August 31, 2004
The blahs
I feel like I might be getting a cold or something. I hope not, but I have had a headache for hours and even though I got a decent amount of sleep last night, I fell asleep this afternoon on the couch for a couple of hours. Maybe it's just nerves since I'm starting orientation tomorrow. I hope so!
I did about 45 minutes of swimming and 20 minutes of pool running this morning, and then biked a little and lifted instead of going back to the gym in the afternoon. (Good thing, since I had that unplanned nap in there!) I was bored in the water, even more so than usual, until I got into a good rhythm after awhile. One neat thing was that the MIT cross country women were in the two lanes next to me doing some sort of pool running workout. They were all wearing aqua jogging belts (making it tough for ME to find one) and their coach was yelling out for them to do hard intervals and then recover. It looked like they were having a lot of fun, which made me miss being on a team. I also noticed that there were a few of the girls who looked like they were working hard to get a workout in, but that most of them were talking a lot and weren't getting too into the pool running.
I'm so used to having a lot of free time that it will be hard to get into a new routine where I can't just work out whenever I want. I don't know my class schedule yet, but school is far enough away from the gym so that it will definitely be tough to continue my twice a day workout schedule. I feel like when I'm running more it won't be a problem, but at this point since my mileage is still so low, I like to make up for it by cross training and lifting more. But as I've seen, I'll adapt. It's just the thought of the change that is hard.
Time to go pick out my school clothes! I feel like I did the night before kindergarten.
Posted by becky at 9:18 PM | Comments (2)
August 30, 2004
Wishing the humidity away
Today was another one of those gross late August days where I (literally) had to bring a towel with me in my backpack so I could wipe off my accumulating sweat--and that was just after I had been walking. Gross. And today was also a scheduled running day, so all and all, it was a sweaty one.
On the schedule today was two 15-minute runs with a 2-minute walking interval between them. I actually felt better in terms of endurance than I have in the past couple of weeks--i.e. I didn't look at my watch quite as much to see how much more time I had! But, my knee was bothering me in a tendonitis-y sort of way, just some mild pain around the kneecap. After I ran, I ellipticalled and my knee felt fine during that. I had stopped doing the light leg strengthening stuff in the gym after my PT suggested it, but I'm going to start it up again, because it usually helps me in terms of preventing kneecap pain.
My chiropractor said I felt a little bit looser today and was able to "work on my pelvis." Basically he presses really hard on different spots on my abdomen and back and I extend my legs and arms at weird angles. He said what will really make a difference is releasing my hamstrings, but he can't do that before he takes care of the pelvis and spinal areas. I'm putting my faith in him right now, so I hope that he's right! I know that this will all take time, but I go back and forth between being very frustrated and not-so-frustrated, and I'm going through a VERY patch right now.
Posted by becky at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)
August 29, 2004
Just like Paul Revere
This morning I actually got my butt out of bed somewhat early and had a really nice bike ride. I had run on parts of the Minuteman Bikeway with my friend Claire before a couple of years ago, but I had never biked it or seen the whole thing. Since my exercise options were limited this morning, I decided this was the best one.
I'm not really that impressed by historical stuff (so sue me), but it is kind of neat that this particular rail-to-trail bikeway goes right through the spot where the American Revolution began. For workout purposes, I wish it wasn't so flat, but I wore my heart rate monitor today to ensure that I was keeping up a good pace. It was my sweatiest (outdoor) bike ride ever--mostly because it was so humid--but I felt like I did pretty well in keeping my heart rate up.
I rode the length of the trail and back, plus a little bit more on the far end, and it was a few miles from my apartment to the start of the trail, so it was probably 30 miles or so. Decent for a non-running day. This evening, I went for a quick swim and it was not only crowded in the pool, there was a water polo practice going on and I was convinced I was going to pop out of the water to take a breath and get nailed. Flashback to running laps around baseball practice in high school... thankfully, I made it out of the water unscathed.
Tomorrow I go back to the chiropractor, so maybe he'll actually get to do some adjusting this time.
