Jumping my way to recovery

This pain in my right hip is becoming a pain in the you-know-where. It’s not going away fast enough, but then again I think I should be able to ice it and have it healed overnight.  Well, I am icing it, but I am also trying to correct any muscle weaknesses that caused this mess in the first place—and that’s why I’m trying to jump my way to recovery with some HiiT workouts because, you know, you use your glutes and hips and stuff during those workouts.

One workout that I rediscovered in my Cathe library is CrossFire. 

This workout has a couple of sections to it and has been reviewed as nauseum since it’s release, so I’ll spare you the details. What I won’t spare you from are the reasons I forgot how much I liked this workout:

• You don’t need a ton of equipment. Some 3, 5, 10, and 15 pound weights, a fire walker band (theraband), and some sliding discs are all you need. I like not having to get in another workout cleaning up after a workout. 
• So much getting that heart rate up goodness. While I can definitely tell I have much better aerobic fitness than I did when I first did this workout a few years ago, all the high impact exercises in the first two sections of the workout still give your heart rate a run for its money. Why is that? Well, it because of all the...
• JUMPING JUMPING EVERYWHERE. Jumping is fun, kids!

• You get to test your jumping and not falling skills by jumping and trying not to fall with that band looped around your ankles. Good times. 

Let’s hope all this jumping pays off, especially since I have a 14 mile run on deck for tomorrow. Even workout supervisor is hoping I get better soon so I can do my runs outside without pain. 

But that’s only because then she has a couple of hours when I’m out of the house and not bugging her. 

Tomorrow’s workout: Like I said, there’s a 14 miler on the plan for tomorrow. Hopefully the hip will keep quiet. 

Strength training makes it all better. Not really.

So my sore hip flared up yesterday and today it really hurt to sit. So of course I did some strength training this morning and it’s all better now. Kind of. 

You know you love that crazy turquoise wall. 

Anyway, here are some reasons why I think my hip liked the strength training (Cathe’s PHA 1 workout) so much:

It wasn’t running.

My legs were moving in directions other than forward. 

There was no running involved.

Sometimes I didn’t use my legs during the workout. 

Running was not something I did during the workout.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is that I *may* have to actually stop running for a week just to let it heal.I’m going to see how the next two runs this week go; if it keeps getting worse then I’m going to have to take some time off. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go quietly sob in a corner for the next hour.

Tomorrow’s workout: Easy run. WITH NO HIP SORENESS *wishfulthinkingactivated*

Why I love cross-training days, as told in pics and some words.

I like running, but I love me some cross-training, too.  Why?  Let us count the ways, gentle (or not so gentle) readers:

1) I get to ride to nowhere on my precious spin bike, which I love more by the day and perhaps even the hour.  I have found that my legs are fresher (i.e., not tight, sore, and begging for mercy for 3 miles) and more ready for the abusive runs that I must do on the training plan in the My Run Plan app.  

2) I get to secretly (not so secretly now, I guess) wear knee-high compression socks all day at work so my legs feel one step closer to fabulous by the end of the day.  

But these Ragnar socks are fabulous all by
themselves.

3)  Because cross-training, or getting up off my ass and working out as I used to call it before all the running lingo entered my life, is what helped me not look like this anymore.

WANTED: More cross-training.  And good eating habits.

4) Back selfies after repeatedly lifting heavy things.  And lots of them.

5) This picture has nothing to do with cross-training.  Just wanted to show everyone I do exist in normal human clothing for most of the day even if this human isn't all that normal.

Even the cat can sense my abnormality.

Post is over.  Read the learnings and clean up after yourself before you leave:

• The bike is fast becoming a fave piece of equipment I wish I had invested money in purchasing sooner.
• Don't tell my treadmill I just said that; it has jealous tendencies.
• When you can't sit down properly and it's been 3 days since that long run that destroyed you, compression socks underneath your work pants it is.
• Do people really lift weights for other reasons besides back selfies?  Really?  Huh.
• While I do wear real clothes, the world would be a better place if I could wear running clothes to work.  Truly it would.

Tomorrow's workout: Another "REALLY, TRAINING PLAN?!?" 13 mile threshold workout.  Buh.

