saturday and had to....*gasp*....TAKE THE DAY OFF FROM WORKING OUT.

Told you I was injured.  Plus I have one heckuva itchy eczema outbreak from all the muddy water I encountered from the mud run last Saturday, so I pretty much want to scratch all the skin off my legs and arms.  Good times, kids (not really).  I want to show you pictures of the big angry red patch of itchy goodness on the back of my left leg but the hubbs said I couldn't buy any more running shoes if I posted those here.  He's such a funkiller.

Anyway, when I have been working out, what have I been doing?  Well...

Because I'm injured and it was pretty much flooding from the heavens on Sunday, I ran 13 miles on the treadmill in the hopes that my left butt wouldn't scream too loudly (it didn't):

Always have your cat check your treadmill for safety before
running 13 miles on it.

And I ran all 13 with uneven shorts because huge nasty eczema lesion
on the back of my leg.

The next day I did a little indoor cycling because Mother Nature is just so rainy these days:

And then after that same cycling I did some lifting of heavy things and then putting them back down over and over again:

Again...uneven shorts.  Damn you, eczema.

And, of course, I did more running this morning on the 'mill in the form of a 4 mile tempo run.  Because masochism.

My internal attitude about this run oozing out.

Left butt whined a little bit more this morning, and my legs were feeling pretty heavy, which is odd for a  mile tempo at 9:18 pace.  My brain keeps whispering the word "overtraining" in the back of my mind...but I'm ignoring it for now because I have training to do, dammit.  Can't be listening to those voices in my head all day, now can I?

Tomorrow's workout: Indoor cycling...but only because my real bike is getting a tune-up.

Day 3, Week 2: Some random pics just to say I blogged

My life.  It's passing like a whirlwind lately.  In fact, this post will be a whirlwind as well, as I only have time to post some pics about what I've been up to these pas few days.  Actual posts will be coming in the future, I swears. 

Well, as long as I don't fall asleep before I crack open the laptop.  Anyway, here are the pics!


I have been trying to lift heavy things around a cat...

I have been not wearing a shirt on the treadmill during speed work and kind of really not hating it even though my fat rolls have also been loosed...

And I did a Tough Mudder Saturday in which there was way more water than mud...

...spent a great 10 miles on course with some awesome fellow masochists...

...and totally had the same face on my face that I have at work most of the time.  I'm pretty sure that's not a good thing. (Hint:  I'm the one NOT smiling.)

Tomorrow's workout:  Indoor cycling because of some pesky thunderstorms a'comin.

Day 2, Week 1: Welcome to my day.

Welcome to my day, which contained:

1) A barbell-intensive upper body weight workout that included my very own spotter

Bicep curls aren't the same without him

2) Navigating the rest of the workout around animal obstacles while I try to get swole in my living room.

Laundry basket not included in the workout.  Or the cat tree.

3) Sitting in my office for the rest of the day working with way too many spreadsheets that had way too many little lines that eventually resulted in me wearing a headset in front of a Chromebook because I couldn't take it anymore.

Seriously--who *wouldn't* want my life?

Answer: I don't even want it some days. 



Tomorrow's workout: Some speed...for 10-11 miles.  MyRunPlan App WTF

Day 6, Week 5: Facetious injury recovery tips you probably shouldn't use.

Today's workout du jour was some Cathe, of course.  There was a lot of heavy weight lifting, barbell toting, random animals int the workout area, and animals messing up all my post-workout selfies.

TOTES BARBELL

Did a LOT of this.

Small dog be like "why hooman doing this stupid selfie thing?"

I was not thinking about stealing this dumbbell.  OK, yes I was.

But I had to be a little careful during the workout, and not because animals would randomly come and hang out around me while I had a heavy barbell over my head.  As I mentioned yesterday, my left glute has been giving me some issues lately--issues such as being a tight ball of hurt that makes coming down on my left leg feel like I'm running on a stump.

You know.  Just some small issues. 

So, in order to make sure I'm in tip-top shape for training and for my races, I plan on taking a few days off to let my glute heal and stop being so angry.