Posted by becky at 8:08 PM | Comments (0)
August 28, 2004
Sluggish Saturday
Yuck, I thought the humidity was gone for good, or at least trapped in Washington. But today was a hot northeast day just like I'm used to, and I was sort of thankful that I wasn't doing a long run as I normally would on a Saturday! My "run" this morning was 12 minutes, 12 minutes and 10 minutes, with 2 minute walking intervals. I had an awful nightmare about going to the track and not being able to even get around once without stopping, so I didn't have such great expectations going into the run. I got through it, but both my knee and calf were bothering me and it was just plain uncomfortably hot, which I guess I'm no longer used to. I also kept thinking about how the chiropractor said I was an injury waiting to happen. All in all, it was not too pleasant, nor was the ellipticalling that I forced myself to do afterwards. It was just one of those days.
I'm not sure whether the rest of the day was an improvement; I went to pick up Matt's mom at the train station and then we spent the rest of the day hanging pictures and re-arranging the apartment based on her suggestions :) Well, I guess it was more compromising than that. But it still was a long day! We did have a great dinner at a restaurant I had been to once before, The Elephant Walk, a French/Cambodian place which does some really different stuff. It was a great meal, and we didn't even get too lost taking Matt's mom and boyfriend back to the hotel!
I am a little apprehensive about tomorrow's workout, because I'm planning to do a longish bike ride, but I don't really know where to go and I need to be back here by 10. I suppose I could drive to a bike trail, which I might do, but those always tend to be boring. I wanted to swim but the gym's one late opening day is Sunday. Don't those MIT students want to work out before 9am?? Hopefully I'll get it all done in time and not make us late for brunch at my grandparents' house...
Posted by becky at 11:33 PM | Comments (0)
August 27, 2004
Last Friday of Freedom
Since I start orientation on Tuesday, today was my last "free" Friday. It was not a very exciting day, but I was fine with that! Thus, this blog entry will be similarly brief and un-exciting.
I swam this morning and did a little pool-running on top of that. But I can't seem to get a rhythm down doing that--if it's even possible. All I know is I get my heart rate much higher by swimming continuously. The pool-running just gives me something else to do when I get sick of laps. Also, my groin is bothering me now and I'm wondering if my flailing motions when I try to simulate the running motion is doing something bad. Hmm.
I also went to the gym this afternoon, and I was surprised to get a call from Matt saying he was there, too, playing basketball. I tried to entice him to the weight room, but no dice. Someday I'll show him the light of turning skinniness into buffness!
I caught the 10,000 broadcast this afternoon and wasn't surprised to see what happened to Paula. I think it was courageous to try racing so soon after her marathon debacle, but I wonder if she psyched herself out before she even started. She could have run really conservatively for half the race or more and at least finished with a kick, even if it didn't get her a medal. Her hang-with-the-leaders strategy didn't seem like the best approach, but then again, she runs more than an hour faster in the marathon than I do :)
I'm going to post this before midnight so it counts as a post for today!
Posted by becky at 11:39 PM | Comments (3)
August 26, 2004
Another gym morning
Much like Tuesday morning, I spent much of this morning in the gym. I'm now used to the route I take to bike to MIT, but the traffic is horrendous in the morning. If I don't hit every red light, I have to dodge garbage trucks or people running out between parked cars. What that all means is it takes longer than it should to get there.
I didn't feel like swimming today since I just did yesterday afternoon, so I did the elliptical for an hour, basically as hard as I could. I felt like I got a good workout, but I kept thinking I had been on there forever. Time was really dragging, even though I had my iPod and there were several TVs around. Sometimes that happens--another thing I miss about running! It can be boring, but time rarely drags when you're running like it does when you are cross-training. After the elliptical, I did the stationary bike for a very short time as an excuse to read a trashy magazine I found lying around (I'm addicted to US Weekly) and then did 45 minutes or so of lifting and abs.
I'm feeling guilty about only doing one workout today, but I'm tired and also sore from the chiropractor. (Actually less sore than I was worried I would be.) Half of me wants to go for a swim, but there's a lot to do around the house and I would have to take the bus to the gym since I'm meeting Matt downtown for dinner with his cousin. I think I'll listen to my body for once!
