Running Commentary: July 2006 Archives

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July 31, 2006

Stretching, icing and 'resting'

Since I am sitting at my desk most of the day anyway, I brought my ice pack to work and use it every few hours. I figure it couldn't hurt and it gives me a reason to get up and walk around every now and then. (Sometimes I forget.) I'm also trying to do my stretches twice a day, in the morning before I leave to go swimming and in the evening when I'm at the gym or at home. Again, hopefully none of this can hurt.

I'm not complaining about the weather because I can't run in it, but it sure was nasty out today, even at 6:30 in the morning when I left to walk to the bus. Getting in the pool was a welcome relief! Actually, the temperature of the Georgetown pool is better than the other one I swim at around here most often--that one is too warm for hot-blooded people like me. So anyway, I did a swim workout with some "speedy" laps mixed in and felt pretty good. If nothing else, I'm developing a couple of different speeds when I swim. And no, I don't want to do a triathlon since I've been swimming so much. :) Just running is good for me.

Speaking of running, I was struck with a pang of fear this afternoon while I was lifting. When (if?) I am eventually healed and able to run again, I'm totally going to be starting from scratch. The prospect of getting back into shape makes me nervous, but it's also a challenge that I welcome, because if all goes well there will be nowhere to go but up!

I'm really tired--I thinnk it's the combination of the heat and a long day of looking at the computer. But work is going well. I can't believe it's only been a week--I've already settled into a new routine!

Posted by becky at 9:29 PM | Comments (0)

July 30, 2006

First working weekend down

It's true, weekends mean so much more when you're not on vacation all the time! :) We had a fun time with our friends last night and didn't get to bed too late, so I actually got to the pool earlier than I did yesterday morning. I didn't do quite as long of a swim but tried to be more speedy (not sure if I was successful!) My arms were aching when I was done. That doesn't always happen and I'm not sure what makes me sore because I always swim freestyle. Hmm.

Like yesterday, I did some errands on the way home from the pool. (Exciting, I know.) Matt and I mostly relaxed today, catching up on some newspaper reading and filling out some paperwork for retirement plans and such. I also took a nap. In addition to my leg, which is still hurting at the same level as the past few days, my tooth is killing me, so sometimes a nap really helps to drown everything out. I have an oral surgeon consult on Wed. so that should speed things along.

I briefly lifted tonight since Matt was walking down towards the gym anyway, but I wasn't really too into it. I think I was groggy from my nap. I did what I could. We just had dinner and now I am beginning all my preparations for the work day (making lunch, picking out outfit, etc.) And so begins another week!

Posted by becky at 7:22 PM | Comments (0)

July 29, 2006

Where did the day go?

Wow, my day went by really quickly, and I only have a very brief update! I did sleep in a bit which worked out well since the pool doesn't open until 9 anyway. I did a longish swim (for me) and then ran some errands from there. Matt had some work to do (already) so I spent most of the afternoon at Whole Foods and then in the kitchen, preparing stuff for tonight as we are having another couple over for dinner.

In terms of a status report on my knee, it doesn't feel too much different than it did yesterday. A little bit better in that I'm not totally incapacitated when I first get up from sitting. As usual, I was especially bummed when I woke up today knowing I would be doing a long run on a Saturday. I would have been complaining about the heat and humidity for sure today--it's pretty awful outside today. Anyway, our friends are due to arrive any minute so that's it for me!

Posted by becky at 6:57 PM | Comments (0)

July 28, 2006

TGIF

It was hard to wake up so early this morning, but I was at least comforted by the fact that tomorrow I can sleep in a bit. (The bright side of having a scheduled long run.) I got to the gym right as the pool was opening, did my thing and then rushed off to meet my boss at an event we were covering for one of our publications. My leg was still pretty bad today--I was limping a lot and pretty uncomfortable walking around.

I snuck out to go see Barb at lunchtime. She spent a lot of time trying to figure out what I might be doing to aggravate my hamstring. I'm going to try not to curl up when I sleep, since that might be tightening things up. She really got into all of the tight muscles for a longer time than usual, and by the time I left there, it was definitely feeling a little bit better. I was eternally grateful. She's booked all of next week but hopefully she'll get a cancellation. In the meantime, I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing. Barb doesn't think there's anything seriously wrong with my leg (like a tear or something) based on her assessment of me and said that the fact that it comes and goes is indicative of it being a muscular problem.

The rest of my day post-Barb wasn't super-exciting, so I'm going to end with this quote that resonated with me. In an article discussing her return to running after her serious skateboarding injury, Julia Stamps says, "When you have a passion for running, you have a passion for running. It's very difficult to do anything else." Enough said--it doesn't matter if you are at her level or mine. Being injured for a long time just plain sucks.

Happy hot and humid weekend (at least around here)!

Posted by becky at 10:09 PM | Comments (0)

July 27, 2006

Another setback

I am really pretty down about my leg. Yesterday and the day before it was less painful walking around--I was not jumping for joy, but I was thinking that something was helping me. But when I woke up this morning, it was hurting again. It's always easy to tell if it's bothering me more because my flexibility and range of motion decreases markedly. I limped the 12-minute walk to catch my bus and had to run a few steps to make sure the bus didn't leave without me. Those few steps KILLED and then when I got off the bus, I could barely walk. I limped over to the gym (now that I've joined the Georgetown gym it's just easier to swim there and then go to work) and managed to swim but I couldn't even do a little kicking--only pulling. I was in a lot of pain after that and all day. I didn't have to do a huge amount of walking but even getting up from sitting hurts.

