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July 31, 2007
Ho-hum
I did a little better in terms of getting to sleep at a reasonable hour last night and made the bus over to the gym with a couple of minutes to spare. I booked it down there as usual and was so glad the bus driver was blasting the air conditioning. But these two women were actually complaining about the cold temperature and the driver turned it down! Luckily it is a quick ride to Georgetown so I wasn't too uncomfortable.
I ellipticalled pretty hard and then biked a little because I wanted to get back to the book I was reading. (A great one: "The Last Summer (Of You & Me)" which just came out recently--I had noticed it on Caitlin's GoodReads.) My knee is kind of stiff and sore from (I think) working it a lot in PT and at the gym yesterday, but otherwise I felt okay. It was hot as usual and I had to break the "You must wear a shirt at all times" rule and strip down to my sports bra. I don't think anyone really cared or even noticed.
It was pretty muggy out again this week and it is supposed to be in the 90s for the rest of the week. I try to walk outside to get lunch or just stretch my legs during the day and it is just too nasty to do that. Today I got a sandwich and then found a spot in one of the med school lounges to finish my book. It was nice and cool but someone was lying on a couch next to me snoring!
I lifted tonight and everything was status quo. I just cooked a nice dinner full of things that Matt doesn't really like--such as shrimp and whole wheat pasta--since he is still in LA and I hope to continue my trend of going to bed on time!
Posted by becky at 9:04 PM | Comments (0)
July 30, 2007
Some new insight
I had really good intentions about going to bed at a reasonable time last night--it just didn't happen. I wasn't that bad, but I still did not get up as early as I wanted to. Matt left today for L.A. until late Thursday night, so I will do my best to get myself back on a better sleep schedule while he is gone!
My run today was really good except for the last couple of miles when I started feeling my knee (kneecap pain both on the inside and outside). I probably should have done a shorter run and then biked following my "longer" one yesterday--hindsight is always 20/20, right? I did not run too long, but I guess I need to remember than an hour is not what it once was. I definitely felt very out of shape getting up the hills to Mass. Ave. today, but my knee felt fine so I didn't mind. Like I said yesterday, if I were only out of shape, I would be more in control of my (running) destiny.
I actually had a physical therapy appointment today that was supposed to be my final evaluation. But the PT took another look at some things about my stride and the rotation of my hips and legs and pointed out that both my femurs are rotated inward somehow, but the right one seems more so. I imagine this biomechanical freakiness came from years of compensating from various aches and pains, because it is something that your body just "learns" to do. My PT said he wanted to work on training me to have a more neutral gait and assigned me some new exercises and four more appointments over the next month. It's kind of scary that I've been in and out of PT for more than a year now. I think things are getting better but I want to feel like I can progress out of the plodding four times a week stage.
I am already a little late for my prompt bedtime plans because I had dinner with a friend tonight, but it was a lot of fun so well worth it. I had time to briefly lift between work and dinner and I did some of the new leg/knee strengthening stuff and some upper body. OK, off to water Matt's plants and then bed.
Posted by becky at 10:22 PM | Comments (1)
July 29, 2007
Pushing it a bit
I finally ran with Camille this morning again after several Sundays that either I was away or she was. She has been doing a lot of lifting, kickboxing, and spinning and her body looks really awesome...I am jealous. She meets her friends at 5 a.m. to lift, squat, etc. BEFORE their spin class or a run. Considering my track record with waking up lately, I am extremely impressed.
My knee was a little achy and her hamstring/butt was sore from all that squatting, so we made a good team today. We did our usual route where we go out on MacArthur Boulevard from Georgetown and connect with the Capital Crescent and C&O Canal to go back. It is mostly shady except for the last mile and I was not enjoying myself then. I knew it would be uncomfortably humid so I ran with water and that definitely helped keep me cool. I totally died on the last half mile sunny stretch of the Canal and Camille kicked my butt home. I don't mind that much being out of shape if I can get back to decent shape with little pain...I hope I can start building up my mileage, at least a little, soon.
Matt and I had brunch/lunch with a friend of ours who was in town for a wedding and then browsed for some new placemats. We saw a type that we liked at a museum store in Seattle and today we found them locally--mission accomplished. It was storming on and off when we were downtown but we managed to miss getting completely soaked, a minor miracle since we were without an umbrella.
When we got back, we had to run to the grocery store, then I had to return a couple of phone calls, and my motivation for riding my trainer for a short workout was seriously waning. I did my leg exercises and some abs and now it's time to make dinner anyway!
Posted by becky at 6:11 PM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2007
Steamy Saturday
I had a hard time falling asleep last night for some unknown reason, so I did not feel particularly well-rested when I woke up and got ready to ride my trainer. I knew it was nasty outside (hot + humid) so I wasn't too bummed that it was a cross training day. It took me about 15 minutes of biking to really wake up, but once I did I felt like I was getting in a good workout. The mini-tune-up that my bike had on Thursday definitely contributed to a smoother "ride." I was looking for a movie to watch but none of the On Demand offerings were looking good, so I watched another "Big Love" ep and then listened to music when that was done. I did as many hill/climbing intervals as I could stand and my knee felt fine; I'm just a little sore now.
My day went quickly even though I was mostly cleaning up and doing errands. My grocery shopping took forever because there were ridiculous lines. I started to get frustrated, but then I just read gossip magazines and the time passed quickly enough.
Matt and I saw "Live Free or Die Hard" tonight after an early dinner. I haven't seen any of the other movies in the "Die Hard" series but it didn't matter. I picked the last movie and it was Matt's turn. It was pretty entertaining and most of the good guys survived the violence and havoc, so it wasn't hard to watch!