Posted by becky at 3:59 PM | Comments (21)
August 25, 2004
An injury waiting to happen
Yup, that's me, according to my chiropractor today. He watched me run back and forth for about 50 meters this afternoon and could barely contain his grimace. Let me just say this: I don't think I've ever had good running form. I remember in high school, when I first started running, one of the coaches would always be yelling at me to pick my head up and keep my shoulders down. But I've never considered that it could lead to injury, which is what Dr. Brady thinks.
After he watched me run (the first 10 minutes of the 20 minute appointment), Dr. Brady told me that my stride on both sides is extremely shortened, due to tight hamstrings. On the left (bad knee) side, I'm not even fully extending my knee and actually restricting the forward motion that I get from the stride with the right leg. In other words (well, his words) my right leg is doing 80% of the work when I run and I'm only propelling myself forward about 3 inches, when in fact it should be much further. Since people have been telling me I limped when I ran for the past few years, this is probably not a new thing but has just been worsened by the knee pain.
He also said my upper body's movement is restricted by my spine being out of alignment and I'm compensating by swinging my arms, causing my lower back and pelvis to be tight. Awesome. But despite all the bad news, Dr. Brady thinks that once he works on me for 8-10 sessions, I will feel like a different runner and my knee pain will likely be taken care of. We shall see.
Back in his office after the running experiment, I got my first chiropractic adjustment. He did both the front and back of the hips, which felt mostly like a lot of pressure. He tried to do my lower back after that but said it was still too tight to be able to adjust it. I'm going back next Monday for more fun and games. By the way, he didn't say not to run. He didn't say TO run, but I've told him what I've been doing and he doesn't seem to have an issue with it.
Anyway, despite my horrid running form, I managed to have a pretty decent run today (this was before I saw Dr. Brady.) I'm trying to follow this schedule passed on to me by jenandmats (thanks!) and I did 10 minutes running, 2 minutes walking, 10 minutes running, 2 minutes walking, 20 minutes running. My knee felt pretty good but my calf was tightening up off and on. I was able to explore the Public Garden and Boston Common as part of my run, and came back along the river, which is crowded but scenic. I also noticed that damn Citgo sign off in the distance. Somehow I never noticed it during the marathon!
Posted by becky at 5:31 PM | Comments (0)
August 24, 2004
Swimming and socializing
My sleep schedule is way off. Since I haven't been working for the past month, there hasn't been as much of a need to get up early--especially since my outside workouts are limited. So naturally, I've been staying up later (the Olympics doesn't help!) and getting up later, too. Today I didn't get out the door until about 9:30, which isn't exactly late but I didn't get home (from the gym) until almost 12:30. I tried to swim hard for about 40 minutes, then did a little pool running (my first try at it ever, in fact) and then a few more laps. After that, I biked a bit on the stationary bike and lifted. That's why it took so long--I would have normally broken up the workouts into two, but I didn't feel like going over there twice today. By the time I got home, I felt like I was running on negative fuel--but l ate a peanut butter sandwich right away and felt better.
This afternoon I took a nice walk to the grocery store and thankfully managed to figure out the kitchen cabinet thing I put together wrong last night. It definitely took longer than it should have, but at least it's done.
I caught up with one of my DC running partners on the phone today and was glad to hear that she is running--even doing low-key races--again. The two of us were injury buddies the last couple of months I was in DC, so it gives me hope for my own recovery. We discussed the chiropractor's idea about mis-alignment, etc., contributing to other injuries and aches and pains, and she agrees since even though her original injury is healed, her piriformis (sp?) is now acting up.
Tonight we have yet another party given by one of Matt's classmates. Apparently business school is all about who can give the best parties. Why am I not surprised? :) Of course, I only go to select social events because it interferes with Olympic-watching and my sleep schedule.
Posted by becky at 5:38 PM | Comments (2)
August 23, 2004
Getting re-aligned
As predicted, I woke up this morning with a backache from kayaking. That's the price I pay for being adventurous! Today was a "running" day for me, so I decided to bike to the gym and do my running from there since it is close to the path that goes along the Charles. I felt pretty stiff from the long bike ride yesterday in the beginning, but better during my other running intervals. No major pain, but my bad knee is still not feeling 100%. And it's not the same pain as I had before, it's just more of a heaviness/stiffness in there.