My recovery run-down and what's next

So I've been recovering this week because my Runner's World app said that I had to until Saturday. Well, I call it "recovery;" the app calls it "cross-training."

Although I don't know why it didn't check off my cross-training for today.  The app must have figured out my little trick of selecting "Other" as a workout to get it to register as cross-training in the app and changed the rules on me behind my back.  The jerk.

But don't just take my jerky app's word for it that I did all sorts of cross training this week - also check out these stupid pictures:

ZOMG how did I get on my spin bike?!?

This was the last time I could lift my arm that far above my head
because BOOT CAMP

Just causally biking to nowhere.

I only have a few things to say about my cross-training this week:

• Hubbs is very tolerant of my picture-taking requests....and tolerant of the fact that he has to walk around me and my bike in front of the TV whilst getting ready in the morning.
• I haven't done that Cathe Boot Camp workout in around 2 months and my thighs are now sore to the touch.
• The animals have NO IDEA what to do after I move the bike into the living room, which generates reactions from slightly frightened indifference to "I better be ready to flee if that thing comes at me" from the cats.

Fascinated...but can't be bothered.

Ready to OMG FLEE FOR YOUR LIFE

So, after this week of pseudo-recovery and sore thighs, what's next? Well, I plan on using that Runner's World app to train for the Twin Cities Marathon in October.  Along the way, I plan on doing some duathlons because, as every marathoner knows, duathlons are a vital part of marathon training (not really).

The cool part of the Runner's World app is that you can designate which race is your goal race and then it will automagically give you little mini-tapers to all of your other races too.  Or, at least that's what the instructions say.  We'll see, won't we?  We will also see if I hit that projected finish time of 4:14, which would definitely be a PR for me on that course.  Here's some other things I'm going to do in addition to what's in the training plan:

On the weekends, do my runs early in the morning.  I tend to fart around on the weekends doing things like "cleaning" and "working" and that type of farting needs to stop.  

Hill repeats will be done - on the bike and whilst running.  That MuncieMan Half duathlon is on the same hilly course as my most recent duathlon - and the key to success is hill training.  Which is also known as "masochism."

Do all the workouts.  I did pretty well with this during my last training cycle; this is just a reminder.

Lose 10 more pounds.  Get lighter, get faster.  The most healthy reason to lose weight, right?  (no)

Remember where I've been - and remember that at 43 years old I'm doing OK health, fitness, and body size-wise.

28 vs. 43.  I think I'm doing fine.

And also remember that it's time for the dumb learnings now:

• I have high hopes for the Runner's World app.  High hopes that I also hope won't be crushed by a crappy marathon performance.
• I also have high hopes for losing those 10 pounds.
• I hope my thighs stop being sore soon and I can touch them without wincing.
• I hope everyone realizes now after looking at that wedding picture that hubbs hasn't always looked like Santa.
• "Fascinated but can't be bothered" is my new motto.

Tomorrow's workout: A workout DVD of some kind...I'm still up in the air as to which one.  The suspense is killing you, I can tell.

Cross training makes my heart grow fonder.

Workout: Cross training (cycling, 17.5 miles); Upper-body weights & abs (at the end of Cathe's Body Max DVD)

Cross training makes my grow fond of running (because I miss my runs on the days I don't run), but it also makes me grow fond of more cross training.  This whole cycling thing I have taken to doing on my non-running days is getting pretty addictive.

And I'm actually able to shift gears properly, along with knowing actually when to shift gears.  Learning by doing.  It's a wonderful thing.

I decided I wanted to cycle about 17 miles today because I have a duathlon on July 7th for which I need to be prepared.  The bike portion of that duathlon is 15 miles, so, being the overachiever that I am, want to be overprepared.  I mapped out a nice route, thinking I was going to head north first and then west, and then head back east towards the house.

And then, mid-bike, something made me change my mind.  I think it was the devil.  Yep, ol' Beelzebub himself.  Regardless of what sinister supernatural forces were controlling my brain, I decided to bike the route in the exact reverse of what I planned because there was one hill that I would rather bike down than up.

