Friday, February 25, 2011

Things I am in love with

There are a few things I'm currently in love with. I figured I'd share them, so you can love them too!

Oil of Olay Anti-Aging Night Moisturizer LOVE! I'm having the WORST late winter dry skin on my face. This stuff is working awesome. No more puffy irritation! I just started using it, ummm yesterday? But, I'm already noticing a difference. If you're suffering from dry winter skin I strongly recommend this product. I use it during the day time too, though I suspect after a few days, and the horribleness has clearned up I should prooobabaly just use it at night, with my regular moisturizer during the day. It's also currently on sale at Walgreens :)

Tennis Balls A friend of mine got me hooked on tennis balls a few years ago, then I forgot about them. Recent foam roller purchase, and constant headaches resulting (likely) from upper back pain and staring at a computer all day have reignited my interest in tennis balls. So I bought some. Concept is the same as a foam roller, except they are just the perfect size to massage those muscles between your spine and shoulder blade. I do this standing, against a wall - not laying down foam roller style - that would be most difficult. These are an excellent option for a long day with tense shoulders for the single girls out there without a fabby boyfriend/husband to loosen them up! hehehe. I am also using golf balls to get the same effect for the bottom of my feet!!

Dinah This isn't a new love. This is the three year old kind. My furry, purring, bundle of love. I'm writing this post sitting on my bed indian style (do people still say that? it doesn't seem very PC now that i'm not in 1st grade) and the laptop is in front of my legs, and my precious kitten is just standing on my legs purring away. And occasionally swishing he tail in my face. She's my first real pet (fair goldfish notwithstanding) and my darling sweet! She's always so excited to see me! She's also excellent company after long runs and races when i just want to lay in bed and ice and hydrate. Super cuddle buddy!

yea yea, I'm a crazy cat lady, secret is out.


Here's a few things I don't love (this list is REALLY long, as my friends know, so I'll keep it current) doing laundry on a friday night, this stupid unexpected snow storm, construction on the perimeter closing off a portion of the road so I can't run on it, and that stupid neighbor of mine that took up TWO parking spaces last night! GRRR.


Tomorrow is super busy - but it ends with a hockey game in Syracuse with my kickass little sister!!! YAY!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

oye, my aching hips!

Long run was 5 miles on Sunday. I've not run that far since the Turkey Trot 10k that I did, where my IT band decided it hated me and I hobbled across the finish line. It was on the treadmill - which was more challenging mentally than it needed to be. Somewhere around 3.25 miles I was just so BORED. But, a half mile later, I was still flying, and feeling pretty good. I also huffed and puffed out loud during the last quarter-mile (sorry, dude next to me!). But, whatever, I finished. Then I went to lunch in Saratoga so my two running buds could finally meet each other! YAY! We were supposed to run a marathon relay that day, but none of us were really ready - or looking forward to it. It would be a bummer if one of us got hurt on a race we weren't really "feeling" while we're all training for something else. So we decided to skip it and just eat instead, hehehe. It was a fun afternoon with the girls! We're all running the Lake Placid Half Marathon together in June, so it was good everyone's met. I'm sure we'll be running many other races together, too!

Anyway, Sunday night there was a pain in my hip every time I stood up from a seated position. Not a muscle pain, a stabbing one:( I knew this pain. A few years ago when I first started to try to get into running this pain (that I tried to run through, after all, it didn't hurt when I was ACTUALLY running) sidelined me, for a while. So, I went into action. YAY FOAM ROLLER! haha. I love that thing. I foam rolled the crap out of my hips and IT bands. Then stretched, then i iced it a bit. The next day was a "rest" day, and President's Day. So I did pretty much nothing. Except read. I read a bunch about hip/IT/running issues. It seems likely, based on my past workout history, that my quads are much stronger than my butt/hip muscles. So, that may be part of the issue. Also, I've always been plagued by IT band problems - I over pronate something fierce (thanks Fleet Feet Syracuse!), and I know my left leg is a smidge longer. So, besides being BFFs with my foam roller, I found some new exercises to do! I tried some at home, to see how the felt - good. Until the morning! wow! those things worked. I also did speed intervals that morning. (got in 3 sets of 4, and a faster high pace woo!) So now my hips are ACHY! yesterday was tough. But today was xtrain - lifting and elliptical. I woke up late so I got to the gym late, so I didn't have as much time as I'd have liked. But I still got in a solid hour long workout.

My hips are still a bit sore - but muscle growth sore. So it's all good. The stabbing pain is gone. YAY! Hopefully I now know how to beat it if it comes back - which hopefully it won't as I work on my buns of steel! :)

Sunday, February 13, 2011

running = blogging?

I started this blog a while back because sometimes I have witty nonsense to say and no one to say it to. Honestly, that's the reason. I figured it'd be a quick fad I went through since I was never much of the diary keeping type. However, it seems this blog has quickly transformed into a running blog. The more I run, the more I blog. I'm cool with that.