I do have a PT appointment tomorrow, but I'm really concerned that something more serious is going on. I mean, this is the tenth week since I first started feeling this injury. Many people (Alison comes to mind, as I remember a convo we had on the run about this) have told me that some injuries take months and months to heal. True, but if this one is really just tendonitis, it's strange since both my achilles and popliteal tendonitis followed a pretty "normal" healing pattern.

In any case, I stretched a lot later on at the gym and will foam roll and possibly take a hot bath tonight. I really miss running, but I hate being in pain even more. Sigh...on the positive side, Matt is going to prepare most of our dinner tonight, so a big shout-out to him! Must go supervise.

Posted by becky at 8:02 PM | Comments (1)

July 26, 2006

Getting settled into my new routine

I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow last night, but I didn't have as much trouble waking up as I thought I would. As usual, I headed to the pool for my swim. I was running about five minutes behind schedule and even though I still arrived right as the pool was opening, there were already three people in there. At least I still got my own lane! My swim was...okay. I think my little leisurely swim yesterday afternoon tired me out more than I intended and I was dragging. But I did manage to get a decent workout in.

I figured out how to take the free Georgetown shuttle to work and it hits slightly less morning traffic on its route, so that was good. I felt like I was back at MIT or Harvard when I overheard a conversation about amino acids. My day at work was again very busy. I'm beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed and a little stressed. But I think I just need some time to take it all in. I found out today that I need to be at an event on Friday morning at 8am, so that is adding to my stress (i.e. getting in a workout and being at work by that time.) I sound like a broken record, but...if only I could run!

I checked out the Georgetown gym this evening. It's got a pool, which is great for me right now. I lifted there and found it adequate, but there are some machines there that look like they are from eons ago. I am spoiled by MIT's excellent facilities!

I just heated up a frozen pizza so I am going to go eat it before it is bedtime!

Posted by becky at 9:05 PM | Comments (0)

July 25, 2006

Glad to be busy

It felt good to be busy at work today, but I'm definitely feeling the additive effects of getting up early and not having time for naps :) I had to do a fairly short swim this morning in order to catch an earlier bus, so that was kind of a welcome limitation. I knew I was in a hurry, so I basically did my thing and got out of there. When I was just finishing up my shower (back at home) the power went out--it turned out there was some underground fuse that blew or something, so the whole block was out. Anyway, it was kind of an overcast morning and our bathroom tends to be kind of dark anyway, so that made getting ready in a hurry even more challenging. But I made it to work in time for a training session I had, phew.

So yeah, I had a busy but good day, and it was (almost) quitting time before I knew it. I didn't feel like lifting today so I walked to an outdoor pool in Georgetown from work and swam pretty leisurely for a little while. There were only two lanes and a lot of swimmers, so it got pretty crazy. I was doing fine until all of a sudden I felt very low blood sugar and had to immediately get out an eat a Balance Bar. That helped within minutes.

That's the extent of my exciting day and now it's almost time for bed again. Here's a shout out to my sister who finished day 1 of 2 of the bar exam today. Whoo-hoo!

Posted by becky at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)

July 24, 2006

Easing back into the working world (not the running world)

I was the second person in the pool this morning, getting there right behind an older lady as soon as the doors opened. I forgot my "workout" sheet so I had to just swim straight, but that was probably for the best since I was in a hurry. But I felt really tired this morning and never really got into a rhythm. Maybe because it was early, or maybe it was just one of those days. As for my knee, it's been staying the same despite my lack of ellipticalling. I don't have a PT appointment for this week because Barb is booked, but she said she will call if she gets a cancellation. I hope she does! The worst thing about this injury is that it's been hard to walk around for so long now. I don't have that much walking as part of my commute, but enough so that I notice.

Speaking of my commute, I forgot about how much traffic there would be on my bus route this morning. We literally sat on the bus waiting to get through Dupont Circle for 20 minutes. It was maddening. But it was better than driving in that traffic. Matt's commute to Bethesda also took him a little bit longer than he expected, but he actually got out of the apartment pretty early whereas I was running around like mad after I got back from the pool and left at the last possible minute.

I had a good first day at work. I got introduced to a lot of people and learned about some of the things I'll be doing on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Tomorrow I've got an orientation in the morning and some events/meetings in the afternoon so I think the day will go by even more quickly.

I stopped by the gym to lift on my way back from work and it was extremely crowded, but I did my thing and got out of there. I feel like we just ate dinner, and now it's almost bedtime...such is life in the real world!

Posted by becky at 9:49 PM | Comments (0)

July 23, 2006

Sun and shopping

This is going to be a quickie! I have my first day of work tomorrow and I am running around doing last-minute tasks (it's like the first day of school.) I swam again at the Tacoma Community Center (where I went yesterday) although the lap lanes were set up as 25 rather than 50 yards. I felt good today, probably because the shorter laps were a welcome respite! I swam for about an hour and the guy next to me--an older gentleman--impressed me as he was in the pool before I got in and showed no signs of stopping when I got out.

