Still Kickin’

Still here, still training for NYC 🙂  

I threw my back out doing something last weekend.  I have no idea what it was, because it came on so gradually.  I’ve done it before, it’s that muscle spasm just over the illiac crest on my right side, and when I moved just the right (wrong) way – usually just bending forward about 20 degrees, it would lock right up and take my breath away!!  I had tried to run through it … which ended up being a colossal mistake.  I did 2 of my planned 12 miles that Sunday, and ever step brought me closer to tears.  It was NOT something I could run through, and it took a full week (and a massage, and a LOT of time on the foam roller and with a racquetball, and a lot of time on a heating pad, and a couple of days with my TENS unit) before it settled down enough that I could run.  

Which brings us to this week, where running seems to be going okay, spin class was fine, and I’m going to re-attempt that 12-miler on Friday.  

After which I will be running on the beach in North Carolina.  I SO need this vacation!  And another massage 🙂

The lesson here, though, is that I need to cross-train, I need to do yoga, I need to use my standing computer “station” (ie., a bookshelf) so I’m not sitting all the time while I work, and I need to be a LOT better with *pre-emptively* using the foam roller.  The back spasm is very clearly an issue brought about by tight glutes and hips.  Yep, I’m a tight-ass!  The racquetball tells me that I have trigger points in many, many places in the butt/hips region, on both sides, and that while my right side is the side with the pain, it’s actually my left side that’s extra tight and causing the issues.  Compensation: not just for middle-aged men 😉  I really wish I could afford regular massage, or regular appointments with an ART practitioner, but alas, I will have to DIY as best I can.  

Well then!

So it was hot as Hades out there today (ok, fine, it was 85 degrees but I’m a hosta, not a sunflower!) and the kid did great and ran 32:21 with some encouragement from my husband, and my Fast Friend Jen and her daughter both got age group awards!  And I, despite walking the water stops and a couple of other times (ugh, fresh blacktop!) somehow managed a PR anyway.  By 35 seconds, over my PR from St. Patrick’s Day.  I have no idea what’s going on here, but I’m going to keep riding the wave as long as far as it’s willing to take me 🙂

Lost My Mind!

I can’t believe I have to can start marathon training in a couple weeks!

I’m going to have to branch out from my regular running haunts, because as much as I love the 5-mile loop around the local Reservoir, it gets old real fast.

I’m also really needing to set some intentions for my training.  I kinda sorta really half-assed my MCM training last year, and I have a feeling the bridges of NYC are not going to be nearly as merciful as the little rollers in Our Nation’s Capital were (excepting, of course, that absurd hill right before the Iwo Jima & Finish Line… that was just cruel).

Hills are not an easy thing to find here along the Coastal Plain!!

So, yes, intentions.  Look for them soon.  Help hold me accountable!

AAARRRGH! (now with less aaarrrgh, but more OMG!!!)

So today is the big drawing for the NYC Marathon non-guaranteed lottery, and so I logged in to “MyNYRR” to see if there was anything on my account (it takes them DAYS to send out the emails, especially the rejection ones!) and lo & behold, it says I’m registered !!!!

However, I checked both my checking & credit card accounts, and no withdrawls.

Hrm.

So I logged back into my “MyNYRR” account and discover that I had updated my debit card information (I got a new card last month) and… what?  WHAT? the month on the card’s expiration date was WRONG.  I’ve fixed it, but I really hope that doesn’t boot me out of the pool – website says round 1 is getting picked and round 2 is having a VALID credit card so I’m

FREAKING OUT

just a little bit right now.  Calls & emails are futile at this point. I’d be happy to run this year, or take my third REJECTION and run guaranteed-entry next year, but if they boot me for a bad credit card and call something other than my 3rd REJECTION i’m going to … I don’t know what I’ll do.  Cry, probably.

Please, please, cross your fingers for me???

EDITED TO ADD:

I’m IN!!!!! 🙂

Getting Faster?