I tried to take note of the way I felt while running because I knew I had the chiro appointment later in the day. However, this guy was much more interested in the bigger picture of how my body does things than just my knee. I was miffed to find out that his appointment slots are 10 minutes long (really), but he was pretty insightful. In the brief time we spent together, he had me do some squats and lunges and felt around in the back of my knee, which had been the root of the problem. He was concerned about the way I did my squats, noticing how much effort it took me. He thinks I'm all out of alignment (spine, pelvis and hips) and that it causing stress on my knee.
I've always been skeptical of chiropractors and the whole alignment thing, but he does have a point and I'm willing to give it a whirl. I don't think I've ever been fluid with my squatting and lunging motions, but if it can help my running, I'm game. He told me to book a "double appointment" for Wednesday (I guess that means 20 minutes?!) and he will watch me run to get a better idea of what's going on.
In non-running news, I just spent almost an hour and half putting together a kitchen cabinet purchased from Target and realized that I put one of the first pieces in upside down. In case I had any doubts, it's now confirmed that I'm definitely my father's daughter.
Posted by becky at 9:43 PM | Comments (0)
August 22, 2004
A weekend on the lake
I am really glad that so many people posted about watching the Olympic Marathon today, because I wasn't able to watch any of it. We were near Durham, NH, at Matt's aunt and uncle's lake house, which doesn't have a TV. I was really curious, though, and of course turned on the computer as soon as we gt back to Boston. Go Deena--awesome performance in awful conditions. I can't wait to see what she does in NY! Too bad I won't be there as planned (this is the third time I've signed up for NYCM and not been able to do it, but thankfully the only injury-related reason. But there's always next year.)
We knew about this trip to NH months ago, and I had been looking forward to running there since then. I could have run a little today, but I decided to postpone it until tomorrow so I could do a long bike ride and at least get to enjoy the rolling New England terrain. It turned out to be a good decision since Matt's uncle, a former runner, is a pretty serious biker now and he took me on a great ride. I saw several runners along the way and got a few twinges of jealously, but I got a good workout myself. I hope to get back up there in the fall, hopefully to run this time. It's so gorgeous there, especially on a nice day like today. I also tried kayaking for the first time later in the day. Also a great workout for the back and shoulders--I'm dreading the soreness when I wake up tomorrow.
Last night was Matt's cousin's 21st birthday party at the lake house. It was an interesting experience: we were the oldest ones there and definitely felt like chaperones. The "kids" were gawking at the married couple and by 10pm, I was reading my book in a corner while a dance party was raging. Whatever--at least I got a good night's sleep!
I have an appointment with a chiropractor who does Active Release Therapy. I'm hoping that he can continue the work on my hamstrings and back-of-knee muscles that my PT in DC started. And this time, as opposed to in DC, he's covered by insurance. Sweet!
Posted by becky at 10:02 PM | Comments (10)
August 21, 2004
To NH we go
We're off to Durham, NH for the rest of the weekend for a 21st b-day party! I had wanted to run but I am hoping to do a long bike ride instead. More on Sunday!
Posted by becky at 2:43 PM | Comments (0)
August 20, 2004
Not too shabby
I never got around to updating yesterday because we were very busy all day. I had a good swim in the morning and made all the lights coming back except one, a small victory. (There are a ton of lights between MIT and our apartment.) The MIT Masters were swimming at the same time and they looked pretty serious. My goal for swimming yesterday was to try a couple of flip-turns, but I had to share a lane the whole time and the guy was kind of flailing around, so I didn't want to get in his way. Also, I have this fear of hitting my head on the wall. Maybe I'll try next time.
Last night we went to a party of a bunch of other MBA first-years in Matt's class and it was fun to meet a lot of new people. One guy had just moved from Athens and I was grilling him about how the Olympic preparations affected the city. Sounds like he was happy to get away!