Today I went to have lunch with Leilani, who I haven't seen since we ran that half marathon back in the beginning of May, and then Matt and I did some shopping. We each got two pairs of shoes thanks to a great sale at Nordstrom. Tonight we grilled up some salmon and veggies and enjoyed the (finally!) nicer weather out on our balcony.

Wish me luck in my return to the real world tomorrow!

Posted by becky at 5:54 PM | Comments (2)

July 22, 2006

Saturday swim

I tried out a new pool this morning since there are hardly any in the area that open on weekends before noon. This one is a community pool in another neighborhood of D.C. that is only a few miles away distance-wise, but it takes a long time to get there because of all the lights. It was just built a year or so earlier, so it's pretty nice. The lap lanes are 50 yards which is pretty rare for an indoor pool around here. There were a lot of kids in the pool today (probably because it was the weekend) but aside from that it wasn't too crowded. I had a decent swim although I do notice how much more tired I get from the longer laps!

The rest of the day was pretty quiet. I cleaned up around here and just hung out. It was still nasty out so neither Matt nor I wanted to venture out much. In the late afternoon, I did go to the gym to lift (no ellipticalling!) and it seemed like it was going to storm as I walked home. The rain held off until about an hour later when we were walking around without an umbrella. We got completely soaked, but it was kind of funny.

Tonight we watched an OnDemand movie--Flightplan, which came out last year. It was fairly predictable as thrillers go, but it held our attention for an hour and a half! Now it's pouring out again so maybe it'll finally cool off!

Posted by becky at 8:40 PM | Comments (0)

July 21, 2006

No more ellipticalling

My blog entries are already so boring because they only involve cross training. Now they will only involve swimming, at least for a while. I went to see Barb again today and we talked about how I still have pain in my leg while walking, etc. and she suggested cutting out the bit of ellipticalling that I've been doing to see if that helps me turn a corner. At this point, I'm so out of shape anyway, so it's probably not doing much in terms of my fitness; it's more of a mental boost for me to have another activity besides swimming that I can do. But I am willing to give it a few days and see if that helps.

I swam this morning anyway, even before I went to see Barb. It was okay. I did a "workout" again but most of it was just continuous swimming anyway. I walked around the city a lot later in the day and that was almost like another workout since it's so damn humid. Every night they predict thunderstorms and a break in the humidity, but it hasn't happened yet!

We don't have any big weekend plans, just to enjoy our final weekend before work starts. That's exciting enough for me! Happy weekend to all!

Posted by becky at 8:54 PM | Comments (0)

July 20, 2006

The days are dwindling

I'm honestly pretty nervous about going back to work. Not about the specifics of the job--I'm sure I can handle my responsibilities--but about the transition back to a regular schedule. Some people might get bored having a lot of free time during the day, but I have very much enjoyed being on a flexible schedule during school and especially these past couple of months. I can find plenty of things to keep me occupied--and I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to work out. I'm sure I'll get used to my new schedule, but the first few weeks will be hard.

So I was glad not to have to get up super early this morning, although we went to bed too late so it was still a challenge to get out of bed. After yesterday's elliptical aftermath, I headed for the pool. My swim wasn't terrible, but it just dragged. And a spot in the middle of my back was hurting me the whole time (I couldn't foam roll it until I got home). Time was definitely dragging. But I made it through, and my knee seemed to feel the tiniest bit better. I did end up soaking in the tub for about 20 minutes last night and that could have loosened things up a bit.

After my swim, I had to go over to my new office to sign some forms. I tried to send them in the mail, but for some reason they never made it. My new boss was very conscious of the fact that I only have a couple of days of freedom yet, so she moved things along very quickly! That was good because I had to go to the DMV afterwards and quick was not a word I would use to describe the pace there. But it actually wasn't that bad and I got my DC license without too much trouble.

I stopped at the gym on my way home from the DMV to lift so I wouldn't have to leave our apartment again. It was another disgustingly hot day, of course. It was the middle of the day so it was blissfully empty and quiet there (another thing I will miss about having a flexible schedule) so I had a nice time lifting. I've been home pretty much ever since. Matt is out at a real estate event so I am vegging out watching an old Drew Barrymore movie. Gotta enjoy the free time while I can!

Posted by becky at 9:07 PM | Comments (0)

July 19, 2006

PT progress report: Not so hot

It was easier (schedule-wise) for me to go to the gym this morning than to go to the pool, so that's what I did, even though I wasn't sure it was a great idea. I usually feel okay while I'm ellipticalling, but not always afterwards. I tend to cross train pretty hard, and I'm trying to take it down a notch since I know it might be bothering my hamstring...but it's hard for me. I just get on and hammer and that's how I feel most comfortable. I felt good today but noticed my leg was stiffer while I was walking home. The next thing on my agenda today was a PT appointment, though, so I figured I'd discuss with Barb.

The pain is mainly in the innermost part of the back of my knee now. Barb suggested that I try iontophoresis on the attachments there, but she needs me to get a prescription for it and I do not have a doctor here yet. I will look into that option once I get all signed up for my medical insurance (next week, I hope.) Please let me know if you know any iontophoresis success stories. Barb said she is disaapointed that my inner hamstring is still as tight as it was when I showed up. She said it's probably because I biked on it for so long that my body started thinking that this is how it normally should be (tight as hell!) She suggested that I try a soak in a hot tub/jacuzzi (we apparently have one in our bathroom but haven't tried it yet) and then really stretch it out.

