Running Commentary: May 2007 Archives

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May 31, 2007

Trying to distract myself

In general, I tend to be an anxious/nervous person--especially about health issues and even more so when I am injured and unable to run--so I woke up with butterflies in my stomach this morning. It is hard for me to fall asleep because I am so worried about getting a call in the middle of the night about my dad, but I managed to do okay last night--both Matt and I were out almost immediately, especially since we had just driven back. I was glad to get back to the gym today, but I found it hard to be as focused on my workout (half elliptical/half stationary bike) as I usually am, especially since I was listening to my iPod and kept thinking how my dad and I like the same music (he introduced me to many of the folk artists who are now my faves). My knee also didn't feel that great. Not so much on the inside, but it was stiff in the back and the front and pretty much all over. I should not have run for as long as I did yesterday. But what's done is done.

If anyone is interested, we have set up and begun posting to a blog about my dad's condition at http://markorfinger.blogspot.com. No major news today, but the doctors were able to complete the lumbar puncture that they've been wanting to do since he came into the ER on Sunday and his white cell count dropped a little more. I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin today every time my cell phone rang and it was a family member.

Work was a good distraction today, but it was really hard to concentrate. I am so, so grateful to my boss for cutting me a lot of slack and to my awesome intern, who is just a work machine. (I rewarded her with an empty office today--I don't even have an office!) I lifted after work but it was sort of blah. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I am in a fog and it is even affecting my workouts, but that's me and I am hard on myself. My lifting this week has been pathetic but I think I am going to stick to my not lifting on Friday schedule tomorrow just because my body and mind are working hard in other ways this week.

Thanks to everyone for their kind and hopeful words. It means so much to me and to my family.

Posted by becky at 8:53 PM | Comments (2)

May 30, 2007

Missing in action

Alison wondered if I had been kidnapped in Rockville, as that's where my last blog entry left off, and I have to say I wish that was the case. In fact, Matt and I have been in New York since Monday night as my dad suddenly got very sick with some sort of bacterial infection and is currently in intensive care. For background, my dad is one of the healthiest people I know--he will be 59 in a couple of weeks, rarely misses a day of work as a high school principal, and works out about five days a week. He developed cold/flu symptoms this weekend and then on Sunday night passed out in the bathroom and had more gastro/diarrhea symptoms. Although he did not want to go to the hospital, my mom took him the next morning to the ER, where they thought he was just dehydrated. Things progressed and I won't go into great detail but the symptoms got worse and his mental status was quite altered. (We left for NY at this point.) At 2am we got a call that he was being transferred to the ICU where has remained ever since. He is getting massive doses of antibiotics, fluids, etc. and the doctors are still trying to figure out what is causing this infection (which is in his blood but seems to have started in the colon). He is intubated and sedated and very sick...needless to say we are all extremely scared and the uncertainty of knowing what to expect is especially worrisome. It was amazing to see how many friends and family members have been to the hospital with us, brought us food, etc. and are just being so supportive. The doctors are expecting him to stay in this state in the ICU for days or even weeks, so Matt and I made the tough decision to come back to D.C. tonight to check in at work and try to get back to at least a semi-routine. I am hoping and praying that my dad improves and I expect to be back in NY this weekend.

As for my exercise the past few days...well, Monday I had a good elliptical workout in the gym (before leaving for NY, of course) and then Tuesday I was just too emotionally and physically wiped out to do anything. This morning I had gotten a decent night's sleep and my knee was feeling good and I just had to try to run for sanity's sake. It may have improved my mental health but my knee feels as stiff and sore (in back, less so the more recent side-of-knee issue) as ever. But I can't really think about or even worry about myself right now so I'll just keep cross-training and hope that can at least help me with stress relief.

This entry was a complete rant and I apologize. We are starting a blog for updates on my dad and I will post that link as soon as we get it up and running. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Posted by becky at 11:40 PM | Comments (5)

May 27, 2007

Avoiding the heat

I decided to try a little running again this morning. I definitely felt better than the last time I tried it--I did about 15 minutes, slowly--but still a little soreness/discomfort in the knee. I think things are moving in the right direction but as anyone who's been injured knows, it is so hard to be patient. I rode my trainer for about an hour after that and since I had already started sweating during my mini-run, I was disgusting on the bike. In fact, sweat kept dripping into my eyes and burning them and even putting on a sweatband didn't help. It is another steamy day outside and of course even those few minutes of getting my heart rate up in the humidity affected me. I swear, though, I will stop complaining so much about the heat if I can make it through a summer of running!

After our day outside yesterday, Matt and I have been enjoying the air conditioning today. I finally cleaned up our apartment this afternoon after taking last weekend off while I was away in Boston. I also cleaned up my bike, my trainer and the mat they sit on since that area was getting pretty gross. I definitely have more errands to do tomorrow, but I am procrastinating because that is what you can do on a three-day weekend!

Speaking of procrastinating, I sort of wanted to go to the gym this afternoon but I didn't feel like going all the way over there when I know I'll be back there tomorrow morning for sure. I always beat myself up over my lazy weekend days, but I think I do a lot during the week so I am always ready for a break when I have the time to relax.

