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November 30, 2004
Working on my turnover
I am pleased to report that I had a much better workout tonight than last week--I think it was partly because it was an easier workout, but mostly because I have had a lot more sleep recently than I did when I had those tests to study for last week.
For a record THIRD week in a row, I got lost warming up. I look at the map before I get out of the car each week, but there is a funny little turn you have to make to pick up the main street that the track is on, and it's hard in the dark! Luckily, there are usually several people walking their dogs and I can pester them for directions :)
Our workout was shorter, speed stuff: an 800, a bunch of 400s and 200s. I could tell in the 800 (we ran about 3:11) that I was feeling better than last week because it felt relaxed and in control--and even the faster stuff that followed, when we were running the same pace as last week, felt more in control.
I ran with the same two women as last week, and we took turns leading. During one of my 200s, I was feeling great, and all of a sudden a woman from another club stopped ahead of me in the first lane, dead in her tracks. I yelled "Track!" and moved to her left, while another guy from our club moved to her right. Just as I was about to pass her, she decided to run off to the inside of the track--on her left. I couldn't help it--I crashed into her but luckily neither one of us fell or anything. I even managed to finish that 200 in 43 seconds! But the other group's coach needs to teach them about getting out of lane one when they are finished running.
My knee felt better on my morning run today but running around those tight turns just isn't great for the IT band. I used the foam roller when I got home so we'll see what happens.
It is almost my bedtime, so I better finish my dinner!
Posted by becky at 9:18 PM | Comments (1)
November 29, 2004
Back to the grind
Boy, was it hard to get out of bed (and out the door) in the dark this morning. I actually went to bed at a reasonable hour, but Matt came to bed much later so I kept waking up and noticing that it was getting later and later and that he was still working (and that the light was on!) I don't know why he saved his work all for Sunday, but...whatever. Good thing I can fall back to sleep pretty easily.
I ran about an hour, my usual Fresh Pond loop, this morning. I wore my headlamp but it didn't help me all that much, it was so dark! My knee was kind of twinge-y again. Not hurting really, but just tight. Maybe I did the elliptical too hard last night? I think it's probably just more hard running in the last week finally catching up to me. I hope I am able to have a better workout at track tomorrow than I did last week. Maybe it'll be longer stuff, which I like better (I don't know what it is yet.)
I was shocked to get one of my tests back from last week and find out that I did well--actually the best grade in the (very small) class! I definitely am good at BS-ing my way through questions that I don't know the answers to all that well...no, I did study a lot but I didn't go overboard, so I felt somewhat vindicated. I only wish that work ethic could apply to running....
Posted by becky at 2:44 PM | Comments (5)
November 28, 2004
Enjoying the calm before the storm
Today was a nice, quiet, rainy day. Although I still have four weeks of school left before a short break and then a winter class, things are definitely going to start getting crazy soon. So I decided to enjoy this final day of rest and not do a whole lot.
It wasn't raining yet this morning when I went running, but it was really windy. My hair was frizzed out everywhere and totally bugging me, especially when I got down near the river and it was even windier. I ran about 45 minutes and my knee felt better than it has the past couple of days, but I still felt kind of blah and tired. I took a nap in the afternoon and then ellipticalled and lifted and felt somewhat more energetic than I had in the morning (even though I did get a good amount of sleep.) All I know is that Matt is still coughing and sneezing a bit from this cold he's had for about a week, and I'd rather not get it. I do realize that there's nothing I can do about it though except take good care of myself!
It's almost time for our favorite HBO show, so I'm going to finish up a couple of things and plop myself in front of the TV. Have a good week, everyone!
Posted by becky at 8:34 PM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2004
Rockefeller run
Today was one of those runs that was just sort of blah. Even though I went to Rockefeller, my favorite place to run, the time was dragging and I could only manage about 90 minutes. I started out with a really big hill, and I'm still getting back into hill shape so it wasn't too enjoyable. Perhaps a downhill start would have set the tone for a better run! My knee was also a little sore today. You have to have bad days with the good, I know...
Most of my day's excitement was derived from following the Foot Locker regional qualifying races online. I cannot believe that Saratoga qualified 4 girls--almost an entire scoring team--in the NE. Amazing. And all 8 NE qualifiers were from New York! Has that ever happened before? I wonder. Looks like there was some fast running in the South and Midwest regionals as well; I hope to read some race reports later tonight.
We hung out with Matt's dad and grandparents today and then drove back to Boston tonight. I think it was a good decision because it's supposed to be raining in NY tomorrow and the traffic will be awful anyway, as it always is the Sunday after Thanksgiving. And we both have some work to do that we have been putting off for a few days...
OK, off to unpack!
Posted by becky at 9:39 PM | Comments (0)
November 26, 2004
Tired legs and hot dogs
I had an invitation to go shopping this morning with Matt's mom and sister, but part of the deal was that we had to be out of the house by 8:30 am and when the alarm went off at 6:45 (so I could run before we left), I decided to prioritize sleep over shopping. Shocking, I know--but I think I made the right decision. I slept for another two hours and decided to just do a short run because my legs were tired and sore from the "race" yesterday. (Oh, and the winner of yesterday's run, who ran 42 minutes, is an elite duathloner who has competed at the world level and run much faster. So I don't think it was a good indication of ability.)
The weather was a lot to my liking today--sunny and in the 40s. The running around Matt's mom's house is a little boring, but I have a decent 45-minute loop which I haven't done in a while. My IT band was a bit tight for the first few miles, which isn't surprising. I need to make sure and use the foam roller again tonight.