Posted by becky at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2007
Hot morning and hot night
I'm back to complaining about the heat. Or, rather, the humidity, I should say. I didn't even start my run in anything more than a sports bra because I knew if I wore a shirt it would be coming right off, but I guess it would have also absorbed some of the sweat that started flying off me a half mile into the run. I decided to wear my over-the-counter orthotic (SuperFeet) that I'm used to in my right (blister) foot and the new one in the right shoe. I could definitely still feel the blister but it was better. As for my other aches and pains, my knee bothered me a little but nothing too out of the ordinary. I did my usual Friday route so I wouldn't have to think about where I was going.
It took me a while to cool off when I got home, and I felt like I couldn't get enough to drink. I have been trying to drink all day at work too and I think I am back in hydration balance now. Although we are going up to Baltimore for another Orioles-Yankees game tonight and I am dreading sitting there in a pool of my own sweat. There is a slight breeze though so it'll be better when the sun goes down, and I am armed with a frozen water bottle and several towels.
[Update: The female half of the other couple we were going to the game with canceled, so I decided to graciously just let the boys go. I'm sure it would have been fun, but they will enjoy it so much more without my complaining about being hot.]
Happy weekend to all!
Posted by becky at 4:32 PM | Comments (0)
July 26, 2007
Productive day after a slow start
We did not get to sleep last night until after midnight because we were on the phone with Matt's sister for a while (not that I don't want to talk to her) so it was even harder to get up today than it has been the other days of this week. I stayed in bed longer than I should have but it is so tempting because hardly anyone is around this week in my office! Anyway, I covered up my blister with some moleskin and hoped for the best with the orthotics. I started out downhill and my knee did not like that. I have a feeling that as long as it took me to "warm up" before my injury year, it is only going to be longer now. Once I got back on flat(tish) ground I felt more normal. I could feel the blister spot but it was hard to tell if it was getting worse or not because I can even feel it in flip-flops. I ran downtown via the Convention Center and past the White House today, which I hadn't done in a few weeks. It was quite humid today and I was really feeling it. I feel out of shape enough and the thick, soupy air only adds to my troubles! I had a very hard time with the last hill about a tenth of a mile from my apartment. And the blister was hurting a lot by that point. It doesn't LOOK all that much worse, but I am concerned because I definitely feel like that orthotic is higher near the instep than the other one. I guess if it doesn't get better/broken in I will call the foot guy who measured me.
I took my bike to the bike store this morning to get a couple of things checked out and I got there promptly at 9, when I thought it opened...to see a "Closed" sign on the door. It opens at 10. So I walked the bike back home and was dripping with sweat by that point so I waited for the city bus to take me down to the Georgetown bus instead of walking. The bus took forever to come so I was definitely later than I had anticipated for work, and with nothing to show for it.
I knew I would want to go home straight from a meeting I had off campus in the afternoon, so I lifted at lunch. It was very nice and empty and not as hot. My elbow is hurting a little and I can't tell if it is a bruise or some sort of muscle thing. I'm not too concerned though.
After my meeting I went home, toweled off the sweat, and tried again with my bike. All you tri geeks out there will laugh at me, but I needed a new tube for my tire and I never learned how to do that. I was raised with the philosophy of "why do it yourself when you will probably do it wrong and a professional will do it right the first time" and Matt kind of thinks that way too. I kind of have a bad reputation for breaking things/making them worse than they are. Anyway, when I got to the bike store the mechanic got all excited and said a free tire-changing class was just about to start! How could I say no?
An hour and a half later, I was home with a changed tire done mostly by myself, extremely greasy hands and breaks that didn't squeak. I still wouldn't want to change a tire by myself in the middle of a ride, but at least I understand what's what and how to do it. Hooray--I feel so independent! Now if I could only learn that much about our car...
Posted by becky at 8:38 PM | Comments (0)
July 25, 2007
Same old hot gym
It is getting harder and harder to wake up as the week goes on...this is not good. Hopefully I can catch up a little on sleep this weekend. Anyway, I did get myself out of bed in time to make my usual bus to go to the gym before work. I hadn't been there for a morning workout in a few weeks, but it was hot as ever in there. It doesn't even feel that much cooler when you come in from outside--that's definitely a sign that it's not cool enough! They need fans on the floor; that would help at least a little.
I ellipticalled pretty hard and I was too dead to do anything more than a very brief bike afterwards. Sometimes I start out too hard and then lose steam and get low blood sugar, which is exactly what happened this morning. My stomach was growling too and my main motivation was to finish my workout so I could shower, get to my office and eat my bagel. I wore my orthotics (and moleskin over the blister) and all was fine. I keep putting my cure-all, Neosporin, on it, in the hopes that that will speed the healing process.
There was a brief period at work where I was falling asleep at my desk, but I had some hot chocolate and the caffeine seemed to perk me up a bit. Otherwise I was pretty alert during the day, and still busy catching up from the last couple of weeks. I biked after work and did my lower body stuff but not arms because something is weird in my elbow/arm and that is a warning side for me to take it easy with the lifting.
I am running out to have dinner with our cousin--she's cooking this time, yay!--so that's all for me today.
Posted by becky at 8:18 PM | Comments (0)
July 24, 2007
The good, the bad, and the blister
I checked my email when I woke up and I was glad to see that Beth had shared her insight on breaking in orthotics. I was a little worried about blisters but I was so anxious to see if the orthotics made my knee feel better that I decided to try them for a 5-ish mile run. I also knew that they felt okay while biking yesterday and since I can't wear sneakers to work, it would be difficult to break them in by walking. So off I went.