Tonight we are going up to Rockville, a suburb in Maryland, for the annual outdoor event that they hold there on Memorial Day weekend. One of the sponsors is a company that Matt works closely with and many of his coworkers will be there. We are waiting until it cools off a little and hopefully there will be some good food and summer treats like ice cream to keep us comfortable. And later tonight--how will I stay awake?--we are going to a comedy show given by someone whose quirky HBO show we liked a lot. So it might have been a quiet day but we have enough going on tonight to make up for it!

Posted by becky at 4:40 PM | Comments (1)

May 26, 2007

Heartbreaker

Today was a long, but fun, day. I was on my trainer by about 7:30 and watching "The Queen," which I had wanted to see but missed while it was out in the theater. It was not a great movie to watch on the bike because it was all dialogue and I missed some of it. It was still a good distraction and helped pass the time. I even did some surges standing up out of the saddle and did not feel any pain, so that was good. (I seem to only have lingering issues on steep steps, going either up or down.) But I think the volume on the TV was a little loud because Matt came out of the bedroom a lot earlier than I expected!

We set off before 11 am for the men's NCAA semifinal lacrosse games (2) in Baltimore. Cornell was playing Duke in the second game and Hopkins was playing Delaware in the first. We went with a friend of mine from work whose boyfriend went to Hopkins, so almost all of us had a team to root for. When we bought the tickets, the weather forecast was for a pleasantly warm day. But it turned out to be very, very hot and for the first game, our seats were totally in the sun and there wasn't much of a breeze to speak of. Of course I was dripping, but I just took breaks and went inside to cool off a few times. (I was trying not to let the heat get to me.) The first game was pretty boring and Hopkins dominated. There were tons of Cornell fans throughout the stadium so the second game was a lot of fun...especially in the final minute when Cornell tied the score. And then: with three seconds to go, Duke scored and won the game! It was crazy, especially since Cornell had been undefeated all season long and was the favorite to win the NCAA championship. What a heartbreaker!!

We didn't get home until about 7:30 and now we are totally beat, especially Matt who drove us all. We are going to try and watch a movie tonight but something tells me we might not make it all the way through!

Posted by becky at 7:53 PM | Comments (0)

May 25, 2007

Not ready yet

I decided to "test out" my leg this morning and see if it was ready to run yet. There was still a faint/dull ache on the side of my knee when I started running, so I decided to hop on the bike instead. I probably would have kept running on it a couple of years ago, but I know better now. I just especially hate not being able to run on the weekends, I guess because I'm aware that weekends are when people are doing long runs and racing. I was hoping that I'd be ready to run tomorrow but I guess not. I'm pretty confident that things are improving, but I'm impatient. The bike ride was good; there was nothing on TV so I just jammed to my music.

Work was busier than I would have expected for the Friday before a long weekend, but some colleagues and I went out for sushi at lunch so that was fun and broke up the day. I am sitting here feeling like maybe I should bike again, but realizing that I really don't want to, especially since I will be back on there in the morning as we have to leave our apartment at 10:30 and the gym doesn't open until 9. I was thinking this morning that I've really gotten a lot of use out of my trainer--I thought it was so self-indulgent when I bought it, but now I don't know what I did without it!

Happy Memorial Day weekend to all!

Posted by becky at 7:14 PM | Comments (0)

May 24, 2007

TGI almost Friday

Matt and I had dueling alarms going off this morning and neither one of us was paying too much attention. I could never stay at work as late as Matt does and still get up early...I don't know how he does it. Anyway, I finally dragged myself out of bed and got ready to go to the gym. I forgot to leave myself a few extra minutes to drain the coffee out of this new cold-brewed coffee system that I just bought. (I am a year-round iced coffee drinker--shocker--and this is supposed to make excellent, low-acid iced coffee.) Anyway, I tried to finish the brewing process but I could not figure it out so I left it to brew for about 15 more hours until I came home tonight. We'll see how it tastes tomorrow.

I digress. I mostly ellipticalled at the gym and I felt good in terms of not having any bursitis pain, but my legs were just kind of dead, maybe from biking? I'm not sure why, but today's workout seemed endless. Sometimes it's just one of those days.

I lifted quickly tonight and then met my friend for dinner at one of the rare pizza places in D.C. (excluding delivery places). We sat outside to eat and by that time it had cooled off so it was really nice. The pizza place is across the street from the library so we stopped in and I got a few more books.

Matt has a cold, the friend I was with tonight has a cold, my sister and my mom have colds...I guess despite the beautiful May weather we've been having, you can still catch a cold. I haven't had one myself for months so I'm probably due for my own cold! (I hope not.) I am rambling and tired so I am off to bed.

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

May 23, 2007

Sore but improving

I rode my trainer at home today since it made more sense logistically. I could tell when I woke up that my adductor and hamstring were extremely sore from Barb's treatment yesterday, but the good news is I am in less pain (walking up stairs, bending down to pick up things, etc.). Riding the bike felt better than it has in days and I got all caught up in the movie "Camp" which was on some random cable channel. I'm a sucker for theater kids because I secretly wanted to be one when I was growing up but I didn't have the talent (or the chutzpah to sing in front of a lot of people). Anyway, I did a few surges while I was on the bike but I didn't want to try standing up in the saddle because of all the pressure that puts on my knees.