So after a week of “rest” pulling out carpet, and work, and then a weekend of fun, we did a little family run yesterday where I ran 2 minutes faster than my usual time for this particular neighborhood loop.  I don’t know if it was because I took a week off of running, or if I’m finally getting past some mental or physical block, but I seem to be approaching some m/m numbers that I haven’t seen in YEARS.  I’m not going to try too hard to PR in our upcoming 5K on Sunday, because the weather will likely put the kibosh on that (it’s supposed to be in the upper 80’s and my body does not love the heat) but never say never 🙂

 

(yes, I’m going to see it.  no, I don’t care if the plot sucks – I have a thing for Paul Walker. And maybe a little for Vin Diesel.  And FINE, for Michelle Rodriguez. But mostly Paul Walker.  And fast cars.  DON’T JUDGE ME.)

Hello, hamstrings!

Before (the living room behind the silly mug doggy-face)

Post-carpet removal, cleanup & new FLOR carpet squares!

Yes, I’ve been busy lately!  Finally got around to ripping out ALL the carpet upstairs, save BoyChild’s room.  My hammies and glutes are KILLING ME!  No running or biking yet this week, just a triathlon of ripping out carpet, staples & tack strips.  That would be two carpets worth of staples and tack strips, because what we have was put down over the old stuff.  NEVER AGAIN with the wall-to-wall carpet!!  I still have a lot of work to do in the house, but it feels really good to make progress… sitting, however, does not yet feel all that good!

I think this photo speaks for itself…

 

The course was shorter than the advertised 5K, but my guy was so excited and had SO much fun, he’s ready to sign up for another race.  So I’m going to go do that now. This, my friends, is the Good Lyfe. 🙂

Apparently, my Little Dude is also fast.  My Fast Friend Jen was the one to keep up with him (I kept them in my sights, no easy task when everyone is wearing the same powder-covered white t-shirts!) and they basically did sprints, alternating with a little walking through the powder/dye stations, the entire time.   Track star!

 

 

 

Build A Bridge & Get Over It!

So I’m still pretty chuffed about my little PR in the half last weekend 🙂 Went out for a quickie 2-mile run yesterday with the kid, and despite my still sore legs (more on that in a minute), I kept an easy 11 m/m pace.  I think the old body is finally ready for some honest-to-goodness speedwork.  If you see me posting about shin splints in the next two months, remind me that I did this to myself, okay?

So those sore legs – let’s just say it’s not a wise decision to start pulling out carpet (and tack strip, and staples … my god, the staples!!!) on the Tuesday after a half.  Whatever wasn’t sore from the run was now sore from all the bending/kneeling and Wednesday was just stupid. Oops!

But I got back to spin today, and it was SO nice out that when I got home gave myself a little pep talk (Ok, it was more like telling myself to quit being such a candyass) and finally got over my (totally unjustified) fears of clipping/unclipping to take Sunny out for a little ride around the ‘hood.  Turns out, my ankle has no issues with getting in and out of the clips and by the second mile I even remembered how to shift through all the different rings. 😀

Now the big question is, do I want to spend the TIME to train for tris again?  Stay tuned.

P to the R!

 

2008 – 2:28:52

2013 – 2:25:28

I wonder what I could do if I actually trained?? 😉

Getting Ready

So, I’ve got a half-marathon to run on Sunday…. weather should be great, course is totally flat, and as long as I get on the foam roller several times between then and now, it should go well!  Of course, there’s the New Variable – I work all day Saturday standing, walking, sometimes running (lol) on concrete floors.  I schlep 15-gallon kegs (on carts when full, by hand when empty), I race around like a looney with cases of bottles, I move the occasional 50-lb bag of grains… it’s a pretty active job and I’m more often than not pretty wiped at the end of the day.  Coupled with the very, VERY early start time (6:45 for the wheelchair racers, runners start directly after – but we have to be parked at the racetrack by 5:30 and bussed to the start, and the race is ~25 minutes from home without race-day traffic… you see where this is heading…*yawn*) I’m going to have to come home, eat, and go directly to bed on Saturday!!

Today will be a nice easy 3 miles with the kid.  I’m SO EXCITED for his first 5K in a couple weeks!!  I also “signed up” for a 30-day push-up challenge, you’re supposed to do 100 a day but I did 50 yesterday and will work my way up.  No sense in making myself so sore I can’t dress myself in the morning on the second day…

Going to see the local minor league outfit with the Cub Scouts tonight – watching baseball should be much less hectic than trying to *play* baseball with them 🙂

 

Go ‘Claws!