This morning I ran about 28 minutes with one minute walking intervals interspersed every 5 or 6 minutes, and did the elliptical for 35 in the middle of the whole thing (ran to the gym and back.) I had some knee twinges, but nothing too bad and I feel almost like my knees have to get used to running again. Thanks to everyone who commented in response to my solicitation for advice, I now have a good idea about how to make a return-to-running-plan.
Off to do some girl stuff with my sister-in-law who is here visiting!
Posted by becky at 2:43 PM | Comments (0)
August 18, 2004
Seeking advice
Before this knee injury, I ran through everything. But now that I've been forced to take time off, I am facing a new situation: returning to running and rebuilding mileage. As I've written about before, I think I increased too much, too fast when coming back initially from this knee thing and set myself back. So now I'm seeking advice on the right way to do it. My PT and a fast but smart running friend of mine both recommended running every other day for awhile (3-4 weeks?) and interspersing running with walking for awhile. I'm interested in methods that worked for other people. Thanks!
Posted by becky at 8:40 PM | Comments (5)
August 17, 2004
The woman with the crazy ab routine
I am a big believer in ab work. For the past 12 years or so, I've done some sort of situp/ab routine at least once a day. I added weights and medicine balls to my routine about 5 years ago. My stomach is pretty strong, but I don't have a six-pack or anything. I just like to do abs, it keeps me feeling strong and I think it helps with my form when I run.
I was in the gym today and happened to notice a woman on the elliptical who did have a six-pack. I later saw her on the stretching mats doing a ridiculously long ab routine (I was doing squats while she did part of it for about 15 minutes, then I showered and got dressed and came out of the locker room and she was STILL going!) She was using two medicine balls at one time--pretty amazing. That got me thinking about how much ab work you really need to do to get really strong, defined abs. I'm sure there must be a point where more isn't better. (Also, I think a lot of is genetic.)
Anyway. Besides the mental energy expended while watching Crazy Ab Woman, I swam this morning and did the elliptical and lifted in the afternoon. I met my rower friend in the morning and was pleasantly surprised that we're about the same swimming speed, except she does flip turns and I don't, so she got ahead that way. But we shared a lane and it was easier for me to stay focused when I had someone to keep up with. She wants to join a Masters swim group and I might think about it, too. We both miss being on a team in college and are looking for replacements! Even though she isn't converted yet to a runner, I'm working on it and will try to convince her to join a running club, too.
Posted by becky at 9:19 PM | Comments (2)
August 16, 2004
Nothing too exciting
Today was a fairly uneventful day. I did "run" to the gym, about 10 minutes each way--and I felt decent, but still a few twinges. I think I'm going to call someone who apparently does ART and takes my insurance (I think.) Hopefully, I just need a little more work on my hamstrings.
I biked and lifted later in the day and had the odd experience of being asked to spot someone (a man.) I told him I didn't feel comfortable, but he insisted and said he can tell that I lift enough to be able to spot him. Ummm.... thankfully he only did 10 reps and then released me of my duties, because there is no way that I would be able to prevent the bar from falling on him. Why don't I just say no in these cases??
We did a lot of walking around near MIT today, which helped me get my bearings. If all goes well, I'm going to officially join the MIT gym there tomorrow morning and meet a new friend (who happens to be an elite rower who just missed qualifying for the Olympics) for a swim. She's getting into triathlon now and I can already tell that she's one of those talented athletes who will be a good runner right off the bat. I hate those people! :)
Posted by becky at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)
August 15, 2004
'Becky, I've never seen your legs looking so thin'....
I'm going in reverse order with my entries, but this one doesn't fit with the previous one, so I decided to make a new one. On Saturday, I went shopping with my mom and very fashion-conscious sister. They wanted to buy me some "cool school clothes" to wear to class when it starts since I have been working for 5 years and have mostly dressy outfits. My sister led me around Bloomingdales picking out jeans for me to try on. I kept protesting that none would fit me because (as has been discussed in a past thread on fast-women.com) I definitely have what I call "runner's quads" that make it hard for me to find comfortable and flattering jeans. She told me not to worry, so we headed into the dressing room (with my mom, too.)