I lifted at lunch so I could have an extra hour or so tonight to get my hair cut. I was tempted to try a few leg things, but I restrained myself. I will not try that until at least next week. But I hope it's a good sign that I was even considering it.

I did get the hair cut tonight and I think she took a little too much off. In the summer, I like having my hair as short as possible because it is so thick and it gets heavy. But it has to be long enough to put in a ponytail (or preferably a bun) and it is very borderline right now. But unlike most people with curly hair, mine grows really fast, so I'm not too concerned. My head immediately felt lighter! I wish it were that easy to change other parts of our bodies on a whim.

Posted by becky at 8:28 PM | Comments (0)

May 22, 2007

That darn hamstring

I got a good night's sleep last night so I was definitely feeling more energetic and awake this morning. I felt good on the elliptical--although higher resistance bothers me a bit--and I felt like I finally got a decent workout in on it. I biked for a bit after that but it was pretty leisurely as I read my latest book. (Pounding the Pavement by Jennifer Van Kwast, a silly chick-lit one.) I seem to get to work pretty reliably between 9:15 and 9:20, whether I am coming from the gym (a five minute walk) or from home, so I guess that my body--or wait, my mind--knows how to stick to a schedule.

The exciting part of my day was going to see Barb. I hadn't been to see her since January or thereabouts. Although I was pretty sure that my latest knee thing was bone/cartilage-related, I figured it couldn't hurt to pay her a visit since she's certainly seen her share of running injuries.

When I pointed at the spot on my knee that hurts and mentioned my theory, she said it was not related to my chrondomalacia/cartilage problem because there is no bone where I am having pain--it is actually where several tendons (and muscles?) come together. It's pes anserine bursitis, which I have heard of but wasn't too clear about--an inflammation of the bursa sac which is right around there. Barb said the root of the inflammation is usually either in the hamstring or the adductor. Guess where mine is? Yup! My good, old hamstring. I don't know why I am surprised.

My adductor is tight, but she said not tighter than is normally the case in runners. Then she started digging into my hamstring and boy, was that painful. She reminded me that months ago when we were discussing my eventual return to running, she suggested getting a massage every month or even more often. Because of my awful biomechanics, it is apparently a neccesity that I get my legs worked on; she thinks tightness in both my hamstring and my quad caused this injury. I know I need to do this, it's just when my legs are feeling okay, I don't think about all this injury-prevention stuff!

I am supposed to keep icing and stretching and foam rolling and she said eventually it will start to feel better walking up stairs and I can get back to running when it calms down. I really hope she is right. After her ART work, it definitely felt better, but I still can't walk up the stairs normally. Still, I am happy to have a plausible diagnosis and just doing something proactive about my pain made me feel a little better today.

I lifted tonight and felt good. I am still enjoying the emptiness of the gym, especially since even the graduates are gone now. I think it will start to fill up again with summer students soon, but I'll enjoy it while it lasts!

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

May 21, 2007

Gym again

It's definitely easier to write exciting entries when I run than when I go to the gym. But that's how it goes. The lingering knee pain when I put a lot of weight on it--like when I walk up and down stairs--is still around. I split my workout pretty equally between ellipticalling and biking on the stationary bike. I never felt really great; I expected to start this week out tired from my busy weekend but hopefully I can catch up over the long weekend.

I had a busy day at work today, and I think it will be that way all week. But I don't mind as it makes the week go by faster! I went to the gym after work and lifted arms. I am really bummed that I am no longer able to do my hamstring strengthening. I was really doing well there for a while and I am worried that this will cause problems with my weak hammy. But, as I have said way too much lately, what can I do?

Posted by becky at 9:13 PM | Comments (0)

May 20, 2007

More fun and more driving

The MIT gym didn't open until 9 this morning and the shower started at 11, so I hit up another gym in the area, Healthworks, which is a women-only gym. I had heard it was really nice, but had never been. It was awesome, and not crowded. I felt much better on the elliptical but also biked as well. I only had about an hour to work out, which I felt guilty about, but I made the most of it. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow...or at least try to.

When I got back, I said goodbye to my grandparents (sad!) and drove back up north to the shower. It was really nice, but lasted longer than I thought. Luckily I had time to make it back up to the Manchester airport--in a huge rain storm--and I had plenty of time before the flight. I fell asleep waiting in the chairs for a little while but I did not miss the boarding call. I fell asleep on the plane again--I think I am tired!--and was very glad that Matt had time to pick me up at the airport so that I did not have to take the train back home.

OK, time for Sopranos!

Posted by becky at 8:49 PM | Comments (0)

May 19, 2007

A day of driving

My flight was a little late getting in last night and by the time I got from the airport in Manchester to my grandparents' house, it was about 10 p.m. But of course they were still dressed in their nice clothes, waiting with dinner for me (they had dessert with me). It was so great to catch up with them and it felt just like old times, when I would spend almost every Friday with them. I was exhausted from all my travels on Friday and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

This morning, I went back to my old haunt, the MIT gym. It was pretty much the same as I had remembered it. Although it was nice to be back, my knee hurt on the elliptical, the spin bike, and the stationary bike (I tried all three). It was just a bad day for my knee. Walking around is fine, but I still can't go up stairs, which I am worried about. But still, I was glad that I got a workout in as I knew it would be a busy rest of the day.