I did end up lifting yesterday afternoon before we went to our Thanksgiving dinner, and since my legs were tired I decided not to do any other cross-training today. Instead, I did a little work, took a nap and Matt and I went to get a late lunch at Walter's, a roadside hot dog stand that is an institution in the town he grew up in. Neither Matt nor I are big hot dog eaters, but Walter's is awesome--a real throwback, too. You have to wait in line for quite some time, usually, but it's worth it. It was a nice treat. After that, we went to my parents' house for dinner and to hang out with them.
Since I'm staying here tonight, I hope to get in a long run at my favorite park tomorrow. I never quite know how long my runs there will turn out, but they are always beautiful and it's been a long time since I've run on trails. I just hope I can make it up all the hills there!
Posted by becky at 10:26 PM | Comments (0)
November 25, 2004
Wow, I'm slow
Happy Thanksgiving! I did end up sneaking out to the Greenwich race this morning and I'm glad I did, but it was quite humbling. There were only about 60 people in the whole race! It was very rolling and I felt great the first two miles, doing 7:15s and feeling relaxed. The plan was to pick it up after 4 miles or so and while I felt strong the whole time, I never could get much more turnover and ran about 45 minutes for 6 miles (I think I was the third woman; there wasn't much competition.) I was thinking I wouldn't have that much of a problem doing about 42 minutes as a "tempo" run. Oy. I guess it just shows that I am still tired from the quarters and that the speedwork I'm doing can only help.
It was a cute race, though--no t-shirts or anything, but it benefitted the Greenwich HS track and XC programs. There was no traffic stoppage or anything, though, so there was one hairy highway crossing. Gotta love these local races. Oh, and I ran the first 3 miles with a woman who runs for Warren Street in NYC and is just coming back from an injury herself--she was encouraging that my speed will come back.
With my warmup and cooldown, I probably got close to 10 miles and then I sped back to Westchester. (Not literally of course--too many cops out on Thanksgiving!) I'd like to lift today (there is a small gym in the house where we are staying) but I don't know if it'll happen. Anyway, the other female members of the household are making popovers now, so I better go see if I can help....
Posted by becky at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2004
Off to New York
I better make this quick because I need to pack for our trip to New York (we are leaving after rush hour in the hopes that we'll miss some of the traffic.) We'll be at Matt's mom's house tonight and tomorrow night and Friday night I'll go to hang out with my family. I hope I can sneak over to the computer and blog at some point!
This morning it was super-hard to get up, after running hard late last night and having to get out the door at 5:40. Surprisingly I didn't feel that bad for about a half hour, and then the rest of the time (about 15 more minutes) I felt like I was crawling. I also swam a little at lunchtime and I was dragging even in the pool. Yuck. I felt weak afterwards but eating a sandwich did the trick!
I did some beautification things this afternoon that I've been putting off for awhile, and then went to find a gift for Matt's mom's birthday. He gave me a tip on an author she likes so I hope she doesn't have the book I picked out!
Tomorrow morning there is a slight chance I will do a turkey trot in Greenwich (CT), the closest race I could find. It's a teeny 6-mile one (weird race distance) and I would do it as a tempo run. But it depends on how late we get to NY tonight and if I can escape from the watchful eye of my running-disapproving) mother-in-law. Maybe no one will notice I'm gone longer than usual...
Happy and safe travels to all and good luck Turkey Trotting!
Posted by becky at 4:08 PM | Comments (1)
November 23, 2004
Never as much fun the second time around
I just didn't have a great feeling this morning about tonight's workout. I ran about 3 miles just to wake up--I needed it before my test, especially--and my knee was feeling a little achy. (It was probably because I basically bolted out of bed and out the door without much stretching.) I also didn't eat that well all day; I've been jittery and not so hungry. I'm sure that will change now that I am less stressed. For me not to be hungry is NOT COOL! I love food.
I got lost again warming up so I ended up sprinting the last half mile to make sure I got there in time (sure enough, I was actually early. Then we sat around for awhile stretching and getting a lecture (for the second week in a row) on track etiquette. By the time we started running, I was actually cold and definitely not warmed up anymore.
Our coach made these pace charts for us based on last week's time trial, but I think mine is off--too slow. The woman I was running with last week was given a faster pace so I decided to just stick with her. We did 8x400 with a 200 jog, which on paper sounded easy, given that our staple workout at my DC club was 16-20 400s with only a 100 recovery jog. We did mostly 88s and 90s and I thought I was going to die. It wasn't my legs really, but my lungs were screaming and I hadn't done any running at that speed in so long that my form was awful. I stuck with L, the woman I knew from DCRRC, and another girl, but I did not feel like my usual self. Ugh. I want to get faster but also feel better while running fast--does that make sense?
Anyway, my tests are over (for now) and I just have one class tomorrow. Too bad it's an early one. So a quick dinner for me and off to bed!
Posted by becky at 8:51 PM | Comments (1)
November 22, 2004
One down...
I'm glad that tomorrow I will be able to really check out the NCAA XC results in depth, but from a preliminary glance, the only thing that I expected on the women's side was Kim Smith's win! I love a meet with upsets. I am wondering if Caroline Bierbaum's 3rd place finish is the highest ever for an Ivy Leaguer--I'll have to check on that. I have a feeling there was a second place sometime, though.
Anyway, I am taking a quick dinner break and then one more study session before tomorrow's test. I had a good run this morning but am bummed that it is so dark again in the mornings! I don't want to give up running on the soft surface at Fresh Pond, but it might be getting too sketchy. It sure was warm for the end of November. It's no secret how I feel about that! I also ellipticalled a bit and lifted to take a break after my test this morning.