Ha!  Just kidding!  I plan on training right through it, like any sensible runner/duathlete would do.  But I do have some facetious tips for all those injured runners out there still training away:

• Take it easy (or easier) during your workouts.  Slow down, whether your biking, running, cross-country skiing, or underwater basket weaving.  You can also consider shortening your workouts as well so you're not aggravating your injury as much.  Or at least that's what you can tell yourself.
• Practice some self-care when you're not irritating your injury further by working out.  Massage the area (unless it's a stress-fracture...then I wouldn't advise touching it at all.  Or working out, really, but hey-you know your body), get on a foam roller.  What helps me is a little trigger point ball that works best for loosening up those tight muscles deep inside the glute.  You know, the ones even the massage therapist won't work on no matter how much you tip her.
• Ignore the pain and hope it magically disappears.  Because it's probably just a weak muscle that just needs more training, right?  Work that weak muscle into shape.
• Google the cause of your pain and then ignore all the advice they give you.  Because who wants to read "rest and take it easy" when you want to see "train through it you big baby?"

Seriously, if you're really injured, don't train through it.  Just take it easy and silently curse and shake your fist at all the runners you see on your commute to and from work.

And now silently curse and shake your fist at these stupid learnings:

• The trigger point ball was worth all 6 bucks I pad for it.  So much screaming glute relief.
• I should be in bed right now because I have a 35 mile bike ride tomorrow.  Looks like I'll be taking it easy at 6 AM because I'll be took freaking tired to push too hard.
• So many animals in my workout today.  I'm surprised there were no tragic accidents involving the barbell.
• "Train through it you big baby" is one of my favorite mantras.  Not the healthiest mantra, but definitely one of my faves.

Tomorrow's workout: I already told you - 35 mile bike ride with a 3 mile run off the bike.  Fabs.

Here are the facts. And some pics.

Fact #1: I did Cathe's Total Body Giant Sets today and I was reunited with my precious barbell.

Large dog just doesn't understand our
relationship.

Fact #2: I totally threw out a bicep shot for no reason at all other than I had nothing better to do.

Please note animals overrunning my
workout area.

Fact #3: I worked out while dinner was in the slow cooker and it was kind of torture smelling the goodness that was my pulled barbecue chicken while suffering through oh so many one-legged squats.

Pulled BBQ Chicken and Mashed Cauliflower FTW

Fact #4: Small dog is not a fan of post-workout selfies.  In case you wanted to take one with him.  Just an FYI.

No more facts - just stupid learnings:

• I missed all these Cathe workouts while training for that duathlon.  And I'm sure my barbell missed me.
• I have never eaten mashed cauliflower before...and it was good.  Probably because there was bacon in it.
• Animals in my workout area.  The struggle is real.
• Small dog can sure throw that eyeball attitude around.
• I need more barbell in my life.

Tomorrow's workout: 4 easy miles that the app is calling a "long run."  Pfffft.

Accountability...BUH

I told you I was doing Cathe's Boot Camp from her Strong & Sweaty Series this morning, and I did.  I also put the "camp" in "boot camp."

As per usual, I had to deal with animals invading my workout space.

Carry on...just passing through.

You know what else I've had to deal with lately?  My freaking weight.

I've been a part of a Biggest Loser competition at work, which has helped me keep on top of weighing myself on the regular.  I have been working out (duh), eating more veggies (still BUH about that), and really watching my portions....and I haven't lost one damn pound.

Not one.  So disappointing.

I don't know what's going on.  But I do know this only happens when I'm training for a marathon and have a habit of running high mileage.  And everything I have researched thoroughly by googling for approximately 5 minutes about gaining weight during marathon training says that the cause of my weight gain is the following:

I'm eating way too much freaking food.

This cause seems a bit odd to me, mainly because I feel like I've been doing just fine in regards to not stuffing my face and using my mileage as an excuse to eat an entire jar of spinach dip with an entire loaf of bread.  But I'm a former science teacher, so I know better than just to trust "feelings" as data.  So I've decided the following:

• I have to keep a log of what I'm eating for two weeks - a log of everything I shove down my gullet.  I will use MyFitnessPal because of the following very complicated scientific reasons:  I have used it before and it talks to Garmin Connect.  I will then analyze the data to see if I am indeed overeating and need to cut it back, jack.
• I will ignore the fact that I made an awesome shrimp chowder this weekend that involved two types of creamed soups + evaporated milk and eat something less heart-attack-inducing.
• I will only eat when I am hungry.  And when I want to eat I will get up and take a few laps around the building in which I work and bother people whilst they are trying to do their work.
• I will weigh myself daily and not freak out when the scale swings up 3 pounds in one day like it did this past weekend and my scream woke up a sleeping husband in my house.
• I will go easy on myself.  Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint...har de har har.