Much to my surprise, I did find two pairs that I liked. Of course, since they fit in the quads, the waists are too big but my mom and sister found me a belt that I hope will do the trick. But when I was trying them on, my mom said to me, "Becky, your legs are smaller now that you've stopped running. I've never seen them looking so thin." First of all, my legs are not "thin." They are muscular, and yes, I've probably lost a little muscle mass over the past couple of months more from not doing leg weights because of my knee injury. But I hated that comment because I'd rather have been RUNNING during that time no matter if I've lost a tiny bit of weight! I contemplated storming out of the dressing room, but the materialistic voice in my head reminded me that we hadn't paid for the jeans yet. :)
On the weight/eating subject, I noticed last night that at our table at the wedding we went to, I was the only woman who actually didn't just push my dessert around on the plate. (Actually, I ate all of mine and some of Matt's.) The other girls, who weren't particularly friendly to me or Matt, barely are their dinners and certainly didn't do more than pick at their desserts. I hate the fact that even though I know I'm active and have every right to eat as much as I want (within reason, of course), I am always the one eating the most. Actually, I eat more than Matt does, too, so it's an experience I have during most meals! Thankfully, I am confident enough in myself to do what I want and (try not to) think too much about it.
Now it's really time for bed. Being on a student schedule allows me way too much bedtime flexibility!
Posted by becky at 11:16 PM | Comments (1)
Back "home"
As predicted, last night was a late one (we didn't get home until close to 2am!) and my body wouldn't wake up earlier than it wanted to. I tried setting my watch alarm since my room at my parents' house doesn't have an alarm clock in it, but I must have slept right through it. I had wanted to bike to our local pool, but it was raining so I headed for the gym for a hard hour on the elliptical. Once again I had no time for lifting, but I hope to get back into my regular routine this week.
My knee is feeling better, but I'm worried to run again. I've gone from being worried to run one less mile than planned on a given day to being worried about doing the extra bit that is going to prevent me from coming back from this injury. I think I might jog over to the gym (I think about a mile and a half) and see how it feels. Logistically, though, it's annoying because I have to bring a water bottle with me on my "run." I am excited for the time I can actually just get my workouts done again without thinking about what to bring with me and how to get from one place to another.
Posted by becky at 11:06 PM | Comments (0)
August 14, 2004
One of those days
Today is one of those days where I'm more frustrated than usual about my injury. I woke up thinking about how long it's been since I've done a long run (June 4 was the last one) and kind of down about it. I had been really encouraged a couple of weeks ago when I was finally running pain-free, albeit slowly, and then this new knee pain started. It does feel better now, at least walking around, but we had to run for a train last night and I was definitely limping. I think (as does my PT) that a lot of these knee problems are due to tight hamstrings, but I can't afford a massage every week (massage is the only thing that really seems to loosen them up.) Has anyone else had chronically tight hamstrings?
I rode my bike this morning and was happy that the pedaling motion didn't bother me. I slept in a bit because we got home pretty late last night from a rehearsal dinner, so I didn't go for as long as I would have liked. But it was a good workout. I find that if you really concentrate, you can get a good workout from biking. Otherwise, your mind wanders and you end up just leisurely pedaling along.
Tonight we have a wedding which will definitely result in another late night. I'd sort of rather watch the Olympics on TV, but I'm sure it will be fun. Both my family and Matt's family are going also, so I'll use the time to catch up with my sister.
I want to do a "longer" workout tomorrow, but I know I'll lose time sleeping late and it's hard for me to do more than an hour on the elliptical (any suggestions?) or in the pool. Maybe I'll combine the two, but that will definitely require some effort. I miss the days of running, when things (at least workout plans) were simple.
Posted by becky at 4:40 PM | Comments (5)
August 12, 2004
Blogging in bed
What a long day. I did get a nice swim in this morning at the MIT pool, having had a much easier time biking there now that I know where it is. I like swimming, but I feel like the time during a worktou passes much more slowly than during a run. Maybe because there isn't any changing scenery to look at. I have the same issue on the elliptical. I feel like I've been on there forever and I look down and see that I have 35 minutes to go....