I purposely haven't looked at the prescribed workout for tomorrow because I'm trying not to think about it until my test is over. I haven't been eating or sleeping all that well the past few days but I'm hoping that the same woman from last time is there so I can have someone to pace with. We shall see--but it'll be nice to come home and not have (too much) work to do.
Posted by becky at 7:31 PM | Comments (3)
November 21, 2004
Stressed out!
I think I have test anxiety--but only sometimes. Perhaps it's because I have tests tomorrow and Tues. in my hardest subjects, but I feel very stressed. I got a lot done yesterday, but today I felt tired and kind of like I wasn't absorbing anything. Oh well--it will all be over soon.
The fun parts to my day were a quick run in the morning, where my knee was feeling pretty good, having Barb and her boyfriend over for brunch, and a speed elliptical/lifting session tonight. Now I'm back and I hope to use the hours before bed wisely! I already know that tomorrow I am going to be distracted from studying because of the NCAA D1 XC Championships. I miss being able to sit at my desk at work and try to be the first one to post results when I find them! I don't think there will be any major upsets, but I always love to see what happens.
I noticed that two of the local top DC runners ran awesome at the Philly Marathon today--I was very impressed. Both train really hard with full-time jobs and are very talented (obviously.) I also saw that one girl I did a long run with once (long story) ran 3:10 and I thought she was more of a 3:25 runner--awesome!! Gives me hope :)
I haven't even had time to catch up on blogs much this weekend, but as soon as these tests are over I'll be back on the wagon. Have a great week everyone!
Posted by becky at 6:49 PM | Comments (3)
November 20, 2004
Boston to Brookline with Barb
I ended up staying up later than I had anticipated working on an assignment with a friend of mine last night, and I thought I would have more trouble getting up than I actually did. I think it was easier because I was excited about meeting Barb!
I parked near MIT and ran over the Longfellow Bridge to Barb's hotel near the Common. It was packed with guests because today was the Harvard-Yale game, which is apparently the event for alumni who want to catch up with their classmates. (I feel no loyalties yet and it would take a lot to sway me from my real alma mater.) I recognized Barb right away even though I had never met her and we had a quick laugh about the fact that I was wearing shorts and she was wearing pants. It was actually a beautiful morning and I decided to take us on a random run through the Fens and Brookline. I wanted to try and make it to Jamaica Pond again, but I haven't quite figured it out on foot.
We ran for a little more than an hour, I think (so I ended up with about 1:35 total running time) and had a lot of fun talking and figuring out things in common. I was really glad to have the chance to run with her and hopefully she'll be up here again on her continuing tour of the East Coast. :)
When Barb and I parted ways, I started running again and about 5 minutes later, a couple came darting out off the sidewalk between two parked cars and I could not help but smash into them. Obviously, none of us saw each other and it's not like I was going that fast, but the woman was yelling profanities at me. Nice.
I thought I might end up running closer to 2 hours today (which is what I like my average long run to be) but I think it's good that I'm building back up on the slower side. Plus, I spent the rest of the day studying and plan to continue tonight, so I didn't have much time to spare. My legs are actually pretty sore, and I'm not sure why since I didn't run that long and it was a comfortable pace. Hmm. I really need to take a cross-training day soon but it may have to wait until after Thanksgiving because I am so swamped! Priorities, priorities :)
Posted by becky at 5:57 PM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2004
It's Spring
I know this will come as a shock to most of my faithful readers, but I was a little hot during my brief run today as the temperatures were already near 60. Yes, this will be weather I will look fondly back on in August, but today I was hot in shorts and a sports bra.
I only ran about 5 miles today (and not on the trails as that plan didn't work out) and feel slightly guilty about it, but I've taken a lot of time this week to cross train/lift/swim in addition to running, and today I promised myself I would study as much of the day as possible. I've also gotten a lot of stuff done around the apartment, so at least I am being productive. Anyway, I felt pretty decent on the run, except for being hot, and actually my IT band felt like it was loosening up as I got further into the run.
That's really it, nothing else too exciting to report! Back to the books.
Posted by becky at 1:59 PM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2004
A long day
I am glad that today is (almost) over, since it was a long day for me, but I am not even looking forward to the weekend that much since I have so much studying to do. At least I am going to get to meet and for a run with Barb since she'll be visiting Boston!
That gives me something to be excited about. :)
This morning, it was Becky-hot. I didn't even need my long-sleeve shirt after a few minutes, and I had to stay outside my apartment building for a few extra minutes to cool off before going upstairs. It's just weird that the weather is so different from week to week in late November...Oh yeah, the run. Not so hot--my legs were really tired and actually a little sore. I just wasn't enjoying it all that much. When I stopped to take my shirt off and tie it around my waist, right near the main Harvard campus, a girl going at a pretty good pace (but wearing TIGHTS!!) went by me. We were running on opposite sides of the street for awhile and I was going to cross over and say something (since it was before 6am and how many people do you see?) but then she must have turned off. Then, I was running around the perimeter of Fresh Pond and I saw her again a little behind me. I'm not sure where she went from there, but my shoe came untied and I bent over to tie it and she went by AGAIN!! I caught up to her, was about to say something, and then she abruptly crossed the street and went into a building. Oh, well--I'm sure I'll "run" into her again if she's an early morning regular.
I should probably take a cross-training day tomorrow but it always takes longer and I need to hit the books. I'm thinking of going for an easy run in the Fells, a small trail network near my grandparents' house, and then stopping by to say hi. Actually--I should go call them and warn them I will be stopping by all sweaty! Have a good night everyone!