I'm going to try and post a weekly update on how the food tracking accountability is going.  It will probably go just like me forcing myself to eat veggies every day goes.  Specifically, it goes BUH.

Learnings.  BUH:

• Confronting the brutal facts of my eating is the only way.  Although I haven't been eating brutally...so so we'll find out.
• Oh the agony of dogs wandering through my workout area during chest flies (flys? ugh).
• It's almost as agonizing as when a husband wanders through and I nail him right in the shin with a 12 lb weight.
• How'd you like my use of a different definition of the word "camp?"  Eh? Eh?  My junior year English III teacher would be proud.
• Life is too short not to take stupid post-workout photos.

Tomorrow's workout:  5 mile tempo!  In the cold!

A partially supervised workout and some small eating wins.

My post is a bit delayed tonight because I had things to do after work.  Like drive home and see this sign.

I take exception to this sign.

Anyway, let's go back to the start of the day, when I was doing Cathe's Lift It, HiiT It: Back, Biceps & Shoulders workout.  Remember, that's the same workout that left me almost incapacitated last week, so of course I decided to whip that sucker out again this morning.  This time I had supervisors.

They ditched me, however, by the time I got to my hammer curls.

Hammer curls are better with Texas on a t-shirt.

I am currently in the grip of back, bicep, and shoulder soreness, so I'm going to chalk up this morning's workout as a success.  My eating was better today, and I had a few wins that are noteworthy:

• I sucked down those carrots again at lunch even though I hated every minute of it
• I didn't eat all of the chocolate I found in my desk (surprise! I didn't even know that chocolate was there!)
• I managed to not go on my usual evening Starbucks run for my fruity sugar laden drink.  Instead I had a bottle of sparkling water to keep my company for those 65 minutes.  I know what you're thinking--is this for real?  Shockingly, it is. I even surprised myself with that one.  A journey of 1,000 miles starts with the first step, yo.

So I'm pretty jazzed about that last one.  With sugary stuff, I tend to get trapped into a lot of addict thinking where I convince myself I actually need to have that stuff and if I don't get it I will absolutely DIE.  But I won't die, and I didn't die tonight on my way home.  And I probably won't die tomorrow night, either.  I think I see a pattern forming.

And now for the pattern of "abruptly ending a post with learnings because she's really tired right now:"

• I, for one, cannot wait until I move into my new house and have a workout area I can call my own. 
• That workout area has a door to lock out workout supervisors, by the way.
• In that picture of me doing concentration curls, I am using a 20 lb weight, which I have never been able to do before this morning.  A strength-training win!
• I bet I can keep my "no dying" streak alive all week long by simply not detouring to Starbucks.  Yep.

Tomorrow's workout: A small-ish tempo.

Welcome to my mornings filled with coffee, animals, and boot camp.

On days where I do strength training, here's what my mornings are typically like:

• Alarm goes off at 3:45 AM.
• Small dog sits on my chest while female cat touches me in the face with her claws until I get up.

Hyooman. Wake up or it's the claws.

• I take the dogs out in the dark with a headlamp on, letting the large dog drag me across the yard while I yell at small dog to get back over here because he keeps running away in the dark
• I feed the dogs breakfast so they will be busy while I eat my breakfast.
• I make my breakfast (which is always oatmeal with a banana and some PB and cinnamon) and eat it.
• I enjoy my morning coffee, along with my morning large dog sprawled across my lap.

Clearly that coffee is making me all
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 4 AM.

• Convince the large dog to get off my lap so I can work out.
• Then convince the male cat, who jumped in my lap after large dog vacated the premises, to get off me so I can go work out.

Hyooman. I know large dog has been here.  Traitor.

• After the animals are done with me I set up for my workout (or go get in my running duds, if the workout happens to be a running workout).  This morning it was Cathe's Boot Camp workout from her Strong & Sweaty series.  
• Scream, "Will you two STOP playing in my workout area!!!?!?!?" at least 3 times as large and small dog roughhouse in my teeny tiny workout space.
• Fling sweat all over my living room, including the TV.
• Know that I don't have enough time to do abs but do an ab workout anyway.
• Put all my equipment away while fending off the male cat's attempts to get me to rub him.

• Scramble to get ready for work, for which I almost always have to dress up and wear make-up, which is SO UNFAIR

What have we learned, kids?