Yeah.  Little did I know that this decision meant that the rest of the ride would mean way more uphills than downhills.  Damn you, glaciated terrain of northern Illinois.  Damn you to hell.

Here is the elevation profile from the ride:

I know that if you live in a region of mountainous terrain you think I'm a total wimp right now.  And I am, really.  But I am a Midwestern gal, and I am used to flatness.  In fact, I'm used to flatness that is flat.  But little did I know of the rolling hills that lay to the west of my house.  Hills of pure evil, I tell you. 

But they were good training.  I was shifting gears like a madwoman, learning what felt best for each type of hill.  Thus I saved my quads a lot of undue suffering on this ride, which is good, because I have a Ragnar in Utah to run this weekend.

Did you know that Utah is, like, in the mountains?  If not, check out the elevation profile of my last run:

Click to embiggen.

If I had to bike up that hill I would implode into a mental pile of goo.

The crazy part is this is just one half of a hill.  The leg after this one is the infamous Ragnar Hill, where the elevation change is about 1700 feet over about 4 miles.  I'm getting off easy, ladies and gents, with only a 1510 net elevation change.  So I guess I should stop whining about all my little rolling hills this morning and focus on the suffering that will be my last leg this weekend.

I still may implode into a mental pile of goo after running up that hill.  (Instructions on Ragnar's site at the 1.5 mile mark are simply to "Run up the mountain."  Maybe it should add "Cry but keep going, dammit" at mile 2.)  But I'll have to do my implosion after I'm done so the van can cart me away.

I'm still broken.

I'm broken.  This tendinitis has me not running for the week.  It still hurts, and I am seriously reconsidering my marathon goal.  I'm considering bumping it down from a 10:00/mile pace goal to a "show up at the starting line and finish" goal.

We'll see.  In the mean time, this week I have been resting, cross-training, and doing things at work like this:

Oxygen and I are PISSED OFF at this whole injury thing.

At least the weather has been crappy enough so I am not missing any good outside running.  The dogs, however, are thoroughly enjoying making snow puppy angels as well as getting all the good snow snacking they can handle:

All this snow got dumped on us on Tuesday, the day I was supposed to do a track ladder speed workout.  Yeah, that didn't happen.  Wednesday I ended up taking the day off.  I meant to go do some stationary biking, but couldn't fit it in after I realized I had a massage that night (massages take priority over pretty much everything in my life, except the hubbs and the dogs).  My wonderful massage therapist worked on the top of my foot, but I think she overdid it--I woke up today hurting.

And, because I was in pain, I did something incredibly stupid--I wore some tight dress shoes to work.  I was in these shoes for all of an hour before the pain got too much.  I switched out of them into some sneakers, which complemented my dress pants and blazer quite nicely.  I sat in my office most of the day with ice on my foot, making videos and scoring my students' blogs.

I know.  My work life is an exciting breathless crazy whirlwind.  I'll give you a moment to let your head stop spinning.

After that stimulating day, I then changed and traipsed down the hallway to the fitness center, where I managed to get my butt onto a stationary bike in-between all the wrestlers and track stars in there doing their conditioning work.  And there my butt stayed for about 80 more minutes, whereby I did 25 miles on the "random hills" setting, dripping in sweat most of the time because I didn't realize the damn bike had a fan on it and worrying that I was going to catch some scary high school superbug bacterium that might be lingering on the handlebars and kill me within days surrounded by men in hazmat suits.  (I made like a doctor in the bathroom afterwards and scrubbed up to my elbows.  I'm a tad germophobic these days.)

On a brighter note, I registered for the Twin Cities Marathon in October, and got the goody bag I ordered along with it in the mail yesterday:

The bag is super nice.

I also purchased some new-fangled shoelaces that are really just tiny bungee cords masquerading as shoelaces and have fancy clips.  They're called Yankz! and the wonderful people who run the company out in Atlanta, Georgia were absolutely awesome about the fact that I put the wrong zip code for my billing address and forgot to put in my different shipping address and, despite my efforts to the contrary, shipped it successfully to me.