I was kind of down after PT, and I decided to skip my second workout for the day (I thought about swimming.) I just want this to heal and worry that I'm doing too much. Of course I was racked with feelings of guilt this evening, but if I am making a difference in my recovery than it'll be worth it!

Posted by becky at 10:46 PM | Comments (0)

July 18, 2006

A good day to be inside

Yup, it was a scorcher today. I tried to spend as little time outside as possible, though. I swam in the morning again (the car told me the outside temp was 91 degrees when I left the pool at 9am) and it went pretty well. I did another "workout" and actually did not have time to finish it because the swim hours ended. It must have been a long one as I swam for my usual amount of time! Pushing off of the wall hurts my leg, so I try to do it mostly with my left (good-for-now) leg, but it still bothers me when I have to bend it quickly like that.

Matt and I spent a couple of hours in the afternoon putting together our second bedroom now that our houseguest (his sister) has gone to New York. We still have to figure out how to Crazy Glue a leg on to a desk that Laura donated to us, but the room is in pretty good shape. After that, we went downtown to transfer our car insurance from MA to DC and do some other errands. We didn't even have to walk that far, but we were SO hot. I brought water and stuff but it was still unbearable. I kept suggesting that we go into stores just to take advantage of the a/c!

I was beat when we got back from our errands but I decided to go to the gym and lift since I knew it would be nice and cool in there. I ellipticalled for a little bit and noticed that my back was sore. It was even worse when I started to lift, so I didn't stay long. (I foam rolled it later and now it feels much better.)

Tonight we took an evening trip to Home Depot. I don't know what it is about that store but every time we go in we end up spending a lot more time than we intended! Still, by the time we got out it had rained a bit and the weather is a little cooler. Bring on the cold front!

Posted by becky at 10:50 PM | Comments (2)

July 16, 2006

Forcing myself to deal

It's obvious to readers of my blog and those who know me well that I like to work out in the mornings. I might work out again later in the day, but I do much better when I get my "main" workout out of the way early. With running that's generally not a problem, since I can just go out as early as I need. When I'm injured, I rely on gyms and pools which don't always open at 5am. This morning we were helping Matt's sister move out of her apartment and the plan was to begin at 9am. The gym doesn't open until 8:30 on Sundays, I'm not supposed to ride my trainer and the pool opens at noon. So I was kind of forced out of my routine. Not that I was sitting on my butt all morning--we worked hard!

All of Laura's stuff did not fit in the minivan that her dad rented, so she had to rent a car. She didn't feel comfortable driving all the way to New York by herself, so devoted brother Matt volunteered to go with her and stay the night at his mom's house. (He'll drive back tomorrow.) So with the addition of an extra trunk and back seat, we got everything in, and they were off and running.

Once we had finished the packing, it was already 1pm and scorching. I'm kind of feeling strangely guilty now that I don't have to run in this. I feel like I complained so much about the heat and dreaded it all winter and now this is my punishment. Not that I'm superstitious or anything :) Anyway, I went to swim at the large and ever-popular 50 meter pool at Hains Point, which is kind of near the Mall and monuments downtown. I swam there a couple of times before I left D.C. the last time and remembered it being pretty nice. It was so crowded, but the lap lanes are long enough so that many people can swim at the same time. I had a hard time adjusting to the sun glare--my eyes kept tearing up--but otherwise had a really good swim. I thought about sitting and reading for awhile after I was done, but it was too hot! When I got home and was getting in the shower, I caught a glimpse of my beet-red back--I cannot believe how burned I got just from swimming!! I had no idea. I won't let that happen again.

I'm trying to ice my hamstring as much as I can--it still felt pretty crappy again. I avoided lifting or ellipticalling today to try and let it rest, as much as it's killing me to feel so lazy.

Tonight I'm just catching up on emails and household tasks and filling out paperwork for my new job. I am terribly sad that this is my last non-working Sunday night but I'm trying not to think about it! Enjoy your week, everyone!

Posted by becky at 9:33 PM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2006

Man, it's HOT!

I could tell that it was going to be super-hot today when I left the apartment to go to the gym. I already felt sluggish and I was sort of glad that at least I didn't have to do a long run in the soupy humidity! (But a bigger part of me wished I was up for the challenge.) I ellipticalled today instead of swimming because it was just easier--no pools around here seem to be open before noon on the weekends. I felt pretty crappy for most of the workout, to be honest. I felt like I couldn't go as hard as usual or take a deep breath. Even though I was inside, the weather probably had something to do with it. When I got off the elliptical, my knee was even more sore, which usually doesn't happen. I stretched like Barb showed me and tried to loosen it up, but today was not a very good knee day, unfortunately.

The rest of the day went quickly. Matt's dad arrived in the mid-afternoon to help Laura move out. He and Matt went to do some Oriental rug shopping and Laura and I finished up her packing and then went in the pool that's in her building. Now we're off to dinner and then to a little going away event for Laura. She heads to New York tomorrow and we're going to miss her a lot!