To follow up yesterday's shit-astic run, today I ran outside. It was awesome. It was awesome because I PR'd my 5k time. It was awesome because it was outside and cold. At first it really sucked - but there's a pretty decent hill at the beginning of my route that warmed me up quickly. I've been running this route for years. It's a loop that I usually run in the other direction - avoiding running UP the super steep hill in favor of a more gradual incline on the otherside. However, after running the brock trot last year I knew I could run UP that hill. However, despite the cold and not having run outside in 6 weeks, I felt powerful. I knew my pace was faster than I'd run the last time I was outside from the beginning. I thought I was pushing it because I was cold - to warm up faster. But, I didn't burn out. Then as I approached the last stretch of the route - the new lady gaga single came on my playlist and ho.ly.shit. i booked it. I was huffing and puffing but i sprinted faster and longer than I normally do. I could.not.believe it when I hit the stopwatch at the end. I've NEVER run a 5k in under 32 minutes - even two years ago when I was 10lbs lighter and in way better shape (over all - I was mostly lifting then, low carb diet, pounds came off fast, but also probably why I never broke the 32 minute barrier).

So today I was redeemed.


Baby, I was born this way.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

they can't all be good ones

The first week of half marathon training was pretty inspiring. Until today. My runs during the week were excellent! strong, impressive, awesome. but today - ugh.

I woke up with a bit of a headache after going to sleep super late, and I was stuffy. I took some dayquil and had an english muffing and trudged off to the gym to (hopefully) run 5 miles. I did not run 5 miles. I squeezed out a measely 3.25 and I felt like crap the whole time. I had a pace of a 12:00 mile over all. ugh. last week I ran 4 miles at 11:06 and i felt invincible. grrrr

But, with sage advice from a wise friend, i remembered that not every run will be awesome. Sometimes it will suck. Some weeks you won't be able to get in all your miles, or scheduled runs, but it's ok.

So, I will buck up and get on with my day and tomorrow... tomorrow i'm going to run outside! the uptown campus is pretty clear of ice, so it'll be a good run I think! I'm looking forward to it :)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

And it's begun

Monday began my half marathon training program. So far so good. monday's run only called for two miles. So i did some abs, chest, tris and shoulders first. BOOM. then I decided 2 miles was still too easy. So I ran it on an incline. AWESOME. :) :)

Today was speed intervals. I usually do two sets of four- today I upped it and did two sets of 5. I read recently you should do three sets?? Maybe next week I'll try three sets of four. Most of these things are dependent on me getting up early enough to get these extended workouts in before work. There's no way I'm going to the gym to run after work. If it were warmer and less icy, I'd be happy to run after work outside. But that's just not happening right now. ALTHOUGH - it's going to be 37 on sunday!!! THIRTY SEVEN!!! woo - i think i'll do my long run outside. nuts.

Tomorrow is a cross training day. I'm doing legs. I'm going to be so sore. ugh. The 20th is the first race day in my training schedule. I'm running a half marathon relay with two of my running buds. I'm doing the short leg - 5.7 miles. Should be good though - pre race season teaser. :)

Here's to good runs!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

YOGA!

I went to my first power yoga class today. I LOVED IT! it was super hard, but i was impressed with my flexibility. We did lots of standing poses, and core strength. My ankles were having a tough time in the balance poses, but it was good - they need to firm up, hopefully help with some of these pronation issues. The worst was I could feel my IT band pop over my femur head during pigeon. grrrr. But they have this class 2 days a week - so i'm hoping for strength and length.

Yoga put me in a super good mood - but it was already a busy evening so I hadn't yet eaten. Rushed home to let out the dog and eat and no all my energy is gone! still have to pack for my trip to NYC this weekend!!!! zzzzzzzz

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Need for Speed

This is my last week of "pre-training." Next week begins my half marathon training program. I'm really excited. I'm choosing a longer training program - 18 weeks, because I'm horribly inconsistent and I knew I'd slack off over the holidays. I need something to keep me on track, particularly since I have massive IT band flare ups when I don't run regularly.

I have spent the last several weeks treadmill running. At first I dreaded it- but the obnoxious amount of snow we've had in Albany this summer is putting a damper on out door running- not to mention most people here seem to have some sort of vendetta against clearing sidewalks and people that run/cycle in the road. So, as boring as treadmills are, I choose life. HAHA!

I've been doing a lot of pace-pushing on the treadmill - running for an hour at one pace is excruciatingly boring. So I've been amping up the speed intervals, and doing short high-tempoed runs. IT. IS. AWESOME. I really wanted to get my pace down to about a 10minute mile for the half marathon (I'm running the Lake Placid Half in June, it'll be my first at this distance). I am so surprised at how quickly I've become stronger and faster! It's so COOL!

Now, I can't wait for it to warm up so I can run some HILLS! omg, i'm nuts!!


:)