I bought two pairs (one purple, one white reflective) and, although they look pretty complicated to install, they were really easy to get on my shoes.  They are supposed to be more flexible when you're running (please to remember that I am injured because my laces were tied too tightly) and let your laces flex with your foot.  I put them on my favorite pair of shoes, and they really are comfortable, and your shoes stay snugly on your feet.  Not too bad for something that runs between $7.00-$8.00 a pair.

So, in sum, I'm still broken, but I'm not giving up hope.  My foot is feeling pretty good now after that biking session.  Tomorrow is upper-body weights, and Saturday....the schedule says an 18 mile pace run.  I'd like to do that long run, but I may have to do it more slowly than pace.  We'll have to evaluate this whole foot injury situation Saturday morning.

All bummed out, part 2

My foot isn't getting any better.  I'm all bummed out again.

When I got up, it wasn't too bad until I tried walking around the house, where the pain on the top of my foot began to get gradually worse the longer I was on my feet.  Later on I tried to run on the treadmill..  I ran for a few minutes at 4.0 mph, and the tendon on my first metatarsal didn't feel so bad.  I then ran for about a minute at 6.0 mph.  It hurt a little bit worse, but not too badly.

And then I stopped running, and the pain really started.  And then I had to face reality and, in the words of Jim Collins, confront the brutal facts (yet never give up hope)  Here are those facts:

• My foot really freaking hurts.  Right across the dorsal side, and it is hard to pull my big toe up towards my shin.  But it doesn't hurt while I'm just sitting around, and the hurt goes away with massage, so I'm pretty sure it's not a stress fracture.
• Activities that involve me moving my feet along the ground make it hurt worse.  This includes the cross-training I did today (did Cathe's low-impact workout Afterburn), which pretty much served to make my foot a white-hot ball of pain.  I did try biking on my stationary bike, but the resistance on it is broken, so I'm not getting much of a workout on it.  But I am pain-free while biking.
• I probably won't be able to run for the rest of the week.  This means skipping this week's workouts entirely, which is what has me bummed the most--all because I didn't loosen my damn laces.
• I'm going to ice this thing with some serious regularity.  I blasted my foot with ice-cold water for 5 minutes after my shower today, and it seems a little better.  Ice will be my constant companion for the next few days.
• Massage makes it better.  I was reading (we'll see if it gets me in trouble this time) about friction massage for this type of tendinitis, and it does seem to help, especially if I ice it afterwards.  I'll try anything at this point.

My current plan is to deal with the injury and still make it to the starting line for my marathon.  I would definitely rather give up my time goal just to be able to run it pain-free.

I'm not giving up hope.  Not yet.

For every running triumph, there is a huge vortex of suck.

In every life, a little rain must fall.  For every yin, there is a yang.  For me, for every good run, a little bad form must fall.  For every running triumph, there is a huge vortex of suck.

Yesterday I proved to myself that I could run my long runs at race pace.  After that run, one of the tendons in my foot proved that it could be a huge pain in the ass.  As I write this, I am trying to keep an ice pack on the top of my right foot.  After Googling frantically last night, hopping up and down on my foot about 12,000 times, and bending my foot and toes every which way (some of them in ways I'm sure they're not meant to go), I , Dr. Engelbrecht, have made the following diagnosis:

Tendinitis.  (Huge vortex of suck here.)  The prescription?  Rest and stop my moronic self from lacing my shoes too tightly.

I am currently addicted to wearing Mizuno Wave Rider 16s.  I just got a second pair (red) after my first purple pair, I am convinced, has help ease my Achilles suffering.

Yesterday's run was only the second time I have worn these beauties, having tried them out on a speed session earlier last week (these are some very very light shoes).  It was on that day that I realized my laces were a bit snug on my left foot, but I didn't loosen them.

And I didn't loosen them yesterday before my 16 mile run either.  So, kiddos, it's now time for a little lesson from the teacher:

Tight shoe + 16 mile run faster than you've ever run it before = Ooooh girl your tendons are in TROUBLE.