The good news first: my knee felt better, it really did. Whether it was actually the orthotics or my thinking that the orthotics were helping doesn't even matter: I was feeling like my stride was much more normal and like I wasn't rolling my knee in as much. But while I was noticing my lack of knee pain, I was also realizing that my left ("good") foot was getting a nasty blister on the instep. I used to get those blisters every time I got new running shoes, actually, so it's not that surprising. My right instep wasn't bothering me one bit, so I don't really get it. I ended up taking out the left orthotic and running with nothing in that shoe for a little more than the last mile of the run. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, mostly because I was very uneven, but I think I saved the blister from becoming truly nasty. It isn't too bad right now and I am going to dress it with lots of Neosporin tonight and hopefully wear the orthotics on the elliptical tomorrow. I am going to break them in if it kills me!
My day at work went by pretty quickly since I am still catching up from being out of the office, and then I rode the bike for a bit and lifted. I did mostly upper body stuff. There were a lot of high school students there today. You can tell who they are because they all wear nametags around campus (they are there for some program) even at the gym. And medical school classes start in a couple of weeks so there are more of those types around too. The weather is still summery, but it's starting to feel like fall semester on campus.
Posted by becky at 9:49 PM | Comments (0)
July 23, 2007
Tired and it's only Monday
Now that I am sitting down and mostly done with the day, I am very tired. It is always hard getting back to work after some time off, but it usually only takes me a few days to readjust. It was also hard to wake up this morning. Luckily it was sunny and I was kind of motivated to get to work at least close to on time since I knew I would have a lot to do, so I managed to snooze only a couple of times.
I had another decent run--not much pain in the kneecap at all except toward the end, and it did not bother me later--and the weather was actually pretty good. Most Eastern/Mid-Atlantic cities had rainy days today, I think (at least based on what my out-of-town friends told me on Google chat), but we had a nice one. My iPod started acting up about 15 minutes into the run and I just shut it off rather than fiddle with it. It is extremely hard for me to keep sweat from getting into the part that connects to the computer, even though I keep it in a "waterproof" neoprene case, so I wouldn't be surprised if it is broken. I'm going to reset it and give it another try tomorrow.
I picked up my orthotics today and wore them while I was in the gym after work. They are definitely going to take some getting used to--for those of you who are lifelong orthotics users, what should I expect? They also made my feet really hot, which sometimes happens when I am breaking new shoes in. In any case, it was nice to be back at the gym after some time away and I got in a good lifting session and a little bit of biking.
Posted by becky at 9:29 PM | Comments (5)
July 22, 2007
Baggage (and running plan) snafu
Our flights yesterday were uneventful and I managed to even stay awake most of the time and finish one book and half of another. We got in at about 12:30 am and neither Matt nor I felt too tired since we were probably still on West Coast time. Then we went to claim our bags and none of them arrived--that was fun. It wasn't inconceivable that our bags had missed our connection in Dallas since we only had about 45 minutes between flights and it is a huge airport, but it was of course annoying and disconcerting, especially since I lost my bag for a month in April 2004 (those who know me will know that the bag debacle also coincided with Matt's appendectomy). Anyway, we filed a report, found a taxi and got home hoping our bags would be on the next flight out of Dallas.
My running shoes were in the checked luggage and I thought I might have a spare pair at home, but I realized I didn't when we got home. I could have gone to the gym to get my other pair but decided to wake up early, call Camille and cancel our run and just ride my trainer. It was unlike me but I did not get very much sleep and it seemed like the best decision at the time. I thought I might get a chance to go for a run later today but as the hours ticked by and I got busy taking care of various things, the possibility became more remote. I might jump back on the trainer tonight for a bit, but I am not really in the mood and will store up my excess energy for a run tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow's run will be indeed possible because we did go to the airport in the early afternoon and pick up our bags. One was actually sent to Baltimore for some strange reason but it was delivered here tonight. Now it's back to the grind of a full work week...I hope I make it through! Luckily, the weather is supposed to be cool and rainy, so it'll be just like the last few days of our vacation!
Posted by becky at 7:18 PM | Comments (0)
July 21, 2007
Running into a race
We are at the airport right now waiting to leave for Dallas, where we will connect back to National. We will get home late but hopefully the three-hour time difference will come in handy as I have plans to meet Camille for a run in Georgetown in the morning!
As for this morning's run, it was super humid (I just checked the weather and it is 88% relative humidity right now) but otherwise okay. The hotel provided a little running/walking map, so I did one of the routes on there. I did basically a rectangle of the downtown Vancouver area, staying by the water most of the time. When I was about a mile away from Stanley Park, I "ran" into a road race! It didn't seem too big but it was a narrow bike path so I did my best to stay out of the way and still stick to my route. A few of the race volunteers tried to give me water, but I waited until I found a water fountain. I happened to see the top women's finishers because my route turned right around that area, and they were going pretty fast--from the back of the pack, it seemed like it wouldn't be a competitive race--so I'll have to look up the results later.
My knee ached a bit but didn't feel terrible today, and I'll take what I can get. I had a little time when I got back to do some abs and step-downs in preparation for the next several hours that I will be sitting on my butt! Although I am sad that our vacation is ending, I am definitely glad to be returning to my daily routines.
Posted by becky at 12:59 PM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2007
Another rainy day
Today was one of those days where it rained on and off--mostly on--the entire time. It was raining a bit when I woke up and the elliptical I was on was right up against a window, so I watched the drizzle turn to downpour and back again. Kind of a bummer for our last day on vacation, but we made the most of it.