And it was! But unfortunately most of it was spent in the car. My grandparents and I set out for our cousin's accesory store in Marblehead at about 12:30, and we stopped for lunch along the way. When we were about halfway there, we discovered that the bridge everyone takes to get over the Saugus (?) River was closed for construction and we had to follow this ridiculous detour. The detour itself took an hour because we were going less than five miles per hour. By the time we reached our destination, it was 3:30. We did not get home until after 5 and that meant I couldn't get together with Mary, something I had been planning and looking forward to. That was a real bummer. I also had hoped to find time to see Alison, but that never happened, either.

Soon after I got home from our epic trip to the North Shore, I set out again--to the North Shore--for a pre-wedding shower dinner for the bridal party. I picked up another one of the bridesmaids along the way and we proceeded to get terribly lost. Luckily we tracked down the bride's fiance who knows his way around the North Shore, and we finally made it. The good news is the dinner was a lot of fun!

Posted by becky at 8:35 PM | Comments (1)

May 18, 2007

"Running" around

I am leaving work a little early to go to the airport for my Boston trip and then my Internet access will be spotty (dial-up!) so I thought it would be a good idea to update now. I rode my trainer this morning and it was much better than the other times I've tried to do that this week. So things are progressing--I hope--but the stairs are still a problem. I would try running but I feel like I have been putting time "in the bank," so to speak, and I don't want that to go to waste. I will just suck it up and reassess on Monday. But that doesn't mean I can't be frustrated about it!

I watched last night's Grey's Anatomy and ER while I biked. I was glad to have the opportunity to do that. But I didn't anticipate Grey's being longer than an hour, and that's when my tape switched to NBC for ER, so I missed the last 20 minutes or so. My student intern filled me in and it sounds like it was a real downer--I don't think I missed much! ER was also depressing and the big, season-ending cliffhanger was ridiculous.

So that is my TV review for today. Now I have to finish up a couple of things and publicly transport my way to BWI via train from Union Station. It wouldn't be a big deal but climbing up the bus stairs is difficult for me!

Happy weekend to all!

Posted by becky at 12:49 PM | Comments (0)

May 17, 2007

Another morning in/evening out

It was nearly impossible to drag myself out of bed this morning. I had a pounding headache the second I opened my eyes and I knew I needed more sleep. But I forced myself to get up, down some Advil and head off to the gym. It was definitely not a stellar workout but on the plus side, I could do the elliptical with no pain today. But I limited myself to a half-hour and then switched back to the bike. It seems like every day my knee is getting a little bit better, but there are still things that hurt--most notably walking up and down the stairs, which I guess is when that spot receives the most pressure. I hope it continues to improve, but I am still worried.

I lifted at lunchtime and the gym was even emptier than usual because all the graduating seniors were at convocation. When I got back to my desk, my so-far quiet day turned into a busy afternoon, then I rushed off to take some photos at a faculty awards ceremony, and then I went downtown to meet Matt at a Cornell Class of 1999 "30th birthday" happy hour. I thought it was a cute idea, but only a handful of people showed up (there are a lot of Cornell alums in the area). Luckily one of them was a friend of mine I had lost touch with. It turns out she lives two seconds away from my building at work, got her public health degree, and works at NCI in health communication. I'm definitely glad we reconnected!

I am heading to Boston tomorrow for a bachelorette dinner and bridal shower for one of my closest (non-running) friends from college. Of course, running back in my old neighborhood (or close to it--I am staying with my grandparents in Medford) was one of the things I was most looking forward to. That is clearly not on the agenda and I guess I just have to deal with it. At least I know the area and can figure out where to work out. Apparently it is supposed to be a rainy and chilly weekend. I just packed forgetting about Boston's fickle "spring" weather...must go fix that!

Posted by becky at 10:19 PM | Comments (0)

May 16, 2007

Late night for a special occasion

Today was our third wedding anniversary and we are just getting home from a long--but awesome--dinner at a restaurant both Matt and I have wanted to try for a while now. They do a lot of "little plates" before the main course, so it was a three-hour meal. Although we were both getting pretty sleepy by the time dessert rolled around, we had a great time. Now I am really tired, but here is the quick update:

I biked at home on my trainer today because it was too hard logistically to get to the gym before a doctor's appointment. It wasn't as comfortable on my knee as the upright stationary bike, but I survived. I watched a lot of "The Break-Up" with Jennifer Aniston, which was pretty good for a movie you watch while working out. And tonight, I swam for the first time in a looong while. It was tough. And kicking hurt my knee--strange if it is a bone thing, because non weight-bearing activities should not hurt, right? But I am most comfortable pulling anyway, so it was all right.

My day at work was pretty busy but I managed to make an orthepedist appointment. This guy specializes in knees and sports injuries and cartilage. Sounds good for me. The earliest next appointment was in June. At the very least, even if I'm feeling bettter, it will be good to have him look at my MRI that was taken last fall to explain it in more detail than Barb was able to.