I'm just glad it's not a stress fracture.  To make sure it doesn't become one, I think I may end up cancelling my treadmill session for tomorrow and cross training one more day, especially since the pain was worse when I got up and walked around on it all day. Speaking of cross training, I am trying to make sure I get in weights plus more cardio on those days so I can get the best of both worlds and increase my training volume, as the boys from Run Less, Run faster say.  That means today's Cathextravaganza DVD choice was Athletic Training, a workout I haven't done in a long time.

I forgot how much the cardio portion at the beginning kicks my sweet patootie.  You start with about 20 minutes of low-impact cardio using a step--very simple moves, but very effective.  I felt like I was gargling my heart at the end of that section.  After that, she uses light weights (5-8 lbs), some resistance bands, a firewalker band, and a gliding disc to work all your major muscle groups.  It's a nice workout for the day after a long run because it doesn't kill you, but still gets your heart a-pumpin'.

And I may end up doing the same tomorrow if this tendon thing doesn't clear up.  We shall see what some ice and a good night's sleep can do.

Reading is bad for you. Well, for me, at least.

My training schedule calls for 2 days of cross-training every week--on Sunday and Monday.  Technically the plan gives me the option of running easy on Sundays, but I haven't taken advantage of it.

Until today.

I know what you're thinking: "Hey, idiot, today is MONDAY.  Get a calendar and use it."

I am aware that it is Monday.  I am also aware of the fact that sometimes I read things about running that are meant for people who warm up at my half marathon pace (8:30) and then try them out and/or add them into my current training.  And then I get injured.

So what did I read this time?  I read about this thing called "embedded circuit training."  From what I read, you are supposed to run about 2 miles on one of your easy days, then do a circuit of strength exercises with 30 seconds of aerobic activity in-between.  Then you are to run 2 more miles.

This is supposed to give you some serious PR-age and make you faster.  So I thought to myself, "Hey--I can run those two miles on either end of this on my treadmill, then do one of my circuit DVDs.  Do that once a week on Monday, and then I'll be SUPERFAST; I'll break the freaking laws of physics."

Yeah.  Well.

I did run those 2 miles first on the treadmill (by the way, "Monsters Inside Me" is great treadmill TV).  My legs were tired.  I mean, TIRED.  You'd think I ran 18 miles two days ago or something.  Anyway, since these 2 miles were supposed to be run slowly, I didn't even go above the 4.5 mph mark.  After the first 3/4 of a mile, my legs were feeling pretty good.  My left IT band was whining a little and my left hamstring was "ahem-ing" me every now and then, but I felt all good and warmed up for my circuits.

I did some total body circuits, seeming to forget that yesterday I did Cathe's Supercuts workout again (it is becoming a regular Sunday workout; DEEE-licious!), which involves a lot of squatting and other leg maneuvers.  During the lower-body portion of the DVD today, I could feel that I may have slightly overdone it.  Just to not push it any more than I already had, I nixed the idea of running another two miles afterwards, and just went shopping instead to walk off whatever damage I may have done.

Unfortunately, I'm really feeling that run now.  My mistake, in hindsight that is painfully 20/20, was that I need to give my legs a freaking day off during these two cross-training days.  I keep forgetting that I am a rank amateur at this whole "running a marathon" thing, and I need to take it easy for my first one so I can run a second.  And maybe even a third.  Thus, I am hoping to get to bed early so sleep can restore my legs for my speed session on the treadmill tomorrow.  (I wanted to run it outside, but Mother Nature has foiled me again with her making-rain-turn-into-snow trick.)

There were, however, two bright notes this weekend:

#1. I bought my first tube of Body Glide.  After my last 18-miler, unmentionables were chafing that made doing other unmentionable things very painful.  I am disturbed that it says "Do not use on deep puncture wounds, animal bites, serious burns."

Mainly I am disturbed because those warnings are usually there because some idiot like me actually tried to do these things.


#2. I cranked out 15 bicep curls on each arm using my 20-pound dumbbell.  Before this time, I was cranking them out with my 15s; for some reason today I decided to throw caution (and quite possibly my left shoulder joint) to the wind and try them with some 20s.  When I was done I grunted in a distinctly man-like fashion.  I felt like this lady looks:

 photo credit: meehanf via photopin cc

I would have pitied the fool that messed with me while I was out shopping this evening.  But no one did.  Unfortunately.  Hopefully I can channel my bicep curl triumph tomorrow morning when hitting the treadmill for some 1200m repeats.