I felt good on the elliptical today but the gym is in the same area as the pool so it is super hot and humid in there. I was dripping all over the machine and the floor and when I changed directions on the elliptical to go backwards (I do this a few times to work different muscles), I nearly slipped because it was so wet. So gross. But I did what I had to! I biked a little afterwards and then did some upper body lifting.
We hung out in the hotel just relaxing for a lot of the day because of the weather. We ventured out to an authentic Chinese noodle/wonton place for lunch and then to Yaletown, the newest trendy part of Vancouver, for dinner. It kept raining and my feet turned black inside my shoes because of the water, but we had fun anyway--really. We are disappointed to be leaving tomorrow but I think we've had a really nice vacation and made some nice memories!
Posted by becky at 11:33 PM | Comments (0)
July 19, 2007
When in Vancouver...
I was excited to run in Stanley Park this morning because I had heard it was really nice, but unfortunately I ran a little more than I should have and my knee was not happy with me. I started out feeling okay. Our hotel is about a mile away on the same street as the entrance to the Park, so I ran there and then got on the Seawall path which follows the water around the whole perimeter of the Park, which is supposed to be about 5 miles or so. But they are doing construction on that path and I followed the detour signs on to the main road that goes through the Park, which is not nearly as scenic, for about a mile or maybe more. I think I also might have gone out of my way but it was really hard to tell. There are also a lot of trails that span the interior of the Park, but I didn't have a map with me and I was worried about getting all turned around without the visual cue of the shoreline! I think I did the whole loop, or at least the part that wasn't detoured, but my knee started to ache when I still had a couple of miles to go before I got back to our hotel, so that wasn't good. But in general, I was impressed with Stanley Park--very nicely laid out with separate biking/rollerblading and running/walking paths, and obviously very scenic with views of the shore and the awesome Lion's Gate Bridge. Matt and I are planning to go back there tomorrow and do some exploring on bikes. Hopefully the predicted rain will hold off.
Matt and I spent a couple of hours today exploring Granville Island, which is a 2-minute ferry ride away from the downtown area. The big attraction is a public market not unlike Pike's Market in Seattle, just on a smaller scale. It had been cloudy/rainy when we set out over there but after we ate a late lunch the sun came out so we decided to go back to the hotel and sit by the pool for a while (and of course I did a little biking and lifting, mostly legs).
We were just about to leave to go walk around Yaletown when I looked at the printed receipt I had for tickets to a Patty Griffin concert I bought just before we left D.C. I was almost positive that the concert was tomorrow, but it was tonight! We made it just in the nick of time and it was an awesome concert. Even Matt, not usually a fan of "Becky" music, was impressed. We were so lucky to see that set!
Posted by becky at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)
July 18, 2007
Rainy run
We have been pretty lucky with the weather during our whole vacation so far so I wasn't that surprised when I woke up and saw it looked wet out this morning. It didn't look like it was currently raining, though, so I decided against putting on my hat when I left to go running. That ended up being a bad decision as the rain picked up and continued throughout my run. But it never got too heavy and it seemed very Seattle, so I didn't mind too much. In fact, I actually felt better today than I have during my past few runs--I won't go into great detail so as not to jinx myself, but it was more pleasant than it has been. Since it was my last run in Seattle, I decided to explore a bit--I ran up to Lake Union, which I hadn't seen yet, and out and back a bit on the bike path that basically goes around it. Despite the rain, it was a scenic run.
We set out for Vancouver soon after I got back from my run (and cleaned up, of course). The drive was really pretty although the rain continued. This is my first time in Canada so it was kind of exciting to cross the border. When we got to our hotel, Matt ran out to return the rental car and I went down to check out the gym (and bike a bit). I didn't have time to do much more than that because we wanted to get lunch before it was too late! We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring a bit but it was raining and even a bit chilly, so it got old kind of quickly. Tonight we had a nice dinner at a trendy bistro and then (finally) saw "Knocked Up." I had heard it wasn't "that great" so I went in with low expectations and enjoyed it more than I expected to!
Posted by becky at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)
July 17, 2007
Last full day in Seattle
Since my last couple of runs have been less than enjoyable, I was kind of relieved to wake up and remember that today was a cross-training day. I walked about 7 minutes to the downtown Seattle Athletic Club, where I knew I could get a guest pass, and worked out there. They had newer models of Precor ellipticals than I had seen before--and the old ones seemed kind of creaky--so I tried one. It felt different but I was definitely working really hard. So hard, in fact, that I decided to bike after a half hour on that machine instead of doing closer to an hour and then switching to the bike. They had good stationary bikes so I did an interval workout, making it up as I went along.
When I was done working out, I lifted, including some of my PT exercises like step-downs (which I still am horrible at) and one-legged trampoline ball throws (I couldn't believe they had a trampoline set up for this, but they did!). I wanted to get back to the hotel and start our day at a somewhat reasonable hour, so I didn't get through my whole lifting routine, but it was good to do some of it.
Matt and I spent the morning and early afternoon sitting outside by the water reading. It drizzled on and off so we eventually went under the overhang of the new sculpture garden building (part of the Seattle Art Museum). Later in the afternoon, we took a ferry to Bainbridge Island, which is to the west of Seattle and mostly residential but with a cute "main" street. I got homemade pink grapefruit sorbet at this cute ice cream/sorbet place and it was awesome.