Posted by becky at 11:59 PM | Comments (2)

May 15, 2007

More biking, a little less pain

Nothing too exciting to report, but my pain is getting less intense and more achy, which I think is good. Instead of trying to elliptical today, I stayed on the bike the whole time. I warmed up for about 10 minutes and then I did 10 x 30 seconds on/off and 10 x 90 seconds on/off and another 5 x 30 seconds on/off and then just biked easy for the rest of the time I had before I had to get in the shower. I have no idea if that was an okay workout but I just need to do something to break up the monotony and keep myself working hard.

There was barely any water in the showers at the gym today, so that wasn't too pleasant. At least it wasn't freezing! Although I probably would have welcomed that right after I got off the bike.

Everyone was talking about how hot it was supposed to be today. I think it got up to 85, but without humidity, it really doesn't bother me too much. (I also didn't run in it.) I sat outside at lunch under a tree and was perfectly comfortable. There was also a nice breeze so that helped cool things down.

I lifted tonight and again avoided any lower-body stuff. Once I can go up stairs without two-footing them, I will know I have progressed. I sure hope that's soon as it is really embarassing getting off the bus and walking around at work like that!

Posted by becky at 8:14 PM | Comments (0)

May 14, 2007

Yeah, yeah, yeah

It's hard to come up with catchy blog entry titles or pithy entries when you are stuck cross training. I did my thing this morning in the gym, although I did not feel as comfortable on the elliptical today as I did yesterday--i.e. when I moved my leg a certain way, I would get a sharp pain on the side of my knee--so I switched to the (stationary, not spin) bike. Some people have told me that they can't get a good workout on those bikes, but I can. You just need to go pretty hard and not zone out. I did allow myself to read for the last bit of the workout because my cadence was falling off considerably despite attempts to keep up "the pace."

I iced my knee after the gym and that seemed to make it feel a bit better. I took a walk at lunchtime to get a sandwich (it takes about 15 minutes to walk to this one place I like, and it was sunny but not too hot) and I was walking a little gingerly, but not feeling too bad. When I was lifting tonight, I was careful not to do any leg stuff except I thought that hamstring curls would be okay because when I did the motion just sitting on the bench, I felt fine. But the second I locked that thigh pad into place and started to bring my leg back--ouch (side of knee)! So that leads me to believe that something I did on that machine may have led to this...even though I've been doing the exact same routine for nearly a year now. Weird, but these things happen to me. Hopefully I'll continue to make progress with the knee this week, but I'm not holding my breath.

Posted by becky at 8:46 PM | Comments (0)

May 13, 2007

Still ailing

My knee felt a teeny, tiny bit better when I woke up. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to elliptical, but except for the extra effort required to start the elliptical motion, it was okay. It was very hot in the gym as usual and I was working pretty hard, so I was pretty uncomfortable. But I was glad to get in a good workout. After the elliptical, I biked for awhile while reading my book. I did not even attempt to lift or do anything else after that (except abs) because I was disgustingly sweaty (and hungry!) and also because I don't want to put any extra stress on my knee.

As I left the gym, spectators were starting to arrive for an NCAA lacrosse playoff game between Georgetown and Princeton. I had no idea it was taking place but it would have been cool to go if I had more time or more interest in lacrosse! Actually, Matt and I have been following Cornell's season a bit because I believe they are undefeated and the favorite to win the NCAA championship. Neat!

I went up to Chevy Chase this afternoon to do some errands and browse around. It was nice out (and Mother's Day) so there were a million people walking around. I heard a lot of "Mom"s while I was in the stores and it made me wish I was home in NY with my own mom! Matt and I did make all the Mother's Day calls this morning, though.

I just tried to ride the trainer and even though it didn't bother me yesterday, I am getting a sharp pain on the inside spot of my knee that hurts. So, even though I am antsy and want to do another workout, even I can't rationalize one that painful. I guess I'll put my efforts into something else...like making dinner.

Posted by becky at 6:01 PM | Comments (0)

May 12, 2007

Cutting it short

I'm understandably down right now because the inside of my knee hurt so much this morning during my run that I couldn't even finish it. It did not hurt when I first started running and then the pain just got worse and worse until I couldn't really make conversation (I was running with Leilani) and I knew deep down that I needed to turn around instead of trying to push it through 14 miles. I could have finished the whole long run, but as I have learned in the past year, sometimes you have to suck it up and listen to your body.

I rode the trainer when I got home and wallowed in self-pity. (I thought biking would hurt, but it didn't.) I know I have to take the next few days off from running and let whatever inflammation is going on go down, and I am trying to be positive but it's so hard! I just don't want this to be a long, drawn-out injury and I am worried that it will be. It also hurts--a lot--right now, especially when I walk up stairs. It is a sharp pain that is making me walk up the stairs like a little kid, so I don't have to bear all my weight on my knee.

I did not do too much today and iced and rested as much as I could. I figured I have to do everything I can to nip this in the bud, even though my experience with running injuries tells me that is nearly impossible. Tonight Matt and I are going to another black-tie benefit. It is always fun to dress up for these things once in awhile.