Trying to uncrank myself.

A lot of work craziness, a lot of crankiness, and a lot of running have been the rule for the last half of this week.

This was me this week.  Hell, this has been me since September.

The running, however, helped deal with most of the crankiness, so there was a net craziness gain of zero this week.  I like it when it all balances out, don't you?

Wednesday was an easy run on the treadmill, and when I say easy, I mean easy.  Easy like a Sunday morning easy.  However, I still like to start slow and kick it up a little towards the end, just to get used to running faster at the end of my runs.

It's the "tempo run" I did on Thursday that I am the most disappointed with this week.  While it was 8 miles of much needed stress relief (meaning 8 miles of not thinking about work and focusing on the run), it was a tempo run that I once again ran too slowly because of my fear of doing these types of runs on the treadmill.  And now for the splits:

Yeah, it pretty much bit the big one.  A 9:30 pace thereabouts; pretty sad, considering I usually like to run these at my 10K pace when I'm outside, which is anywhere between 8:15 and 8:30.  But the treadmill has mentally shackled me for some reason.  A 9:30 was all I could handle before my brain started to panic, telling me I would never, ever make it all the way to 6 miles oh God that's so long to run fast on the treadmill I'll never ever make it.

The treadmill and I have to come to an understanding, it seems.  I have to stop thinking "I can't" while I'm on there and just remember that pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.  I'm there to run, so I need to get it done.

And my brain just needs to shut the hell up while I'm on the treadmill.  Maybe I'll just turn up the TV to drown myself out.

On a brighter note, I got to use my barbell for an entire workout this morning.  Continuing my Cathextravaganza, I did her Power Hour workout, which is a high-rep weight training workout that will give you a little workout with your barbell.  I like this workout because:

a) I get to use a barbell in almost every exercise
b) Cathe tells you what weight she has on her barbell every single time
c) It makes my biceps beg for mercy
d) Mmmmm deadlifts and dead rows (I love back work)
e) The late '90s set cracks my shit up
f) I get to use a barbell in almost every exercise

I thought it was a little light on the tricep work at the end, but maybe because in every other workout I own by Cathe it seems like she works the triceps until you can feel them trying to flee from your body.  Although I can tell you that I scared the crap out of my husband when he came down the stairs this morning and saw me doing tricep extensions while laying down on my step--the hubbs thought I was going to drop the thing on my forehead and tried to "save" me by grabbing the bar.  I can tell you that's not a safe thing to do when your wife has been cranked up on crankiness all week and just wants to do some tricep extensions with 35 pounds on her barbell without being bothered.

Speaking of bothered, tomorrow I see I have an 18-mile pace run on the training schedule, where I have to negative split my run and end up at my marathon goal pace.  It is also slated to be 12 degrees with 12 mph winds at the time I want to go out and do this run.  Looks like tomorrow I'll be blogging about that run while wiping the icicles from my eyelashes.

I can't wait until spring gets here.

Cranky guy photo credit: massdistraction via photopin cc

My shins are whining, my quads are jerks, and my glutes are lazy.

Boy, am I glad my training schedule allows for 2 days of recovery after a long run.  My shins and feet are still feeling those 20 miles I did on Saturday, and I have a bit of a whiny painful "hot spot" on my left shin that I am getting a little concerned about.  Time to massage and ice like crazy.  My quads, however, have been surprisingly quiet since that run.  They're either getting stronger, or they are plotting a quiet mutiny at a later date, probably during the height of my training.  Those jerks.

Anyway, I woke up yesterday with my back hurting the most from my run (I have a weirdo body), so I opted out of any weight lifting yesterday and, for once, decided to be gentle on my body by just doing a 45-minute walk on the treadmill.  Yes, you read that correctly--I typed "walk."  I found that the Hub channel was showing a marathon of Animaniacs cartoons, so I threw those up on the TV in front of my treadmill while doing said walking.  I felt fine during the walk, but dear lord did I feel it about 2 hours later.  Good thing I also decided plyometrics were probably not a great idea the day after a 20-miler, either.