Tonight we met our friends who stayed with us last week while they were visiting DC for a Seattle Mariners game. Incidentally, they were playing the Baltimore Orioles. The Os won and a good time was had by all. I was especially excited because it was actually pretty chilly once the sun went down. It doesn't take much more than cool weather to impress me!
Posted by becky at 10:55 PM | Comments (0)
July 16, 2007
Mountains and museums
Today felt like a long day, although we did a lot, so it's not a bad thing. I did go back to Discovery Park this morning to run on the trails there. It was a scenic run but both my knees were kind of bothering me with the hills. There is a loop that is about 3 miles so I did it twice, going the opposite way the second time. It wasn't super hilly, but I am so slow even on small hills that it took longer than I expected. It was pretty cool though, in the high 60s, so that was really nice. Part of the loop goes right along a bluff that overlooks Puget Sound--it was beautiful especially on a bright, sunny morning.
Our first (my second) adventure of the day was a trip to Snoqualmie Falls, a town about 50 miles east of Seattle. As the name suggests, the main attraction there is a 280-foot waterfall. We started at the top observation deck, then made our way down a hill about a mile long until we got to the lower observation deck. We noticed people who had climbed down onto the rocks surrounding the water below the Falls, so of course we had to do that too. It was not easy for my poor knees to do all that bending and jumping, but I made it, and it was awesome. The climb back up was difficult, but not terrible since it was still pretty cool out. It was a fun little trip.
When we got back, I did my PT leg exercises, or the ones that I could, anyway, in our small hotel room. Then we walked around the part of the city near the Space Needle and spent an hour or so in a newish museum called the Experience Music Project. It has a permanent exhibit about Seattle/Northwest bands like Nirvana and Heart (who knew?) and several really neat feature exhibits. There is also a place where you can go into your own recording studio and "jam." Matt had fun learning how to sing a Nirvana song--so much fun, in fact, that his throat is sore!
I'm planning on taking tomorrow as a gym day--I am going to check out a gym that was recommended by our travel book. I am hoping to fit in both a workout and lifting first thing. We'll see how much I actually get done!
Posted by becky at 10:54 PM | Comments (1)
July 15, 2007
Just another couple of tourists
Matt and I did a lot of touristy things today, being that it was our first full day in Seattle. I did a touristy sort of run myself, along the waterfront (Puget Sound) on a bike path. It was mostly out and back on the path although I decided to run up a hill and back down for the end of the "out" part of the run since I was bored of the bike path. (It was nice along the waterfront, but after a couple of miles it turned into a path that paralleled the freight train tracks, not too scenic.) The weather was pretty good; sunny but a nice breeze off the water kept things from getting too hot. On the knee front, things were the same as they have been, which is on and off pain in the patellar region. Stretching helps a bit but it never really goes away, unfortunately, and it is the same in the beginning, middle, and end of a run.
Post-run, we had a bite to eat in the hotel and then walked back to Pike's Market--this time things were open and it was tourist central. We thought it was okay; not that different from other markets we've been to, like Fanueil Hall in Boston. I got some delicious Ranier cherries and we continued walking and looked around a bit in the newly renovated Seattle Museum of Art. We went back to the market for lunch and by then we had had enough of navigating the crowds.
We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking/walking in Discovery Park, which I had read about in my suggested Seattle running routes. We were with friends who actually live in Seattle, so they knew their way around and we didn't worry about getting lost. It was a nice park with neat trails and I think I might go back tomorrow to explore it further on foot!
Posted by becky at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)
July 14, 2007
Northward bound
Today was our last day in Portland, so I attempted to get up early so we could make the most of it. I was going to go to a gym and pay the guest fee, but I decided that all I would have time for anyway was ellipticalling and biking--not any lifting or anything--so I might as well just do that in the unairconditioned but free hotel gym. It was actually crowded even at 7ish in the morning, but I secured the one elliptical and hopped on. It was the noisiest machine I've ever been on. (I wished for a can of WD-40 to oil it and stop the horrible squeaking, but none appeared.) I had to turn my iPod up really loud to drown it out, and even that didn't totally work. After the elliptical, I biked for a bit and then did my abs and that was it for the workout. My legs felt fine on both the elliptical and bike; the achilles/calf issue is better but still hurting a tiny bit when walking, so I am continuing to foam roll my extremely tight calves and avoid hills.
After a quick breakfast, we hit up the Portland Saturday Market under the Burnside Bridge and browsed the crafts and trinkets and stuff. Then we grabbed lunch at a pizza place I had been eyeing since our arrival--it was definitely not as good as I had hoped for--and got on the road to Seattle.
Our hotel here in Seattle, The Ace Hotel, is really neat. It is very minimalist but we have everything we need (so far) and there is a lot of shared common space including coin-operated laundry, which I desperately need for my stinky, wet running clothes. It seems like it will be a cool place to stay.
By the time we got settled here and showered, it was time for our dinner reservation. Another good meal and good atmosphere. After dinner we walked around downtown/Belltown to try and get our bearings and to see the famous Pike's Market, although none of the shops were open anymore. We did visit the first Starbucks and then we walked along the water for awhile and watched the sun set. It was really beautiful. And if the temperature stays in the 70s like it is supposed to tomorrow, things will be even better.
Posted by becky at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)
July 13, 2007
Another sunny day on foot
I am a little worried about my achilles/ankle--on the "good" leg, ironically, as it is sore after the hilly run yesterday. Not a shocker, I guess, since it's been a while since I did hills that steep and I was probably on my toes. It didn't bother me while I was running today, although my knees (both) were achy on and off and I just generally felt pretty crappy, but it has been sore walking around. I ran along the Portland waterfront this morning, which was flat and quite scenic, but as I said, I just never felt all that comfortable. It was overcast but kind of humid--not D.C. humid, but not as dry as yesterday, either.