Posted by becky at 7:55 PM | Comments (2)
November 17, 2004
Busy, busy
As I predicted, it was not easy to get up this morning and out the door by 5:40. It also seems darker in the mornings this week. Is that something that's supposed to be happening? I purposely tried to run really easy today and that was definitely not a problem, especially toward the end of the run when I felt like I was crawling. My legs weren't sore really (it takes a lot for me to get sore) but my IT band was still a bit tight--better than last night, but tight. I was relieved that my track hack from the indoor track only lasted a couple of hours, too. We'll see what happens with a real workout, though. Anyway--I only did about 6 miles this morning and then swam for about 35 minutes during lunchtime. After that I was really ready for a nap, but I had to go back to school for another class.
I felt like it was humid this morning, too, which I hate. I was sweating a lot (even for me) but clammy at the same time. That's the Northeast for you! And the next few days we're supposed to have warmer temps, near 60. (Actually, that makes the mornings almost perfect for running, so I shouldn't complain!)
Nothing else too exciting to report. I'm eating unhealthily tonight because I don't feel like cooking when I get home late! Other than that, I'll be doing a little bit of studying and then going to bed as I have a packed day tomorrow, and four hours straight is going to be spent in biostatistics!
Posted by becky at 8:05 PM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2004
Room for improvement
Thanks to everyone who wished me luck in my workout today! It's a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but we runners know how important these "first time since..." runs can be. All of your support really made me less apprehensive today! (and I got to hear it from Audrey in person this morning, too!)
So I almost didn't make it into the track on time because I went for my warm up jog at 6:35 and got a little lost in the dark. Luckily, a woman was walking her dog and she pointed me in the right direction and I had enough time to grab my bag from my car and head up to the track. (We are using Tufts' track, which is no Armory or anything, but it's very nice!) I was surprised that there weren't all that many people there--especially women--since this was the first indoor workout of the season. The coach, Steve, told us that we should divide ourselves into two groups for the time trial, depending on if we ran less than 20 minutes or more than 20 minutes for the 5K. Now, 5Ks are definitely not my favorite race distance, but I could probably run 20 minutes or so when in good shape. So, I wasn't sure which group to put myself in, and Steve suggested the faster one, even if I was hanging off the back.
I was skeptical because I haven't done speedwork since June and am running significantly fewer miles per week than I was before I got injured. But when I saw one other woman lining up to run with the faster group, I decided to go for it. And right before we started, I realized I knew the other woman from about 4 years ago when she lived in DC and ran in our club! It was weird.
I have a bad habit of just pacing myself with someone else for fear of going out too fast, but in this case I thought it was a good idea, just to give myself someone to stick with. So I ran next to her even though it felt like we were jogging, at first. We went through the mile at 6:45 or so and it definitely didn't feel too bad, kind of tempo-ish. My knee, however, was giving me some trouble due to the tight turns around the track, but I tried to relax and not tighten up. I continued to stay with her until the last lap, when I picked it up for the last 150 or so. I ended up with 12:28 or so, which is SO SLOW COMPARED TO THE OTHER BLOGGERS, I know, but it's a starting point. I was relieved because without any speedwork at all, I honestly did not know if I'd run under 14 minutes.
In retrospect, it was probably good to do a time trial when I'm not in my best shape. Whether it was more of a tempo effort or what I'm not sure (that is something I've always had trouble with--pacing in workouts) but that's okay. I really should be able to improve on the times that the coach calculates for me based on the time trial, so I hope that happens.
My knee/IT band was still pretty tight even after cooling down, so I'm learning that it is sensitive to things like tight turns and icy roads. I foam rolled it as soon as I walked in the door and that may help. Tomorrow's (early morning) run is going to be a challenge--from getting out of bed to getting through the run. Speaking of that, I better finish my dinner and get to bed!
Posted by becky at 8:51 PM | Comments (8)
November 15, 2004
Good run; nervous for speedwork
Even I will say that the weather was perfect for running this morning (in my world at least): 40s, no wind and not much sun yet! I was a little warm in my long sleeves at first but once I was sweating, I was fine. There was still a little ice/snow on the sidewalks, so I ran on the roads as much as possible. When I got to Fresh Pond, I decided to go all the way around instead of out and back as I have been on this loop. It was a really pretty morning and my knee felt better, although not as excellent as last week, so I enjoyed the run. I ran for 56 minutes and was going at a decent clip around the Pond to make sure the guys behind me didn't pass me (they didn't.) I was jealous of their early morning conversation, though--I miss my morning running partners!
After my early class, I went to the gym to elliptical and lift. I have been swimming on Mondays and lifting Wednesdays and lifting three other times, one usually Tuesday, but now that I will be getting back into a track routine on Tuesday evenings I am switching things around. It was nice to be in the gym at that time because it was mostly empty. And best of all, someone left an US Weekly there, so I could catch up on all my gossip. (Why is that magazine obsessed with the Simpson girls?) After the gym, I went back to school to do some work before my 3:30 class.
I just got an email from the Somerville RR track "coach" telling us that the workout tomorrow would be a 3K time trial. First of all, I haven't run that far on an indoor track since college (1998 probably.) Secondly, I am probably more out of shape (especially speed shape) right now than I've ever been. Thirdly, this is a new group and I have no idea who I can pace myself with and I don't want to seem slow(er) than I am when I'm in shape. However, I guess there's nothing I can do, except my best, and then I can work on getting myself back into shape from there. Also, in a strange coincidence, one of the first workouts I did with DCRRC was like a time trial--it was a "Winter Track Festival" where everyone did both the mile and the 3K. I guess if I survived that, I can survive this. There sure is going to be a lot of lapping going on...and track hack, which is the only thing I never liked about indoor season.