• I get up way too early.  
• But I also go to bed early.  That's kind of how this thing works.
• So many animals...so many ways to get in the way of my workout.
• Do you know what it's like to have a cat threading himself between your legs while you're trying to lift a heavy barbell above your head?  Well, I do.
• And for those of you that need a reminder, I don't workout in the evenings after work because after-work working out is a complete lie for me.

Tomorrow's workout: Going to get back into the long-ish runs and do between 8-10 miles before it actually becomes winter around here.

Day 1, Week 13: A little heavy weight-lifting & a little freakout about fat.

This Sunday was a weird day.  I normally procrastinate all day long about doing my long run, and then finally suck it up and go out and do it and then get angry that I had to do the last of it in the dark.  But since I ran long yesterday, I had to do something different.  And by "different" I mean "lift heavy weights."

I did lift more than one at a time I swears.

I did my usual Cathe Ramped Up Upper Body, also with the usual dog obstacles in my workout space.

But I knew this would be the last time I would be doing this type of heavy lifting because it's taper time, kiddos.  The mileage will be reduced, the weights will be lighter, and everything will be geared towards making sure I have enough energy to run 26.2 miles at a 9:20 pace so I can cross the finish line at the Dallas Marathon in a 4:05.

And that means I don't have energy for freaking out like I did this morning about the tank top I was wearing for my workout.

That tank top was new, and I had bought it months ago but had never had a chance to wear it because it got buried in my dresser drawer.  I put it on, looked in the mirror, and then promptly freaked out about how fat I looked like OMG LOOK AT ME I AM HUGE.

Now, we all know that statement is complete nonsense because huge is what I used to be, not what I am now.  But hey--old habits die hard when you were once a size 22, and since you're trained basically from birth to be entirely overcritical of your body if you are female.  So what's a girl to do when she's in the middle of a "I'm so fat" freak-out?

Take ridiculous selfies, of course, to make yourself realize it's not as bad as it seems.

Embrace my mid-section fatness.

Maximum ridiculousness here.

See?  I did lift 2 weights at once.

Ridiculousness always makes me feel better.  And realizing that I am not defined by my perceived fatness makes me feel better, too.  While I could have ripped off that tank top off and put on a big baggy t-shirt, I was determined to show that shirt who was boss.  I kept it on and realized about 15 minutes into the workout that I didn't care how fat I felt in the shirt--I was too busy concentrating on how well those heavy weights were being lifted and not letting Cathe down.  Or letting the weights fall down on my head.

I'm glad I spent more energy on the workout than obsessing how I looked in a shirt that no one was going to see me in (until I decided to post those ridiculous selfies, that is).  From here on out, I resolve to not freak out about how I look in anything and instead spend way more time freaking out about hitting my time goal in Dallas in a few weeks.

And here we go with the learnings again:

• While I still think skinny doesn't equal pretty, it doesn't stop me from freaking out about looking fat.  I'm working on it.
• If you're ever in the middle of a downward spiral of "I'm so fat"-ness, ridiculous selfies are always sure to drag you out of it and give you a new perspective.
• Animals in my workout area.  The struggle continues.
• The freaking out about hitting my time goal has begun.  You have been warned.

Tomorrow's workout:  An easy early-morning run with large dog.  He hasn't been run in a week, so here's to hoping I won't get dragged into a ditch every 3 minutes.

Day 4, Week 12: Workout-interrupting animals. Buh.

1) When you just want to do the tricep kickbacks in Cathe's PHA workout but, you know, animal interference...

I'm so over those kickbacks.  And animals in my workout space.

2) And when the cat refuses to get off your mat so you can do your ab workout...

Hyooman.  Scram. 

3) ...you feel like you ran an obstacle course full of cute yet stubborn animals rather than a sweaty and awesome weight and ab workout so it's time to rejoice just completing the damn thing.

Please note self-satisfied workout-interrupting animal smugly snoozing on the couch behind me.

And what have we learned?

• An animal will always be right behind you when you're trying to do step-ups on your step to be stepped on.
• Any stepped-on animals will glare at you and you will worry about what you will find when you come home.
• Cats are naturally attracted to mats.  FYI.
• I'm convinced this is payback for leaving them at camp/home alone all last weekend.
• There ain't nothing like a cat grabbing your arm with its claws every time your elbow comes down during chest presses on the step.  

Tomorrow's workout: A tempo run that will look a lot like a 4 mile Turkey Trot to show I am thankful for the food I will devour afterwards.