I biked briefly and did my PT/leg exercises at the adequate but non air-conditioned gym in the hotel when I got back. Then Matt and I had a quick bite to eat and headed for what turned out to be a long walk punctuated by visits into shops and galleries. We were exploring the section of the city known as Nob Hill, and there are a lot of cool boutiques there--and an outpost of Title Nine Sports, my favorite catalog! I didn't buy anything at T9 but I did get a pair of sandals on sale and a couple of other little things. We ate lunch at a sushi place we had been told was good--it was--and then walked back downtown, near our hotel.
When we approached the hotel, we saw a big gathering in a park nearby. The city was sponsoring a sand sculpture contest and we were there towards the end, so we saw all the contenders. They were amazing!! We were about to head out when Matt spotted new Portland Trailblazer Greg Oden in the crowd. He posed with a sand castle version of his head and I got some decent pics. We were amazed that he wasn't surrounded by that many people, considering he was the number-one draft pick last month!
I had a little time after all that to lift at the hotel gym, which doesn't have much, but free weights will do for the majority of my routine. Aside from the fact that the room was boiling hot withot a/c, it was a decent workout and I'm glad I had the chance to get it in. After that, we got dinner to go at Whole Foods and picnicked back at the Rose Gardens in Washington Park just as the sun was setting. That was Matt's idea and it was a great one!
Posted by becky at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)
July 12, 2007
Sweat can evaporate??
Even though I got enough hours of sleep last night, I think my lack of sleep the night before and the time change caught up with me today--from the time I woke up, I've been tired. But we managed to have a packed (and fun) day anyway.
I ran this morning and it turned out to be mostly hilly on the way from the hotel up to Washington Park--the park we went to before dinner last night--and then downhill on the way back. I definitely struggled on the hills but aside from that felt okay. The park is beautiful and quiet and well-maintained. I was trying to make it to the Portland Zoo (also in the park) but I am still trying to be cautious so I had to turn around before I got there.
Besides the natural beauty of the scenery, the best part of the run was that it was so pleasant without humidity! I could actually breathe and although I was sweating a lot as usual, it was evaporating!! It was like that first cool, dry day in the fall when the humidity finally goes away. A dream come true.
It was already getting warmer when Matt and I left later in the morning for our visit to the University of Oregon. Not normally a tourist destination, but how could I come so close to Tracktown, USA, and miss it? It took about two hours to get there. We checked out the track, which is closed for construction/renovation, probably preparations for the Olympic Trials next year, and then took a walk across the Willamette River to Pre's Trail. It was all really nice. The campus is beautiful and you can tell track is a big deal there--cool!
We ate lunch on the outskirts of campus and then headed back to Portland. Instead of gong directly back to our hotel, we went instead to the NIike Wolrld Headquarters in Beaverton. We met a friend from Matt's class at business school who works there, and she gave us a tour. It is an amazing campus with infliences from athletes around the world, and the culture of the compay encourages staff members to work out during the work day, try new sports, etc. I saw a pool and a rockclimbing wall and an awesome spinning studio. I could go on, but I'm falling asleep as I write this. We finished the day by having dinner with our Nike friend and a couple of others. We got back to the hotel just in time to avoid being rained on. It was a great day for many reasons!
Posted by becky at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)
July 11, 2007
An extra long (but fun) day
I can't even believe I am still awake right now. It is just after 10 p.m. Portland time and I began my day when my alarm went off at 3 a.m. I was confused at first, but then I remembered what was going on and I put on my clothes (sleepily) for riding the trainer. My taxi was coming at 5 so I didn't have that much time to play around with. I did what I could knowing I'd be glad later. I felt kind of out of it but not as bad as I thought I might. I watched the first hour or so of a pretty silly Jennifer Aniston movie that was available OnDemand, and all I can say is it passed the time.
I was glad I got to the airport early because the lines were out of control due to some flight cancellations yesterday from storms. But everything went smoothly and for the next eight or so hours I flew to Chicago, waited for my layover, got on the flight to Portland, slept on the plane, read, and finally arrived in Portland and met Matt at the rental car place. We were kind of dismayed to feel that the weather was almost as gross as it has been on the East Coast. Slightly less humid, but in the mid-90s and quite uncomfortable (just our luck).
We dropped our bags off at our hotel, ate lunch, and then explored a bit. By 4 p.m., there were only so many air-conditioned stores we wanted to go into. It was hot. We cooled off in our room for a while and then went up to this rose garden and Japanese garden that are in the middle of a huge park I hope to run in tomorrow. It had cooled off by then so it was comfortable and really nice. Then we went to dinner at this great French place in the Pearl district of the city. Now we are back and I desperately want to finish my book but I am almost certain I won't be able to stay awake long enough for that!
Posted by becky at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)
July 10, 2007
Heading out of here
This will be quick as I am rushing around trying to finish packing for our trip tomorrow. My flight leaves at 6:50 am and I am hoping to ride the trainer beforehand, so I don't expect to get much sleep! Matt booked such an early flight so we could make the most of the day in Portland, but he is already in L.A. so he doesn't have to go until a much more reasonable time in the morning!
This morning's run was pretty good, all things considered. It was really, really humid and hot. I didn't even check the temperature before I left because I didn't want to know. I did a slight variation on the Becky/Friday loop. My knee was off and on as usual...but it doesn't get worse, a good sign, and I felt fine when I got back. I wore a patellar strap for about three miles and then took it off since it was annoying me more than it was helping. I also took off my shirt and wrung it out a couple of times...gross! It was one of my favorite kind of days where there was just no air.