The other thing about track workouts is that I get super nervous about them. It doesn't matter what it is, it's just the apprehension about running hard. I had gotten a lot better about handling my nervousness during the workday over the past five years, but now that it's been awhile, I feel like it's going to be on my mind all day. I hate waiting all day to run when I can get it out of the way in the morning, but the benefit of working out with people is worth the wait. I'll probably do a short run tomorrow morning just to wake up and clear my head.
So we'll see what happens!
Posted by becky at 7:08 PM | Comments (7)
November 14, 2004
Weather confusion
I just don't get it. Last night, Matt came home around 2am complaining about how freezing it was outside. So this morning, I checked the weather (27 degrees), stuck my head out the window and put on tights, gloves--the works. When I got outside, it was so sunny that I wasn't even cold at first! I was really regretting my decision to wear tights, especially when I saw two guys wearing shorts.
However, once I took my gloves off and got down near the river, the wind was blowing and I was cold again. Vindication!
As I suspected, my knee was still pretty sore today from running in the snow yesterday. I was bummed that it was bothering me since it had been feeling so good for the past 5 days or so, plus I'm scheduled to try that indoor workout on Tuesday night. I ran about 45 minutes and foam rolled a lot, then did the elliptical and lifted this afternoon. Right now it feels okay but this seems to be the kind of thing that only bothers me when I'm running (how convenient:).
The rest of my day was uneventful; we watched the Jets lose to Baltimore (on TV) after starting out really strong and then just did schoolwork. This next week and a half sucks for me in terms of schoolwork and tests. I'm in denial that I have two exams next week--I better get cracking. Tomorrow.
Posted by becky at 7:26 PM | Comments (2)
November 13, 2004
Cold toes
As predicted, there were several inches of snow on the ground when I woke up this morning. I was excited for my first snowy run of the season...until I actually started running in it. I'm not sure if it was because today was a weekend, but I just wasn't that impressed with the plowing on the streets I chose to run on. Also, the snow was really wet, so I kept stepping in huge puddles to avoid the cars. Of course, I'd rather be uncomfortably wet than hit by a car, but it still wasn't so great.
Ever since I got frostbite last winter on my big toe, the same toe aches when it isn't even that cold or wet--so today was painful. I think I will have to invest in some warmer socks, even though as a rule I hate to wear anything that promises "extra warmth." This will have to be an exception.
I intentionally ran a randomly chosen route today, because I wanted to explore a little and I'm tired of the places I've been running lately. I went over one of the bridges and explored Allston a little, then found my way back to Cambridge. I ran less than an hour and a half but it felt like much longer because I was so wet and had to keep altering my stride for the snowy parts. I'm kind of glad I don't have time to go lift or swim today, because I'm tired.
My knee/IT band got tight on me after about 50 minutes. It was more of a soreness than the pain that I had been experiencing recently, so I'm going to attribute that to the cold and the unevenness (is that a word?) of the terrain because of the snow drifts in many places. I iced it while cleaning the bathroom when I got home (way to multitask, huh?) and will keep an eye on it.
I took a big break from the paper I'm supposed to be writing to have a late lunch with friends who were in town, so I should get back to work.
Posted by becky at 5:05 PM | Comments (2)
November 12, 2004
Fake day off
I woke up several times in the middle of the night noticing that my throat was sore, and I really was not in the mood to run a whole lot when I finally did get out of bed. So I did an easy five or a little more and called it a day. The weather wasn't too bad when I was out there, but since then it's been sleeting and snowing, and we're even supposed to get a little accumulation. Whoo-hoo! I guess this is what I've been waiting for--a real winter.
I would have liked to have a relaxing day today since I wasn't feeling so great, but I had to go do a project. We are assessing health centers and adult literacy centers for my Health Literacy class, so I went to do my fieldwork. I had a feeling that visiting these places on a Friday wasn't the best choice, but it was the day that worked best in my schedule, so I'll have to make do. It was a little hard explaining why exactly I was there and what I was doing, but I did learn a lot and will hopefully have enough information to write the paper that's due next week on it!
I'll be keeping my eye on the NCAA Regionals results this weekend. Too bad one of them isn't at Franklin Park, but we are meeting friends from DC for lunch tomorrow, so I probably wouldn't have been able to go anyway. It's easier to follow them online, and I'm especially looking forward to Beth's eyewitness account. The weather today would have been perfect championship XC weather!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Posted by becky at 4:50 PM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2004
Good company
As Audrey can attest to, I did not eat well last night and paid for it during my run this morning (although I hid it well in front of Mike, the guy from my old club I planned to meet today.) We had a surprise birthday party for one of the girls in our class, and I didn't have time to eat a "proper" dinner before heading over there. I did eat a couple of small pieces of chicken, but the rest of the night it was just a bunch of junk. (Yummy junk, at least!) Plus, I feel like I expended lots of mental energy trying to figure out how to get home after getting lost dropping someone off after the party. Let's just say I took a spin around the airport and that was nowhere near where I needed to be...Anyway, I woke up starving this morning and ate a little bit before I left for the run, but I had a bad feeling.
Mike lives near MIT, where he is a grad student, so I ran down there (a little less than 2 miles) and then we did a loop around the river which was probably about 5 miles, and then I ran home. I felt okay while we were together and talking, but once I dropped him off I was feeling very low blood sugar. I hate that feeling--I stopped a few times to remind myself that I was almost home, but it wasn't fun. I felt a lot better after just drinking some Gatorade when I walked in. I should have thought to bring some with me.
Today I did a little shopping and then went to the gym, where I biked and lifted. I met a few people from the MIT Cycling Team, who seemed nice (the gym was very crowded so it was hard NOT to talk to people.) One of the girls I met ran at Harvard and is originally from Ithaca--now she does triathlons.