Posted by becky at 6:54 PM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2006

Friday, again?

Wow, this week has really flown by. I can't believe that it has been 7 days since we were driving in the Midwest. I'm sad to think that we only have one more week before work starts, that's for sure.

I swam again this morning. It was less boring than yesterday but not as effortless as Wednesday. I tried to keep pace with a top local runner-turned-triathlete who came in toward the end of my swim and it wasn't even close. I kept meaning to take a lesson or two while I had access at MIT, but I never did! I'm sure my swim technique would be a lot smoother if someone actually watched me swim and gave me a few pointers. Someday I'll take a lesson!

All three members of the Wexler household (Matt's sister is staying with us this week because she is basically moved out of her apartment here) worked hard today. Matt and Laura went to Laura's place and packed up the remaining items and took apart her bed, which she is donating to us. I stayed at our apartment and cleaned the floors and the bathrooms and unpacked some of our second bedroom/office stuff to make room for the bed. I was sweating up a storm even in the air-conditioned apartment; outside it was very hot and humid so I was very glad to have this refuge. I also made a couple of trips back to Laura's apartment to deliver tools and then to attempt to fit the disassembled bed in the car (it didn't work.) Their dad is coming tomorrow from New York with a van, so that should help us out.

We are staying in tonight and maybe watching a movie. This weekend will be pretty demanding since we will be very involved in Laura's move-out effort. Didn't we just do this?? Happy weekend!

Posted by becky at 9:32 PM | Comments (0)

July 13, 2006

Pain is my friend

I knew when I woke up today that my swim wouldn't be as enjoyable as yesterday's. It just always happens that way. But I am trying to be good and keep the ellipticalling to a mininum (just a little bit in the afternoon pre-lifting yesterday and today) so I dutifully ate my breakfast and headed to the pool. It was much more crowded today than yesterday, but I didn't have to share a lane until the end of my swim. I tried to throw in a few "surges" or speed bursts, but mostly I just did laps. And I was bored. At least at the MIT pool, there is music to listen to and fast people to gawk at. At the pool I'm in now--and don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to have any place at all to swim--the average age is about 75 and I am usually able to cover the most ground. I am NOT a fast swimmer. I guess it's good for the ego!

I went to see Barb again late in the morning. She worked on my glute and my hamstring. I was writing in pain on the table, especially when she was kneading her elbow into the inner/deep ham (I forget what she called it.) It is one of the most painful sensations I have ever felt. But I guess she's getting at something in there since it hurts so much. She also showed me some good stretches that I am going to try and do as much as I can. Right now I don't feel much improvement but I hope to at least feel a little better before I see Barb again--not until next Wed., I believe. Feels like eons!

Matt and I tried out our new grill tonight and made some hamburgers and veggies. We need to work on our timing (i.e. getting everything ready at the same time) but we did very well for grill neophytes, I think. Our recurring topic of conversation today has been the surge in violent crime in the last couple of months here in Washington. There have been 14 murders in the last 13 days, many not in the "typical" areas (a British guy working on a campaign was killed in Georgetown during the weekend.) It's definitely unsettling, since I generally think of this area--especially where we live and work--as safe. It's a good reminder to be extra careful, I guess. I think if I was running right now I'd be a bit freaked out. Okay, a bit more freaked out. Anyway...stay safe!

Posted by becky at 10:52 PM | Comments (0)

July 12, 2006

Running around (just not on foot)

The days of having nothing to do are slowly dwindling away...and unfortunately we've had a lot to do during this "vacation." By the way, I realized today that I never mentioned the fact that I do have a job to start in a couple of weeks: I accepted a job at Georgetown University Medical Center right as we were moving out of Boston and the news sort of got lost in the shuffle. I'll be in the communication office, writing press releases, interviewing scientists, writing for internal and external publications and hopefully lots of other stuff. It seems like a great opportunity and I am excited to start. Not excited to give up my flexible schedule, but...at least there will be a paycheck at the end of each week!

The other update from my life is that my grandmother had her surgery yesterday and all went well. She will get the pathology report on Monday and they will determine her treatment regimen from there. For now, she's relieved to be done with the surgery and in good spirits.

So back to the more mundane: I swam this morning for as long as I could as the pool closed earlier than advertised on the web site. I am so spoiled by the MIT pool, which was open practically 24/7. I felt like the laps were so short this morning, though, because I'm used to the 50-meter laps! As it usually does when I haven't swam in awhile, time passed pretty quickly and it wasn't a bad workout.

Matt and I spent much of the rest of the day doing errands, including buying a small gas grill for our balcony. We're so excited to grill! Hopefully we can figure out how to use it! Tonight we had dinner with Matt's sister and their cousin, who lives just a couple of blocks away. It's nice to be back in the neighborhood!

Posted by becky at 10:38 PM | Comments (0)

July 11, 2006

PT Barb to the rescue

I woke up a little excited this morning because I knew I was finally going to get to see Barb, my awesome physical therapist here in D.C. I'm such a dork. After all my gym-hopping over the past few days, I decided to just ride my trainer here at home. I rode for almost an hour and a half and worked up a nice healthy sweat. (That's an understatement. However, it probably would have been worse had I been outside--it was disgusting out today. We just got back from grocery shopping and it was still 89 degrees and suffocatingly humid.) Anyway, I had my iPod to keep me company until Matt woke up and the time passed pretty quickly. My knee felt pretty much the same as it has in the past week--not too great.