I went to the gym to lift at lunchtime and got caught in a rainstorm that thankfully improved the weather a bit. I am going to try and lift at some YMCAs while on vacation, but I am also going to try and be on vacation, as much as is possible for me!
Posted by becky at 9:48 PM | Comments (0)
July 9, 2007
Keeping my cool
It was another really hot day and I was kind of glad to be working out inside (except for the fact that it was of course quite warm in the gym). I had this grand plan to wake up earlier than usual and not be rushed getting down to the bus but of course that didn't happen. Matt left the apartment at about 5:30 am for his 7:00 am flight to L.A., but I barely stirred while he was in the shower and getting ready. When my alarm went off, I snoozed until the last moment as usual.
I ellipticalled at the gym and it went by pretty quickly because I hadn't ellipticalled in about a week. I am into a new Jodi Picoult book but I mostly listened to music because I was in a good groove. My pes anserine bothered me on and off but nothing too terrible. I usually also have time to bike a little when I am at the gym in the mornings but I was in a rush today because I had a PT appointment first thing.
By the time I got done with PT, where I did more of my exercises and was deemed to be making "good progress," I felt like I had been working out for hours. It was getting really hot out by that point so I was glad to get back to my air conditioned office, where I stayed most of the afternoon. I did a little biking and a little lifting after work but it was uncomfortably hot in the gym. I don't think it was just me as I noticed that everyone else was sweating, too.
I'm headed to bed shortly although I just got home from going out to dinner with friends who are in town for a couple of nights. I have a lot to do before I am ready to leave on Wednesday but it'll have to wait until tomorrw as I am beat!
Posted by becky at 10:41 PM | Comments (0)
July 8, 2007
A hot one
I had a run on the schedule today so I attempted to get up early since it was supposed to be really hot, although it wasn't really very early because we stayed up late watching "Without Limits" last night. Matt liked it and I didn't stay awake for the whole thing, but I've seen it a few times.
It was hot but not too terrible when I got out the door. I brought water with a little Gatorade mixed in with me--the first time I've used my hand bottle (one of those Amphipod ones that straps onto your hand) in a long time. It is comfortable except for the fact that my thumb gets tingly after a while. My knee was weird today, hurting for stretches of the run (in the patellar tendonitis spot) and then not hurting at all for other parts. As far as I could tell, it didn't have to do with whether I was going uphill or downhill or whether I was on the trail or not. I do notice a difference when I make sure to stand up tall and really use my butt and hamstrings--I guess that takes some stress off my knees. In any case, I ran for about an hour and although my knee hurt on and off, I didn't have any pain afterwards, which for me is a signal that I'm not doing anything too terrible by running.
Matt had to go to the office today so I finally started packing for our trip. I am a horrible packer and it's been years since I went away for more than a few days at a time. We are going to Portland on Wednesday for a few days, then Seattle and then Vancouver. (Although Matt is actually meeting me in Portland because he is going to L.A. for work tomorrow.) We have a few things planned--like going on a tour of Nike and a Mariners game--but mostly we just want to relax and do some touristy Pacific Northwest things. The original plan was to escape the heat of D.C. in July, but it turns out the West is having a major heat wave right now also! Hopefully it will clear out by next week (we will be out there through the 21st).
So I did a little packing and other household tasks and then went to the gym to briefly bike and lift. It's been a long time since I was there on a Sunday and it sure was quiet. It was super hot just walking from the car to the gym...probably about 98 degrees. Yuck. I didn't do a whole lot of lifting but wanted to front-load the week since I know it'll be hard to stay in my regular routine while we're traveling. Not that changing my routine is stressing me out or anything... :)
Posted by becky at 7:01 PM | Comments (0)
July 7, 2007
Freedom bikers
I managed to get up almost as early as I needed to this morning so that I could get in a decent ride on the trainer before Matt's dad's scheduled arrival. I watched "Freedom Writers" and really enjoyed it. It's a little cheesy, as all feel-good movies are, but since it was a true story I wasn't that bothered. I did some climbing intervals and ended up biking for the whole movie which was exactly two hours. My legs are kind of sore now but nothing hurt and it was a good workout.
Matt was on airport pickup duty while I showered and made coffee. We hung out in our apartment for a couple of hours, figuring out a place to put our new rug brought back from Matt's dad's recent trip to Turkey, and then we went out to lunch in our neighborhood. It was really hot out (mid-90s and forecast to be 98 both Monday and Tuesday) so we did not partake of the nice outdoor area at this cafe.
This afternoon I did some more trip planning and took a nap and then did some of my PT exercises (squats, etc.). We are headed out to dinner at a friends' house and then I hope we will have time to watch "Without Limits" because I want to get Matt excited about visiting Pre's Trail when we are in Oregon!
Posted by becky at 6:40 PM | Comments (0)
July 6, 2007
For real Friday
This has been such a weird week with the Wednesday holiday. It kind of felt like two short weeks, especially since we were so busy with our media coverage. I must have turned the volume on my clock radio down, because I woke up when Matt's alarm went off. I got up a little later than I had planned but it wasn't too bad. I had planned to do a "regular" run, which for me right now is about 40 minutes. I felt okay when I started but my kneecap (right in the typical patellar tendonitis spot, which I have not had up until now!) started aching. Being the stubborn person that I am, I pressed on as the pain was not getting worse and finished the run. I'm thinking that maybe my knee is learning not to turn in (making the inside hurt) and is now just feeling some more typical aches and pains for someone with no cartilage? It's really day to day with me and I am just so tired of not knowing what each run will bring. I will be sure to bike tomorrow and hopefully that'll help if any of this is due to the exercises I did in physical therapy on Thursday.