On a more somber note, my grandfather went to see a cardiologist today and it turned out the other doctor misdiagnosed his problem and he actually needs a surgical procedure. I think it is fairly routine, but now everyone is nervous again. He is having it next month because they need to wait for the anticoagulant drug he was put on to leave his system. Why they didn't figure this out in the first place, I have no idea.
I think Matt is going out tonight, but considering that my new obsession The Apprentice is on, I think I'll stay in!
Posted by becky at 7:56 PM | Comments (1)
November 10, 2004
Middle/end of the week
Wow, I didn't realize until last weekend that tomorrow is a school holiday. I knew Veteran's Day was coming up, but was surprised that it was this soon. I had wanted to go to Washington for the weekend (since I have Friday as well), but it turns out I have to go do a project for school on a weekday and Friday works well for me. Too bad. So today is kind of like another Friday, which is nice!
This morning I did put on my running tights. Light ones, but I'm glad I made that decision--it was cold out there. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 60s, though, so I'm sure the shorts will be back. Anyway, I really cut it close with getting out of bed and had 40 minutes to squeeze in a (42-minute, actually) run. Shorter than I wanted, but I swam pretty hard only a few hours after that, so hopefully that made up for it. My IT band was a bit stiff today, which I think was due to two factors: forgetting to use the foam roller last night even though I kept walking over to it intending to use it, and wearing my Brooks shoes (the ones I had been running in) to elliptical yesterday. I don't have another pair right now, so I don't have a choice. Still, though, all was pretty decent with the knee.
Tomorrow I'm supposed to meet someone from my old club to run. I didn't know him in DC, but he goes to MIT and recognized me at the gym. I have no idea what the pace will be, but I am excited to have company.
I suppose I should get ready for class now...the fun never ends!
Posted by becky at 2:27 PM | Comments (0)
November 9, 2004
Wishing I had worn pants
OK, even I can admit that here on the East Coast, there comes a day when it's time to pull out the 'ole running tights. I think today was the day, but I didn't realize it had gotten so much colder overnight, so I of course put on my shorts. Luckily I had an inkling that I needed something a little extra today and wore my earband. I figured I would take it off right away, but amazingly it stayed on the whole time. My knee again felt pretty good as I ran a little less than an hour, wanting to do more but running out of time. It stiffened up right as I was almost back home, but I was happy.
It was very windy again, which must have been the cause of my chapped legs that are burning right now. One of the other side-effects that I forget about being a major sweater is that my sweaty legs get wind-burned all winter, even through my tights. I must remember to apply some lotion or something, or I will be a scaly monster by the end of the winter. Ouch.
This afternoon I ellipticalled and lifted, which was uneventful. The gym has been getting super-crowded in the afternoons, maybe because people are too cold to do their usual sports outside? Anyway, I was miffed when someone crammed their stuff into the cubby I was using for my stuff. Damn students.
Next week starts indoor track workouts for the club I just joined, and while I'm excited to get some speed back into my routine, I'm really nervous. This is the first break I've had from doing speedwork since the summer after college (I graduated in 1999 and started track again the first Wed. in January 2000.) I know I am still out of shape and won't feel like my old self for a while, but I guess I shouldn't worry about being "slow" (especially in a new group) and concentrate on just improving each week! Anyway, I have a week more to worry :)
Back to making dinner...
Posted by becky at 6:38 PM | Comments (2)
November 8, 2004
Passing on an article
My friend sent me the link to this great article in yesterday's New York Times (you have to register to read it) about my #1 favorite supermarket, Wegmans, as compared to my #1 splurge store, Whole Foods. Sadly, we don't have a Wegmans in this area yet but I know it will happen someday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/07/style/tmagazine/LSAMURAI.html
(And I know that this has nothing to do with running, but since it is about food, which I love as well, it is relevant!)
Posted by becky at 7:58 PM | Comments (4)
Monday, again?
I went to sleep early (for me) last night--before 11!--and still felt like I was about to fall asleep in class this afternoon. Luckily, I was awake for the morning one where I am one-tenth of the class! I will try to keep up the good behavior tonight.
So my run this morning...was excellent and (I hate saying this, because I'm going to jinx it)...my knee was so well-behaved! Could it be that the old brand of shoes I was wearing for the last eight months (different pairs, same shoe) were the wrong ones? I'm not going to get all excited about it (yet) but I was relieved to feel better than usual. I will keep that foam rolling going, and I tried to make an appointment with a PT today but I need a prescription, so that is another hurdle. I guess I could see an orthopedist or something, but I don't want to go through the whole rigamarole with X-rays, diagnosis, etc. I didn't need a referral to my old PT in Washington, so I was kind of surprised. I will call another doctor I've heard of tomorrow.
I headed back to MIT after my early class as I've been doing on M and W and swam with a little pool-running to break it up. For some reason, I feel more out of breath now when I swim than I did in the summer when I first started. I might be forgetting to breathe out when I'm underwater. Anyway, the swim went well and I was psyched to have both running and swimming finished by lunchtime.
Tonight as I was leaving school, I saw a "famous" runner (in my mind--she is a local runner who ran in the Marathon Trials in April) in the hall. I didn't realize she was a student at HSPH until I was looking for someone else in the facebook and came across her name. I think she's almost done getting her PhD. Anyway, these are the little thrills in Becky-world.
Tonight's agenda includes laundry and reading. I know how exciting my life is, but there's no need to be jealous.