Tomorrow I plan to try ellipticalling and see if that feels okay on my knee. If not, I will have to go back to the pool...something I am dreading!

Posted by becky at 5:50 PM | Comments (1)

May 11, 2007

What the heck?

OK, I seem to have developed some problem with the inside of my knee. It hurt me slightly yesterday, and today it hurt again on my run, and I'm almost sure it's cartileg-related. I forgot to take my glucosamines this weekend, so maybe that is it?? It's weird and I don't like it. I actually thought about biking today instead of running, but the bike often makes those muscles on the inside of the quad sore (VMO?) and this pain is near there. It was another bad run all around because it was humid again, too. Oddly, I have not done any hills of significance lately and my knee hurts most when walking up the stairs. Since this started to bother me after my last lower-body lifing session, it's possible they are connected.

I am fairly committed to at least showing up for tomorrow's long run because I am the post-run Gatorade provider, but I am really wondering if I'll make it. Obviously, if it is really bad right away, I will turn around and go home. But I am crossing my fingers.

My work day went by quickly after I survived yet another dentist appointment. Even though it doesn't take that long for the cavities, I feel like I hear the seconds ticking by while I try not to notice the smell of burning tooth. Yuck. But I think I am almost done with the fillings.

Happy weekend to all!

Posted by becky at 8:13 PM | Comments (0)

May 10, 2007

Holy humid, Batman

Boy, was it gross out today. I don't know why I even bothered to wear a t-shirt; I was down to my sports bra very quickly. Even stretching outside I felt stifled and the run was pretty miserable, as it always is in the beginning of the humid season (and I haven't done a summer of running since 2005, so I'm really starting from scratch). Don't get me wrong, I am glad--in some sick way--to even be able to slog through the humidity. But this week has just been junk in terms of running, especially compared to last week. Today, the inside of my knee, which aches sometimes on both legs, not sure why, was super annoying. Ugh, these little niggles are truly driving me insane.

My route today was the one where I basically go uphill for a couple of miles (a gentle incline, but it felt harder today because of the weather), then flattish, and then down. I kept thinking I felt sprinkles of rain, but it was probably just my sweat (gross, but really). When I got home I rehydrated and I felt like I couldn't stop drinking. I also drank a lot of water while sitting at my desk today and also while lifting at the gym at lunch. I spent most of the summer of 2005 dehydrated and I do not want to repeat that! I'm working on it.

I desperately need a hair cut but I was too lazy to go tonight. I just want to veg out and watch my shows. Hopefully Grey's will be better tonight than last week when they were marketing Kate Walsh's spinoff.

Posted by becky at 8:10 PM | Comments (1)

May 9, 2007

Sweat gets in my eyes

Isn't there a song with a line that sounds something like, "Sweat gets in your eyes"? I thought of that this morning while pondering my burning eyes problem that has been bothering me lately. I don't know if it's my new contacts or what, but clearly with my sweat level it is not hard for some of it to get in my eyes. I tried a visor today but that unfortunately did not stop the dripping. I think I need a sweatband, but I feel like that will be too tight on my head. It will also look silly. Any suggestions from my (tons of) fans out there?

Aside from the sweating, a weird part of my kneecap ached and I was lethargic on my run from the beginning. Not the best one I've had in awhile. I walked a lot last night after the movie (which was good, but really a comedy with very sad undertones) to get home, and it was extremely humid today also. When I was planning my run today, I thought I would do another set of pickups like I did a couple of weeks ago, but once I started running I knew that it wasn't happening today.

Not too much to report from the rest of my day today. I lifted after work, mostly lower body, and I was uncomfortably hot even though it is clearly cooler in the gym than it is outside--I guess it's not cool enough. I always look around and wonder if anyone else is feeling the same way, but no one seems to be visibly suffering. Hmm. It very well could just be me!

Posted by becky at 8:35 PM | Comments (1)

May 8, 2007

Sucking it up=ellipticalling

My legs felt a little better when I woke up but I knew I should be mature and cross train today since I've been having little niggles. I realized it's been a long time since I went to the gym before work. It is definitely a lot easier to just run from home. But once I got out the door it was fine, and walking down to the bus I noticed that behind my knee was definitely less stiff and sore. Of course, when I got on the elliptical, my other ("good") knee was hurting, kind of IT band-ish. I am just getting old, I think, and that is my knee reminding me not to ignore it when I give a lot of attention to the other one.

As long as I'm complaining, I'll mention how hot it was in the gym today. But I suppose a lot of sweating makes me feel like I got a good workout in. I mostly stayed on the elliptical but I did do a bit of biking as well. I did not clip in though so I would not be overtaxing my hamstrings.

I am blogging early today because I have plans tonight to see a free screening of "The Waitress" with some friends. I have been wanting to see it since it opened at Sundance in the winter. I am a big Keri Russell fan (harkening back to her Felicity days, of course) and there is also a lot of interest in the movie because the director was killed last year by a construction worker in her New York City office. Anyway, I lifted at lunch so that I would be free for tonight--got most of what I needed to do done--and I will report back about the movie tomorrow, as long as we get in to the screening!

