leg day and animal interactions

I love leg days. They are hard, but I just feel they are making me super strong. And they probably are. I used to lift much heavier when I wasn't focused on running. So now I lay off a bit, lighter weight, higher reps. I don't want to be too sore because I need to run!


Do weighlifting days count for cross training? When I do upper body, I will do the elliptical or something after. But legs take forever, and my legs are jelly by the end. I count them as cross training, hope that's ok :)


My back is not as bad today. A little tight ish, but not as much pain. I just foam rolled the crap out of my legs and hip and did some yoga stretches so I'm feeling pretty good.


In other news:


There's been a bit of tension in the house the last two days. My roomie got a dog. Toby. He's a carrin terrier (think: Toto). He's a really sweet boy.








However, Dinah has always been an "only pet." So she's had some adjustments to go through. We've had Tobes for about 5 weeks. Sometimes they do nose kisses! so cute ( I do not have a picture of that, it doesn't last long). But, last week Dinah tried to play with Toby - cat playing looks a lot like cat attacking from the dog's point of view. So that hasn't really worked out.



Well yesterday Dinah was sitting under the coffee table by my feet (I didn't see her) and Toby ran over demanding attention from me. Dinah was not having that - afterall, Toby chases her out of the living room if she comes withing looking distance of his stupid raw hide bones. So, Dinah starts hissing like a psycho and SWATTED at him! hahah. He didn't get hurt. I don't even think she made contact. But she's stopped being scared and started staking out her territory. Like last week when she puffed up and chased him out of the bedroom threshold. He's not allowed in my bedroom, that's very well established DINAH space.





Overall, they are coexisting quite well. The transition is much better than I anticipated. I do heart Toby. But Dinah is my precious sweet! How could you not love this face?

Tossing and Turning

I slept HORRIBLY Sunday night.

This is not uncommon. I've been dealing with sleep issues since I moved to Albany 6.5 years ago. HOLY CRAP! I've been here for 6.5 years?!?! blech. - that attitude may have something to do with why I sleep poorly.

Anyway, I woke up what seemed like every 20 minutes, and tossed and turned like a psycho. My poor cat was huddled up in the furthest corner of the bed in the morning. I also threw myself about in such at tizzy that I've done something to my back. :(

Now, I hurt my back when I was 15, and it's just never been quite right since. I used to go to this awesome doctor in Syracuse that does orthopedic manipulations. It's much more gentle (and in my opinion effective) that chiropractics. You only have to go once a month or two (depending on the severity of your issues) and it helps to train your muscles to hold your skeleton in the proper position instead of just forcing your skeleton around. I haven't been in over a year. So, yes it is likely that simply tossing and turning in bed caused something to go out of whack. And by something I mean my lower right pelvis. I can FEEL it. I can feel it all through my hip and knee, and into my shoulder and neck - I'm just off kilter.

I did some yoga stretches last night and this morning and they helped. I could feel things shifting back toward a more normal position. I did run today. I did some intervals. But i stopped earlier than planned (1. because I forgot to eat before I ran, and 2. because it just didn't feel right). I'm hoping more yoga stretching, some heat, and gentle exercises the doc suggested will help ease it back into alignment - especially since it takes like two months to get an appointment, and Syracuse is a 2 hour drive. I make it though, this doc is so worth it.

Tomorrow I'm making up for Monday's missed leg workout. Wish me luck!

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!

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! :)

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.

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 :)

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!