Posted by becky at 7:48 PM | Comments (0)
November 7, 2004
My heart was in NYC today
I made sure to get my run finished this morning before the start of the NYCM so I could get back and be ready to track everyone I knew who was running. (I must admit I added Paula Radcliffe to my tracker, too--how cool!) We actually had Matt's cousin, who goes to school at BU, over for brunch this morning so I had to keep sneaking back to my computer to check on the race progress. I kept thinking that I should be there, too--but I know I have plenty of years left in which to run New York. I was psyched that Paula found a kick at the end and sad that Deena had to drop out--I hope she wasn't super-dehydrated or something, because that takes a long time to recover from. I think she probably anticipated that it was going to be hard to double back from Athens.
My phone rang when I was waiting for everyone to cross the finish line and it was my mom, saying, "Guess where I am?" They were right near the finish line of the marathon, and she held the phone up so I could hear everyone clapping. They were seeing a play this afternoon and headed to the city early because of anticipated marathon traffic. Amazingly, my dad got a spot right near the park so they ate their lunch while watching the race! This is especially ironic because:
1) I have never seen (or run) the NYCM and I grew up 30 minutes north of the city
2) My parents have only seen me in one of my six marathons--Marine Corps 2001, where I qualified for Boston for the first time. MCM is a great spectator course because it has a few loops.
So, it was cute to hear my mom excited and saying that she hoped they could watch me next year.
As for the "non-elite" race, I noticed a lot of positive splits, not a surprise for a warm day. Mary and my old club teammate Jessie both did great and many of my other friends (including one who just did an Ironman recently) ran solid races as well. I can't wait to hear all the details!
Ah yes, my run today: I did end up getting new sneakers at Marathon Sports yesterday, the new Asics motion-control ones, and the staff there was so helpful! It was great. The new sneaks felt really good today; my knee wasn't bothering me too much but my upper hamstring/butt area was once again. I'm sure it's all related (IT band) and I am going to see if maybe a few physical therapy sessions would help. It's been on my to-do list to call a few recommendations for weeks, so hopefully I'll get around to it tomorrow.
Speaking of to-do lists, I must do a few things and bedtime is rapidly approaching...
Posted by becky at 8:34 PM | Comments (1)
November 6, 2004
Long(ish) run
I miss the days of Sat. long runs with my old club. I haven't been enjoying runs longer than an hour lately because I get so bored without anyone to talk to! I also am still tentative about any exploring that takes me too far out of my way. Hopefully I will find a group to train with soon--I'm sure going to Somerville Road Runners indoor track workouts, which start a week from Tuesday, will help.
So this morning I just combined a few loops I know to make a total of (I hope) nearly 10 miles. My knee was stiff at first but I did a few miles on a soft surface in the middle and that seemed to help. One exciting thing I saw en route was an Alaska license plate--I don't believe I've ever come across one before. I also saw lots of dogs (mostly without leashes but with owners) and strollers because the wind has died down from yesterday and it is a bright, sunny day out. We've been inside doing schoolwork for the past few hours but I think I'm going to run over to Marathon Sports and get some new shoes, something I've been wanting to do for awhile.
Tonight we're going to stop by my grandparents' (my grandfather came home this afternoon) and then meet two college friends for a drink before heading to a party hosted by one of the doctoral students I've gotten to know at school. Should be a good time, too bad we don't get an extra hour of sleep every weekend!
Posted by becky at 2:20 PM | Comments (2)
November 5, 2004
Nice day for an indoor workout
In general, I like running in "challenging" conditions (cold, rain, etc.) but not wind so much. It was CRAZY windy here today--I felt like my car was going to blow over--so I was glad that I had decided to cross train today. I slept in (a little longer than I intended to, but oh well) and then headed for the gym for a hard hour on the elliptical. I was very disgusting when I got off and my shoes have not yet dried out from the sweat! I think they have been turning the heat on in the gym lately; I'll have to complain about that soon since it should really be the same temperature all year. I felt like I was working too hard for the first 25-30 minutes but then I settled into a good ryhthm.
After the gym I went straight to visit my grandfather in the hospital. (A very upscale hospital if I do say so myself!) I was glad to see him walking around when I came in, and there was a couple visiting already, friends from their temple. I had lunch with my grandmother (she forced me, but I'll take a free lunch even when I'm not that hungry) and then we went back to the hospital room and sat and talked for awhile. He feels okay, but they haven't gotten the dosage of the medication quite right yet. The doctor said he should be able to go home tomorrow. I hope so.
I did a bunch of errands after that and am going to try and do some work before Matt gets home. I've worked out twice for the past six or seven days so I'm giving myself a break today, and enjoying it!
I'm very excited to see how the NYC Marathon goes. Besides the elite race, I have several good friends running and people always have come-out-of-nowhere performances there. I canceled my own entry for this year, of course, but I hope to make it to the starting line in 2005. Good luck to all!
Posted by becky at 4:51 PM | Comments (0)
November 4, 2004
Running late
I woke up a little bit late today (or, more accurately, stopped snoozing and actually got out of bed a little late) so I had that frantic don't-waste-any-time feeling during my run. I did a variation of a loop I made up on Tuesday, and it actually has a few hills! My legs felt less tired today after getting a nice 7.5 hours of sleep, and my knee was pretty much the same. Actually it was feeling pretty good toward the end, when I came down a huge hill expecting some discomfort and there wasn't any. When I was about a quarter-mile from my apartment, the train crossing barriers went up right as I was about to cross the tracks. There isn't a way around them, so I had to wait for a (strange-looking) freight-train to come by, making me even more frantic! But in the end I wasn't late, so no big deal.
This afternoon I went to the gym for my usual elliptalling/lifting session. I benched pressed more than usual on Tuesday and I'm still sore, so it wasn't too much fun. But somehow I always enjoy lifting and it makes me feel strong! When I was doing abs I overheard two people on adjacent Stairmasters talking about probablity theory. Only at MIT!