Posted by becky at 4:18 PM | Comments (0)

May 7, 2007

Scouting out a new route

As I mentioned yesterday, I got to sleep a little bit later this morning because I did not have to report for Jury Duty until 10:30 a.m. It was nice to have the extra time. I decided to scout out a new running route today because I'm tired of my regular ones. I ran east from my neighborhood toward Howard University and several major hospitals that are all located basically on the same plot of land. (This does not include Howard's hospital, oddly, it is close by but not in that same area.) Howard and the medical city (which reminds a bit of Boston's Longwood Medical Area, but not nearly as pedestrian friendly) are divided by a pretty big reservoir, the McMillan Reservoir. I knew there was a path around it but when I got there I realized that you aren't that close to the water because it is all fenced in and secure. But still, it was different. I did the Reservoir loop and then headed north a bit before heading back in the right direction. The problem with running over there is that it is bordering on an "unsafe" area and I don't know which streets are safe and which are not. But I wasn't too worried because I saw a lot of parents walking their kids to school and there were a lot of cars driving around so it's not like it was deserted or anything. Still, I need to do a little more due diligence (sp?) on where I should not be running. (I hate the fact that this is the case, but I guess it's just the reality of living in a city.)

My knees were achy on and off today and after standing around for more than an hour in Jury Duty, the back of my knee was aching too. I guess I will go to the gym tomorrow instead of running. Grrr. I didn't end up doing much more mileage last week than the previous ones, but maybe those first intense days in the week are what's holding me up. All I know is I felt much stronger last week than I do this week.

Jury Duty lasted pretty much all day but I had time to get some errands done downtown, where I hardly ever am, and I did not get picked for a jury this time (I was on a case in 2002 and turned out to be the alternate). Now I am free from serving for two more years. I was really tired when I left the courthouse from sitting and standing around all day but of course I went to the gym anyway. Time for dinner...

Posted by becky at 7:38 PM | Comments (0)

May 6, 2007

Repeat run

I ended up running a lot of the same route this morning as yesterday, but it didn't matter. It was a really gorgeous day--even a little chilly when we got started--and the humidity from yesterday had gone. My knee didn't feel all that excellent, but I'm going to ignore that for now. I ran with Camille, as is the case on most Sundays, and we usually have pretty in-depth conversations so it is just as well to do an out and back route that we don't really have to think about. I thought we would run into the Avon Breast Cancer walk people again, but maybe they were closer to downtown today. There were also several pretty big 5 and 10Ks going on in D.C. today but we didn't see those either.

When I got back, we had a relaxing waffles and coffee brunch and then I took my friend who was staying here to the train station. It was fun having her here. Last night we had entertained thoughts of actually going out to see a movie but we ended up staying in and watching "Stranger Than Fiction" On Demand. I really enjoyed it and was shocked that I managed to stay awake for it. Anyway, the rest of the day was spent doing a couple of errands and then Matt and I read the paper in the sun outside. I rode my trainer a little bit tonight and now have worked up another appetite, so I am about to make dinner. I have Jury Duty tomorrow and I don't have to report until 10:30, so I am looking forward to starting the week off with a bit more sleep under my belt.

Posted by becky at 7:25 PM | Comments (0)

Repeat run

Posted by becky at 7:25 PM | Comments (0)

May 5, 2007

And the hills weren't even that bad...

No one I was running with today felt particularly good. I think it was the humidity--it seemed pretty cool when we were just standing around waiting to start, but it was veey humid. I was almost late to the start of the run again because the same exit that was closed last weekend was closed again, but I made it in the nick of time. We also had to change our route a bit because the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer was taking place today and there were certainly a lot of walkers out! Our running route was supposed to be an out and back with two loops around Battery Kemble Park in the middle, but a friend and I did one loop of the park (this is where the hills I mentioned yesterday were) and then came back a different way because the full route would have been too long considering my mileage build up. I actually felt better toward the end of the run (after the hill) since my knees were both kind of achy for awhile. And of course, I've been a bit sore behind my knee since coming home, but I've come to expect that.

Except for not feeling too peppy, I enjoyed the run because I got to catch up with the aforementioned friend who I hadn't really talked to in what seems like months. She just ran Boston, so I heard that story, plus a few others. When we got back, I stood around and talked to a bunch of people and then headed back home where both Matt (he got back from his LA trip late last night) and my grad school friend who is staying with me were waiting for me for breakfast.

We went to a Kentucky Derby party this afternoon with a bunch of people Matt used to work with. I always find that the actual race is so anticlimatic because it is so quick! Matt won a little bit of money by picking the correct second-place finisher. Whoo-hoo!

I am feeling very sleepy right now and I imagine that a pre-dinner nap might be in the works...

Posted by becky at 3:33 PM | Comments (0)

May 4, 2007

Great weather; an okay run

It was a beautiful spring day today--not too hot yet in the morning but not cold, and sunny and in the 60s most of the rest of the day. Despite the nice weather, I was a little slow getting out the door this morning. I think I am worried about my front-loaded week of running and hoping that nothing bad happens (injury-wise) because of it. My legs felt sore from biking today and definitely not their best, but no major complaints. It was just kind of a blah run (I did my Friday loop). I could tell I was running about 10 minutes later than usual because when I was almost home, I passed a couple of schools and all the kids were waiting to go inside. That's how I knew I would have to be quick getting ready! Luckily, although I try to get to work by a little after 9, there is usually no real pressure to clock in or anything.