I had a dentist appointment at noon today but I had a few errands to run beforehand. I didn't have to walk very far but by the time I got back, I was dripping with sweat. I tried to walk slowly to the dentist's office but when I got there, the receptionist gave me this weird look and asked if I was really that sweaty or was it something else. Yeah, love this climate. The dentist confirmed that I need to get my decayed wisdom tooth extracted (duh) and referred me to an oral surgeon who amazingly is available to do the extraction at the end of the month. Yipee!

After the dentist, it was finally time to go see Barb. She's been suffering from serious hip/groin problems herself and hasn't really run since November. She is coached by Juli Henner (who also coaches Chris Lukezic) and is very talented, so I feel really badly for her. And she can empathize really well with her patients, obviously. Anyway, as for my situation...Barb examined me and had me walk and stuff and concluded that this injury is actually NOT popliteal tendonitis as I had assumed. It's just a hamstring/glute problem, albeit a deep one. Since it started bothering me after Boston, she thinks that the eccentric motion of running all the downhills really started this. And my butt had been tight for a lot of the winter. She did some ART/deep tissue work and felt how tight and "stringy" my tendons were. She said I should lay off the biking for awhile and get back to swimming more (harder now that I'm here but doable) since it seems to be affecting my hamstring. I also had some electric stim and icing and I am going back three more times between now and next Friday. I hope this is the start of a real recovery, but I won't get my hopes up just yet.

After PT, I did some lifting and then came back home to do the aforementioned grocery shopping. Right now we're about to try and set up our router. I have no idea why this is so hard since we've done it 3 times before...but it's always a challenge!

Posted by becky at 10:47 PM | Comments (2)

PT Barb to the rescue

Posted by becky at 10:47 PM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2006

Back home

Our friend we were staying with in Minneapolis has a membership to Life Time Fitness--a local network of gyms that I believe is one of the sponsors of Team USA Minnesota--and he signed me in as his guest this morning. This particular location was in a ritzy hotel, and even the lockers had people's names on gold plates. Not what I'm used to! But fun for a day. Unfortunately, even though everything was nice in there, it was so hot. I ellipticalled and then lifted. My knee has still been pretty stiff and sore, especially when I first get out of bed or up from sitting. I try to stretch it and foam roll as much as I can, but nothing seems to be working. Luckily, I have an appointment with my old physical therapist tomorrow and I'm confident that she can help me speed the healing process along.

After I was done at the gym, I amazingly found my way back to our friends' house where Matt was hanging out with the baby and the nanny. We had a little time to kill before our flight but not much, so we walked around one of the many lakes in the area, then headed to the airport. I slept for a lot of the flight (typical) and we finally arrived back home at about 7pm. We've been doing a little of unpacking and moving things around in preparation for the cable guy who is supposed to come tomorrow. We're both pretty beat, probably from all our travels. Good night!

Posted by becky at 11:16 PM | Comments (1)

July 9, 2006

More Midwest travels

Now I'm writing from Minneapolis, where we're spending the night with a friend of Matt's from college, his wife and their new baby. We arrived here in the late afternoon after leaving Eagle River in the late morning. I must admit that I slept for much of the ride, so I am very grateful to Matt for having done all that driving. I tried to stay awake as much as I could, but I wasn't very successful!

My only workout option this morning was the one ghetto elliptical-ish machine that the hotel had. It was some sort of Nordic Track thing that I had never seen before. When I first got on the machine, I started doing my usual elliptical pace and slipped right off! I think the bottoms of my sneakers were a little wet from walking through the grass and that's why I fell, but it freaked me out. It took a while, but I did get accustomed to the machine and got in a workout. Not the best one in the world nor the most comfortable, but a workout nonetheless.

We had donuts and coffee at the bride's mother's house before leaving and then we headed back to Minneapolis. We ate dinner here and played with the baby (so cute!) and caught up with our friends. It was a nice evening. Our flight tomorrow doesn't leave until about 2pm so we will probably explore the city a little bit. I just keep wondering where the members of Team USA Minnesota train around here...I think I'll look it up before I go to bed.

Posted by becky at 11:24 PM | Comments (0)

July 8, 2006

A long way for a workout

My internet research told me that there was an outpost of the YMCA of the Northwoods here in Eagle River. However, the hours were not listed, but I assumed that the general hours listed on the main YMCA web site applied. Not so much. I showed up at 8am and the sign on the door told me that the place is closed on weekends. Luckily, we had passed the main YMCA on our way into town yesterday, so I headed there. Unfortunately it was about 20 miles away, so it took awhile to get there. But it was worth it. The building was built only about 2 years ago, so the equipment was modern and clean. I ellipticalled for about an hour and then got on the bike for a bit while I read a couple of magazines I found lying around. I was very relieved to have gotten in a workout, although the YMCA is closed tomorrow plus we have to check out early, so I'm not sure what I'll do then.

I drove back to our hotel and we've been hanging out here for the last couple of hours (we are sharing a room with our friends who are also here for the wedding) and now we're getting ready to go to the ceremony. It just started raining, so hopefully it stops soon!