Sometimes I do think smart things, but not often.  Yesterday was one of my smarter days.

Today I felt tons better, so I decided to do a total body routine by Cathe I haven't done in a while called Total Body Tri-sets from her Low-Impact Series.  (I always like to do one total-body workout per week, mainly because of my glutes.  They need abuse.  I still think they're not "firing" correctly, those lazies.)  It has a separate workout for the upper and the lower body regions, and I like the fact that she incorporates the core into this workout so you don't have to slog through a separate ab routine at the end.  Like I've mentioned before, there are a gajillion premixes available on her newer DVDs, so I chose the total body express premix because I felt that only one time through each tri-set (set of three exercises; she makes you do each tri-set twice in each workout) was enough.

Consider my glutes properly abused.  That may be a short premix (48 minutes), but it sure is effective.  Let's just say I'm glad I opted for flats today when I presented about some tech stuff I use in my classroom to some middle school teachers, or I would have given them an impromptu and unplanned lesson in how gravity always wins from atop my high heels.

I would have liked to run today, since it was 33 degrees on the way home (a veritable heat wave this time of year in Illinois) and no wind was feel-able as I got into the car after my presentation.  It was also sunny, which really was a slap in the face from the running gods:

But, alas, it was not in the training schedule.  However, it is tomorrow--Treadmill Tuesday will strike again, with some 800s at 10K pace.  Stay tuned.

Monday Ramblings

I began my morning by ever-so-gracefully slipping in my driveway on the sheet of ice that had formed overnight and landing right on my ass.  Good thing I have worked long and hard at putting extra padding back there; I don't even have a bruise.  Yet.  That'll teach me to wear fashionable boots with an almost nonexistent coefficient of friction instead of practical ones.  Since ice tends to melt when it hits warm ass molecules (I know this because I am a science teacher), that meant that any ice clinging to my ass thereby underwent a change of state and transformed itself into liquid H2O which wet my pants and backside thoroughly.  I got to drive to work with a wet ass.

Good thing this happened after I did Cathe's Supercuts workout (DEEElicious!), or I would really have been in trouble.  This is the third time I've done it, and I must say I am in pretty heavy serious like with it. Compound moves that make my heart rate skyrocket and that crazy core at the end....mmmm mmmm.  Now if I can only convince her that I really am committed (she keeps asking me, dammit, every time I do the workout), it would be a perfect workout.

Now, it's probably obvious I love me some cross training, mainly because it mixes up my workout week and staves off boredom.  But I also like it because I really believe it helps you train injury-free (if you're doing it right, that is.  I've done it wrong before and only got more injured.  Let's just say you shouldn't do high-impact workouts on your cross-training days-just because it's not running doesn't mean you should do it).  And my marathon training plan (which I am bitter about purchasing but glad that I have) provides two cross-training days after my long runs on Saturday.  This isn't something I ever had in a training plan before, and I dig it.  I'm thinking this has been allowing my legs to heal before smacking them around with more running abuse each week.

Why do I think this?  Because I have been the proud owner of an Achilles injury since September.  And, even after running 18 miles on Saturday, all is quiet on the Achilles front.  In fact, it feels 95% normal--and I am hitting a weekly mileage I have never ever seen before.  I guess I just got all jacked up in my old training schedules that never gave me two days off from running in a row; being a novice runner, I just assumed that wasn't what was done.  I got all mentally trapped in the boxes of those schedules I never realized I should have just given myself two days off if my body needed it, breaking free from the schedule shackles I had imposed upon myself.

Whoa.  It got all serious for a second.  Let's lighten it up:

That's better.

Anyhoo, after a pretty craptastic day today (at least I had no meetings), this came in the mail for me:

Calf sleeves.  And they're purple, people--my lucky racing color. Plus they are from Pro Compression, a neat little company whose products would make excellent Christmas gifts for the runner(s) in your life.  Just sayin'. Can't wait to try them out tomorrow morning when I'm running mile repeats in the dark.