My leg was a little pinch-y today and I'm a bit nervous about tomorrow's long run route. It involves several hilly loops around a park and 1) I'm still slow on hills and 2) I have negative associations with this course. I am planning to run nice and easy with a friend so I hope I am not too slow for her or that my hamstring doesn't suffer too much. At least the loops are on trails. The full route is 16, I think, but we will cut out a loop to make it shorter. I am not ready for more than two hours of running right now.

During lunchtime today, I went to a different library because the one I usually go to had a terrible fire on Monday. They reported today that it was due to a paint-stripping gun used by construction workers renovating the outside of the library. It is a historic building and many, many old documents got ruined in the fire. I hope they can salvage some of the books, but I haven't heard. I had never been to this other library but I did pretty well there, coming out with an armful of books.

Matt comes back from LA late tonight. My friend from grad school who was here for a meeting decided to stay the weekend so she is coming over soon and we will have sushi and watch last night's Grey's, which Mary reported is not worth my time. But I taped it, so I might as well see it.

Happy (Heps) weekend to all!

Posted by becky at 7:56 PM | Comments (1)

May 3, 2007

Biking and bar mitzvahs

After five solid days of running, I was definitely ready for a cross-training day today. I was too lazy to go to the gym so I rode my trainer. From the beginning, the back of my knee was a little pinch-y, but I'm hoping that it is due to a significant amount of hamstring work yesterday and overall tiredness. It has been faintly noticeable all day (of course, I am hypersensitive to this feeling).

I watched "Keeping Up With the Steins," which was available free On Demand, while I biked. It is a comedy about rich Jewish families in Brentwood trying to top each other's bar/bat mitzvah party plans for their kids. I expected it to be really dumb, but actually it was kind of cute. Having been a bat mitzvah in an area not quite as prosperous as Brentwood, but of a similar ilk (Westchester County), I have to say it wasn't entirely unrealistic! And hey, it passed the time, so what more do I want?

I went to the gym at lunchtime today and thankfully it wasn't quite as stifling in there as it was yesterday. I biked briefly just to loosen up my muscles and was next to one of Georgetown's top middle-distance runners who I think has had an injury on and off since cross country. She was working hard!

Tonight I am meeting a local grad school friend and one who's in from out of town. Matt is currently en route to LA, where he'll be until late tomorrow night, so it's a good opportunity for girls' night.

Posted by becky at 5:45 PM | Comments (0)

May 2, 2007

Two dragging runners

I'm probably just trying to make myself feel better by saying this, but I don't think I was the only one feeling crappy on our run this morning. Getting up earlier than usual wasn't too terrible because I knew I was meeting Beth (Cornell friend I've been running with the past few days) but it was super humid and my legs were tired. Since it was her last day here, I decided we should go down towards the monuments and the Mall. I almost fell over when we approached the Washington Monument and I pointed it out to Beth--although, who could miss it?--and she said, "Wait, which monument is it? Lincoln?" She is one of the smartest people I know but clearly clueless about national monuments! She also somehow didn't notice the White House when we literally ran right up to it :) After the monument-naming problems, I took her along Constitution to get a glimpse at the real Lincoln Memorial and then we headed back "uptown" through Foggy Bottom. I was sad when we parted ways although grateful that we had these few days to run and catch up--it always seems like no time has passed when we get together.

Work was hectic this morning because we had an event to staff and of course the facilities people forgot the room plan we had provided and the room we had reserved had a divider wall up that was impossible to move. Luckily, we found the right people and everything worked out. The rest of the day was much quieter. I lifted lower body stuff after work and it was so hot in the gym that I was quite uncomfortable.

Tonight is Baskin Robbins $0.31/scoop night but I am too lazy to walk over to the cloest location (about 3/4 mile.) Plus Matt is still at work. I guess I will have to find another dessert instead!

Posted by becky at 8:14 PM | Comments (0)

May 1, 2007

Pooped

The combination of warmer weather and several days of running at a faster pace than usual is taking its toll. I am tired, but still looking forward to one more run with my visitor (okay, she's not MY visitor, but my city's visitor) before she leaves tomorrow. We met up this morning by running toward each other, but I did not see her on the planned route and it was lucky she retraced her steps and found me! We ran to Georgetown so I could take her on the trails behind my office. I actually felt decent while we were running, but got tired during the day. My knee (behind) is a bit sore but nothing major, which is good. I know I have been pushing my limits this week so I am committed to a cross-training day on Thursday!

I couldn't decide whether to lift during lunch or wait until after work, but I'm glad I got it over with early because 1) I was fading fast and 2) I had to run a (work-related) errand on my way home. My Balance bar definitely helped me through a really quick bike and then the lifting.

We're meeting extra early in the morning for our final run, so I am going to try and get to bed by 10...which is in a mere two hours!

Posted by becky at 7:50 PM | Comments (0)