Posted by becky at 2:09 PM | Comments (1)

July 7, 2006

Too bad I can't run in this beautiful place...

The clock on my computer says it's after midnight, but we got an extra hour today because we traveled to the Midwest. It's been a long day, though, and I am very much ready for sleep. But I just realized that we have internet access here and I figured I should post a quick update!

I woke up early to get an hour or so of riding my trainer in before we left for the airport. My knee felt really good and I got in a great workout. Then I ran (literally) over to the ATM machine, which took a total of probably 1 minute, and my knee felt crappy when I got back. Great...and then we sat on the plane for 2 hours, which only made things worse. Grrrr. Then we rented a car and drove almost 4 hours from Minneapolis to Eagle River, WI. You can imagine how my knee felt then. However, it is really beautiful here and I'm especially bummed that I can't explore on foot like I usually do while traveling. I checked out the "fitness center" and there is ONE ancient machine in there, so I'm not sure what I'll be able to do with it. Needless to say, I was not in the greatest mood when it was time for the rehearsal dinner tonight before this wedding we're here for. However, it was a traditional northern Wisconsin fish fry, which was kind of neat. I enjoyed myself in spite of my worries about having somewhere to work out this weekend. Anyway, I'm off to bed...tomorrow will be another long day!

Posted by becky at 11:57 PM | Comments (0)

July 6, 2006

Another jam-packed day

This week has flown by. I can't believe tomorrow's Friday already. Today was another day of unpacking, rearranging and lots of errands and tasks. I got to sleep in a little more, though, which was great. I still didn't sleep so well, despite the fact that I was in my own bed again. I think I'm still reeling from all the stress of moving, traveling, etc. When I did finally get up, I went to the gym to elliptical and lift (finally!). I felt really tired when I was working out, for no apparent reason. But lifting felt good, so maybe I was just bored. It was amazing how empty the gym was in the mid-morning. Sometimes I like having people around, just to have something to look at!

When I was done working out and all cleaned up, I took my bike in for a tune up (to the place where I bought it, actually) and to run a couple of errands on foot from there. It was truly a pleasure to be outside as it was sunny, in the 80s and low humidity. For once. When I got back home, Matt and I did a few more tasks and then I drove to the closest Bed, Bath & Beyond, in Arlington. There wasn't too much traffic though as it wasn't quite rush hour, so I got back in time to pick up my bike and ride it on my trainer for a bit. Then we had some takeout Thai food on our balcony, and got ready for our next trip, to a wedding and to visit friends in Minnesota and Wisconsin. There will be a lot of driving involved as the wedding is in northern Wisconsin and we're flying into Minneapolis. Still, I've never been to Wisconsin so I will enjoy seeing a new place. Hopefully the promised "fitness room" at our "resort" will be okay for my needs...I had so been looking forward to running in the wilds of the Midwest, but alas, it is not meant to be. Speaking of the wilds of the Midwest, I'm not sure if I'll be able to update my blog until we get back on Monday. I'll do my best as always but happy weekend in advance!

Posted by becky at 10:04 PM | Comments (0)

July 5, 2006

(Almost) all moved in

It turned out that sleeping on the floor last night did not work so well for me. I can generally sleep soundly anywhere and in any position, but I tossed and turned all night, getting used to the sounds of our new place. We have a running toilet and that was driving me especially crazy. Finally my alarm went off at 5-something since I had to be all done working out by the time the movers were slated to arrive. I didn't even mind having to get up that early since I was that much closer to having my bed back. So I went to the gym and did the elliptical really hard for as long as I could stand. I'm getting into the elliptical now, probably because I'm a little tired of my trainer. I listened to my iPod and was trying to keep my speed up the whole time. I was a little wobbly getting off--I love that feeling! My knee is getting back to its "I haven't tested it out in a few days" feeling but it is still bothering me while walking around. It feels generally all right on the elliptical though--really. After I finished my workout, I did my abs but unfortunately did not have time to lift. What is happening to me lately??

The movers did arrive within a couple of hours of the time they were supposed to be here and I worked through the late morning and afternoon unpacking and cleaning up. We hit a few snags with one missing bag (it will be here next week) and a piece of furniture that didn't fit in the room we wanted it in, but aside from that, we're doing pretty well. We're not completely unpacked or set up, but we've made a dent. I intended to lift or ride my trainer this afternoon, but I went to the Container Store and to get some groceries and before I knew it, I looked at my watch and it was 8pm and we were starving.

It's supposed to be beautiful and not humid the next few days here in Washington. I thought about how tonight was my DC running club's workout and how much I wanted to be there...even despite the yucky, muggy weather. I'm sure when it's nice out tomorrow I'll be missing running even more. We may be physically moved in, but I won't be able to feel completely emotionally moved in--if that makes any sense--until I'm able to run here again.

Posted by becky at 11:30 PM | Comments (1)

July 4, 2006

Half moved in

Well, we're about to go to sleep on the floor of our new, still mostly-empty apartment. The movers are supposed to be here early in the morning. We left New York at about 11:30 am, amazingly fitting Matt's sister in the car with us too, and it was a good decision since we avoided all the Fourth of July traffic. The bad part was that I haven't seen my sister in months and she was away until this afternoon so I didn't get to see her. (We had planned to watch the fireworks in Brooklyn together.) We made it to D.C. in time to watch the fireworks on the Mall from someone's roof, but it was so cloudy that we could hardly see anything. I just wanted to get back to the apartment and start cleaning up!