So back to my long day, none of it involving running, of course. But I am always a runner and running fan at heart, which is why when Matt and I drove to Lexington to go to get new car insurance, I had to tell him, "This is where Natasha Roetter comes from!" He told me I was like a robot with my information output about well-known runners. (He's right.) Too bad my memory for other things isn't as sharp. We trekked to the DMV in the 'burbs to get new licenses and forgot to bring proof of residence so will have to do that fun trip over again.
Tomorrow we are driving back to New York for another wedding. It should be a good time, but all this back-and-forth travel is tiring. I'm hoping that by next week, things will have settled down, maybe my knee will be feeling better and I can actually explore my new city the way I love to--by running through it.
As the title of this entry suggests, I'm going to bed!
Posted by becky at 11:19 PM | Comments (1)
August 11, 2004
Did I just cross the river?
This morning, determined to get a good swim in while my newest knee ache heals (I hope), I set out on my bike to the MIT fitness center, which looked pretty cool from the Web site. Once Matt gets his student ID, I'll be able to join the MIT gym, but for now I have to get a guest pass. Anyway, I was going along fine, following my printed-out directions, but all of a sudden I realized I was on a bridge going over the river. I had obviously left the Cambridge/Kendall Sq. area and was heading to Beacon Hill. That much I knew. But I couldn't figure out how to get back to the other side of the bridge I just crossed (heading the other direction) and somehow got to the bike path along Memorial Drive. I stopped a woman who looked like she had paused in the middle of her run and asked her how to get back over the bridge. She gave me directions that were technically correct, but they were more for runners or walkers because I ended up on the same side of the bridge I had come over and having to walk my bike about a half a mile since the only "two-way" part of the road was the sidewalk, too narrow to bike on.
Once I got back on the right side of the bridge, I realized why I had gone over it in the first place. In the MIT area, there are names for streets that are not the same as the street names on maps. How was I supposed to know that "Galilee Way" (or something like that) is the same as "Fulkerson Street"? After another half hour of biking around, I finally stumbled across the street I was looking for and found the gym.
The good news is, the pool there is awesome. 50-meter lap lanes, clean, bright--nicer than any pool I've been in recently, anyway. But by the time I got into the water, it was 8:47 and I told Matt I would be home around 9 to wait for the cable guy with him. Not having a cell phone right now makes things especially difficult when I run into situations like this. I knew the cable guy would never show up on time, so I swam for 30 minutes, not wanting to get out when time was "up." Of course, here I sit at 11 am and the cable guy still has not shown up. Hopefully I'll have an hour later on to lift or do something else, since I feel cheated out of my real workout for the day!
Posted by becky at 10:47 AM | Comments (1)
August 10, 2004
A new city, but no running here (yet)
Yesterday we moved into our new apartment in Somerville. It was a little hairy because we got the call that the movers were ready to unload our stuff when we were on the road and still about 2 hours away from the Boston area. Surprisingly, when we arrived and found someone to let us in to the apartment, the movers were finished and calmly sitting in our living room waiting for us. Phew.
I ran about 55 minutes before we left for Boston, but my knee was really hurting--that is, the latest knee injury that's cropped up as I have been making my (perhaps too ambitious) comeback from the initial knee injury. I can run through this one, but I know that I probably need to cross train and swim for a few days to see if it is just from increasing mileage too much. So, this morning I biked over to the gym and had some fun on the elliptical. I don't know if it's the cooler climate here or what, but the temperature in the gym seemed way too warm for me, and I was getting stared at because of all my sweating. At least I got a good workout.
I lifted a bit after working out, something that I usually do as a separate afternoon activity on about 3 to 4 days of the week. I like to do a second session of cross training (when I'm running normally) followed by lifting on those days, but lately with the move and everything I can only fit in one workout a day. I'm trying to stay calm about it and realize that moving boxes and cleaning like a madwoman is probably doing me a little bit of good, but it's hard. I hate getting out of my routine--but I have to get settled here and then I'm sure I'm going to get back into a new one.
Posted by becky at 2:16 PM | Comments (3)
August 7, 2004
It would have been a great day for a long run...