In life news: My post-election depression was better today. Reading some of the articles in the New York Times about other people that feel the same way helped somewhat. I felt badly about Elizabeth Edwards' breast cancer diagnosis--talk about bad timing, but maybe this will put everything in perspective.
My grandfather's feeling okay but is still in the hospital because they are trying to get his dosages correct before sending him home. I will go over there tomorrow and spend some time with him. The hospital is actually right near a great trail (Middlesex Fells) but I don't know my way around well in there and I am going to force myself to take a cross-training day tomorrow--it's been almost 2 weeks, I think.
Tonight we are heading out to some sort of 70s-themed business school get together in a bar downtown. I'm really not in the mood, especially after getting rained on during my walk home, but having no classes tomorrow I really have no right to back out!
Posted by becky at 7:38 PM | Comments (21)
November 3, 2004
Dragging after a long night
The one other time I heard everyone around me talking about the same thing was right after Sept. 11. Now it's everyone commiserating about the election outcome (I'm sure there are Bush fans at school, but they keep to themselves.) Personally, I'm surprised at how affected I feel by Kerry's loss. I am not into politics, but having lived in DC and being married to someone who majored in political science, I have certainly heard a lot about the subject over the years. I watched the election returns until about midnight last night, when I just couldn't keep my eyes open, and then Matt came in around 2:30 am from where he was watching and told me it looked like Bush was the winner. I kept waking up after that and remembering the outcome. I'm disappointed because I felt that a changing of the guard was definitely necessary and would have been good for the country in many ways. In addition, Bush's views on science and what research deserves government funding are at odds with my own, so I was thinking about things on a personal level as well.
Anyway, I was not in a great mood during my run this morning. Making matters worse was the weather--it was warm and humid, which I didn't expect at all. (It started to get windy toward the end and now it is cooler.) My knee felt the same as it has lately (on and off pain, not awful but just THERE) but my legs didn't feel too peppy. I did some lunges and squats yesterday which could have contributed, but I think it was also related to my mental disappointment. I ran only about 6 miles but it felt like more because it was dragging. A few hours after that, during my break in classes, I swam and actually felt a little more energetic--it was probably the coffee I was chugging to stay awake this morning!
Last night we got some pretty positive news about my grandfather's condition: the cardiologist finally showed up and said he is very healthy for an 83-year-old and will likely just have to be on medication and not have surgery for his elevated heart rhythm. I'm not sure exactly what medication(s) but one of them is coumadin, which can have some side effects, I guess. Still, I think my grandmother feels a little less worried and hopefully he will be home by Friday and I will go over to hang out with them. I did speak to him last night and he sounded like he was in pretty good spirits. Hopefully he didn't watch the election returns all night!
Posted by becky at 1:49 PM | Comments (1)
November 2, 2004
An attempt to vote on the run
Well, my plan to vote on my way home from my run didn't work out too well. I ran by several polling places during my run and noticed very long lines, so I didn't have very high hopes by the time I got to mine. It had only been open for a half hour but the line was already around the block, so I didn't have time to wait and I'll go tonight, at which time the line will probably be even longer...oh, well.
Despite the plan not working out, I had a pretty decent run today. It was cold at first although when the sun came out towards the end I was quite warm (what else is new?). My knee was feeling pretty peppy and when I was on this bike path (middle of the 55-minute or so run), a girl burst by me. I decided to hang with her as long as I could, and it wasn't easy! I wonder if she was doing a workout or if that was her normal pace, because she was hauling! When I was about to die, she thankfully turned in the other direction. I did a couple more (brief) pickups after that since I had already gotten one long one out of the way without planning to! Going fast bothered my knee at first but then it felt better when I got into more of a rhythm.
I hope to lift quickly this afternoon, then go vote and visit my grandfather in the hospital. Thanks to all who passed on their best wishes for him. We still don't know a whole lot so it's still a wait-and-see kind of thing, which can be more stressful in my opinion.
Time for lunch--don't forget to vote, everyone!
Posted by becky at 12:25 PM | Comments (0)
November 1, 2004
What a difference...
For some reason I just didn't think it would be light out when I ran this morning, even after changing the clocks. But it was so much better! I probably won't even need my headlamp much for the next few weeks--whoo hoo! As for the run, it was all right. My knee had a good day (can I get two in a row??) except for when I stopped for lights and had to start up again. The daylight meant I could add a little out-and-back on the trails near Fresh Pond, so that was very cool.
I did a swim/pool run combination after my early class but before my afternoon one. It was a nice time to do it because I had a whole lane to myself--that doesn't happen in the evenings. Afterwards it was sunny and warm enough to sit outside and eat my lunch in the sun and people-watch, one of my favorite activities. (Although my choice to wear flip-flops today backfired on my walk home from the bus stop tonight since the temperature dropped A LOT!)
In other news...last night I found out that my grandfather was in the hospital after having chest pains. Of course, my grandmother didn't call us even though we live ten minutes away and would have been over there in a second. I was pretty worried all day but he's been monitored all day and it looks like it was some sort of arhythmia (I'm probably spelling that wrong) that hopefully can be controlled with medication. He's having some more tests done tomorrow and I was glad to hear my grandmother say she would call us if she needed anything.
It seems like the city is abuzz today with anticipation of tomorrow's election. All my professors, being social scientists, are VERY pro-Kerry, so that's pretty much all I hear. I am planning to vote on the way back home from my run tomorrow morning, unless the line is very long (then I'll go later.) I'm really hoping that Kerry pulls through, but I bet it's going to be a nail-biter, to say the least.
Posted by becky at 7:29 PM | Comments (6)