I rode my trainer this morning for some time that seemed really long but was less than an hour and a half. I watched mindless shows on E! the whole time--the combination of finishing grad school and all this cross training entertainment is going to turn my brain to mush! My gears are still making a lot of noise and nothing I do seems to help, so I will take it over to the local bike shop tomorrow, which happens to be where I bought it a couple of years ago.

I just want to go for a run in my old neighborhood!! This is so frustrating...but next week, after our Midwest wedding weekend, I will go see my old PT and hopefully she will do some more of the deep tissue/ART work that seems to be the only fix for this stubborn injury.

Anyway, we're beat, so we're going to bed. Pray that our stuff arrives in one piece!

Posted by becky at 11:35 PM | Comments (0)

July 3, 2006

Celebrating the Fourth, a day early

I woke up feeling sort of tired again. For someone on vacation, this has been happening way too often! I'm not sure, but I think it may be related to a combination of stress, feeling my knee injury when I turn, and sleeping in a bed that I'm not used to. In any case, my grogginess tends to subside when I start my workout. I went to the gym and did a combination of the elliptical and the spinning bike. I had silly morning shows to distract me, but I still felt kind of lethargic. Maybe the sleepiness changes over into lethargy--who knows? I got through the workout though and then lifted while I had the chance since I knew I would be busy the rest of the day.

Matt's mom invited a bunch of people she knows over for a little backyard/pool party this afternoon, so we spent the hours before helping her get ready and hanging out by the pool waiting for our services to be needed. The party is actually still going on but I just came inside to get away from the bugs! I am usually not too sensitive but I feel like I'm being eaten alive!

The movers claim that they will be arriving early Wed. morning with our stuff in D.C., so we may need to head down there tomorrow at some point. We planned to watch the fireworks in Brooklyn and head down Wed. morning, but obviously that won't work, so it's a good thing we got a jumpstart on the celebrations tonight!

Posted by becky at 8:41 PM | Comments (0)

July 2, 2006

Family fun day

I felt my good 'ole back-of-knee pain every time I shifted around during the night last night. I'm really curious whether it would be hurting again if I hadn't biked yesterday after running, because it really didn't hurt after the run like it has other times I've tested it out. I guess the only way to find out will be to just run next time and forget about the biking. If I could run and then swim, it would be perfect, but right now I don't have access to a (lap) pool. Anyway, I used the elliptical this morning while watching bad Sunday morning TV for about 40 or 45 minutes until Matt's mom came down and asked to use it. I switched to my trainer, but the gears are shifting weirdly and making loud noises so I couldn't exactly ride it as hard as I usually do. I am awful at figuring out what is wrong when my bike isn't behaving perfectly, so I have no idea what's going on. I'll do some web research and take it to the bike store for a tune-up if I still can't figure it out. The whole workout was kind of lacking because I went from days and days of feeling fine (knee-wise) while cross-training to feeling pain again.

Matt and his sister and I left the house around 10:30 this morning to drive to a first birthday party for the daughter o one of their second cousins near Hartford, CT. It was a long way to go, but we saw a lot of family there so it was worth it. There were also some adorable little kids and a birthday cake with buttercream frosting--what more could you want? We stayed inside most of the time because it was so gross and humid out, but it was still nice.

After the party, Matt and I went straight to my parents' house to have dinner and see my NY grandma, the one who is having her cancer surgery in about a week. She seems to be in really good spirits although clearly worried about how her surgery, recovery and treatment will be. Hopefully everything will go smoothly, but I'm glad Matt and I got to spend some time with her now.

Now that we're finally back home at Matt's mom's house, I am itching to do some laundry and catch up on email. I sure do lead an exciting life!

Posted by becky at 9:35 PM | Comments (0)

July 1, 2006

The good and the bad

I woke up feeling pretty good today, knee-wise, so I decided to try a little running. I haven't "tested" it out in more than a week. It was very nice out and un-humid this morning, too. I couldn't resist. I walked fast for about 5 minutes and then alternating some running (well, jogging really) and walking. I did that for almost a half hour and my knee felt good! Then I came back and rode my trainer and I started to feel that old familiar pain again. It wasn't hurting me while I was pedaling, exactly, it was more like when I got off the bike to adjust something, to get more water, etc. I iced it when I was done but it's been feeling the same all day. Not terrible, so maybe it's just soreness from the running and biking combination...but I'm not sure. I guess I'll have to see if it is better tomorrow.

My sunburn from Monday has turned into a peeling mess. When I sweat, it bubbles up and makes little blisters--it is disgusting. I think once it peels it will be better, but look worse! I will never be stupid enough to sit on the beach without sunscreen again. Today we sat by the pool, and I stayed mostly in the shade and put on some SPF 30. So far, so good. Later in the day I went to do a couple of errands and stopped by my favorite Westchester store, and then came home to do a tiny bit of lifting and get ready to go to dinner and the movies with Matt and his sis. I'm not sure what we're going to see, but we always have a good time together!

Posted by becky at 6:06 PM | Comments (0)