...if I was back in long run shape. But since it was so nice and cool out this morning, I decided to drive out to the trails at Rockefeller that I mentioned yesterday. I ran for about 57 minutes but didn't feel so great--my calf kept tightening up (something that had been happening when my back of knee injury was still hurting) and the side of my knee feels almost bruised. At least it didn't feel worse when I finished. The park was beautiful and I'm glad I went--even if some old guy passed me probably going 8 minute pace. Patience, patience.
I've been going to bed way too late lately. Not working right now throws off my schedule! Tonight we had a wedding in Manhattan, so that's a good excuse. The bride lives in Boston also and is apparently "a runner" ( I don't know her all that well) and everyone keeps trying to get us to be running partners. I'll take all the company I can get, but I don't know how serious she is.
OK, time for bed. More tomorrow.
Posted by becky at 11:56 PM | Comments (2)
August 5, 2004
Transitions
My husband, Matt, and I also are literally in transition right now as we have moved out of Washington, D.C. and are waiting for our stuff to be dropped off at our new place in Somerville, MA. Lucky for us, we have both family and a wedding in New York this weekend, so it's a good place to wait for the call from the movers.
But being in my hometown in NY is hard in terms of running right now. Usually I love it, because it's hilly and I am only a 20 minute drive from Rockefeller, the park where Khalid Kannouchi is rumored to train, but because I am just returning to running, it's not the easiest place to be. Yesterday was a non-running day for me (I'm trying out the 2 days on/1 day off schedule to ease back into things) so I worked out hard on the elliptical in the morning for an hour, then biked and swam in the afternoon a bit. My parents just got new bikes and were eager to show me the bike path in my town that they "discovered." (I didn't tell them I was running on that path in high school before it was paved and marked with mile markers.)
This morning I did a 55 minute run with about 6 walking minutes interspersed in there. I'm SO slow right now that it feels awkward running. I tried to run through my injury (back of the knee thing) for awhile, so I got used to favoring my good leg, and even now it is hard to run with a normal stride. I find that it takes me almost 30 minutes to get into a good rhythm these days. Today I felt okay cardio-wise, but the inside of my knee (not previously part of the injury) is bothering me. Not enough to stop running, but I wonder if I am doing too much too soon already. I'm icing as I write this and hopefully that will help. I just want to feel normal again!
As many of my co-bloggers have noted, the weather on the east coast is AWESOME! I wish I was doing long runs right now because it would be a treat without the humidity. I look forward to fall all year--especially during the summers in Washington--so this preview makes me so happy!
Posted by becky at 11:45 PM | Comments (2)
A New Chapter
Experts say that there are several high-stress life events. In the past few months, I've experienced several of them--marriage, quitting my job and moving from a city I've lived in for five years. In the face of all this came the biggest stressor of all: a running injury.
As I begin this blog, I am just getting back into running after seven weeks of cross-training. In 2003, I ran every single day at least once, and my (two or three) days off in 2001 and 2002 were due to the impossibility of running while on an airplane or while otherwise in transit. (Although I have a friend who manages to run while traveling across the world for her job--she knows how to do loops around airports--but that's for another entry.) So, you can see that this setback has been traumatic (more about that later.)
When I'm not injured, I am known for my dedication to my sport much more than my raw talent, of which there is a negligible amount. I did compete in college for a couple of years, but I thought the D1 system was pretty intense, even for someone in the back of the pack. However, I have no regrets because joining the team in college made me a more dedicated runner and introduced me to some of my best friends.
Post-college, I got caught up in the marathoning bug and after a disastrous debut in Pittsburgh, have run several marathons in the 3:30s. The thing is, my training indicates that I can run much faster than that--and my training partners always do. I am not good at racing and invariably freak myself out so that I don't put myself on the line enough and stay too comfortable. So one of my goals (after I recover, of course) is to race (shorter distances) a little more and see if I can make the transition from running well at weekly track workouts to running well in races. I still think that my favorite part of running will be the training, but I'm willing to give it a shot.
Posted by becky at 11:31 PM | Comments (1)