I made my (not so) triumphant return to the dentist this morning to resume my epic cavity fillings. I hadn't been in about six weeks due to various factors but mostly because the dentist canceled on ME twice! He had a hard time numbing me completely today and I had to get tons of Novocaine...I couldn't each lunch until almost 2, and even that was just frozen yogurt. And yup, I've still got two more cavities to fill and possibly a crown (or two). Fun times, but if there's a bright side, I've gotten braver.
I was glad the numbness wore off by the time another camera crew came to interview our newly famous doctors. This time it was a news service that is dubbed in many different languages and sent out all over the world. Cool.
Matt is working late again and I should be productive by starting to pack for our trip or something, but I am comfortable here on the couch reading US Weekly. I anticipate a hectic weekend of visitors, packing and planning so I'll allow myself a few hours of relaxation tonight.
Happy weekend to all!
Posted by becky at 8:09 PM | Comments (0)
July 5, 2007
Staying cool(er) inside
I wanted to elliptical today since I feel like I've been biking a ton, but I had an appointment to go to and it would have been harder to go over to Georgetown first. So back on the bike it was. Nothing exciting has been added to the On Demand menu and I'm all caught up on my HBO shows, so I listened to my iPod while reading the scrolling news headlines. I saw the local weather about 80 times and it looks like it is going to be a pretty hot weekend and hot next week as well, but that's okay since we're headed to the Northwest on Wednesday. Oh, and one more note on the workout--I was able to comfortably do some out-of-the-saddle intervals for the first time in recent memory.
I had a PT appointment in the afternoon and it went well. I tried hard to show off my good form on my squats and step-downs and I was rewarded by moving up to a bigger step and having to do a lot of core work now that my knee is getting stronger. It still bothers me in the inside when I go up and down stairs (or hills) a lot, but I do think my stability is getting at least a little better.
I biked a bit and then did upper body lifting at the gym after work since I had already done my leg stuff at PT. Everything was fine but I was definitely hungry and ready to refuel by the time I left. I have since done that and now I feel like I could fall asleep at any moment!
Posted by becky at 9:35 PM | Comments (0)
July 4, 2007
Fast Fourth
I felt like today went by really fast, although I think that is because I'm used to having two "weekend" days and this was only one. I enjoyed sleeping in and my leg was feeling pretty good so I set out for a short run. It was pretty nice weather and once the initial starting-out aches and pains subsided, I felt all right. I got passed by a woman at one point--there were lots of runners out today--and did my best not to speed up and try and catch her. Actually, I don't think I could have, and I just need to be okay with that right now.
I biked for a bit when I came back, and by then I was really hungry and craving a good breakfast/brunch. I made us multigrain waffles with this really good blueberry syrup from Trader Joe's. They were great, if I do say so myself!
I did a couple of errands and some planning for our trip next week and then jumped on the bike to finish up the episode of "Big Love" that I had started in the morning. Then we went downtown to have dinner with some friends on the roof of their apartment and to (later) watch the fireworks on the Mall from the roof of an office building that Matt's company owns. It was the best view of the fireworks that I've ever had and it wasn't as hard to get back as we thought it might be. Too bad it's a work day tomorrow again but it is almost Friday!
Posted by becky at 10:40 PM | Comments (0)
July 3, 2007
Fake Friday
It's only Tuesday, but you could tell by the lighter traffic and lighter moods that tomorrow is a holiday. I met Liz, in town for a few days, for a short run and I was definitely sucking wind, especially when we were going uphill. My knee felt okay; not great but status quo. It wasn't hot but definitely more humid than yesterday, which had been predicted. We ran for about 30 minutes--having company always makes the time fly by--and then parted ways and I rode the trainer for a while while watching "Big Love."
I was kind of busy at work but I managed to get a decent lunchtime lifting session in so that I could be free for Take-The-Interns-to-Happy-Hour. I did all my lower body things and some new things with a Thera-band, and whatever upper body I had time for. Shortly after 4pm, everyone began packing up and my boss and I took our two interns to a fun Mexican place in Dupont Circle. I rewarded myself for all my hard work during the long week (hah!) with a frozen margarita...yum. I'm such a sucker for frozen drinks, whether or not it contains alcohol. (I would have enjoyed a Peach Pleasure smoothie from Jamba Juice just as much.) The interns left before we did, but I think they had fun while they were there.
Although I have a lot of little things to do tomorrow, I can't wait to at least sleep in a little.
Posted by becky at 8:11 PM | Comments (0)
July 2, 2007
Busy bee
Fortunately, media outlets all over the country listened to my pleas for coverage of this great research that a team of faculty members did and the Washington Post even had us on the front page in the print edition! Finally--more media attention than we have gotten in a long time, and certainly since I started at Georgetown a year ago. It was very exciting although it made my day kind of hectic.
I saw that the Post story had made the front page on my walk to the bus this morning. That fueled me through a good elliptical workout (with a little biking too) although the inside of my knee bothered me toward the end.
In between arranging interviews and answering the phone, I dashed off to get my orthotics made. The guy spent a long time and took a lot of measurements, and they aren't going to cost as much as I had anticipated, so I guess that's good. However, they take 2-3 weeks to come in so I will not get them until we return from our vacation to the Pacific Northwest at the end of the month (more on that later).
I also had a physical therapy appointment, but my therapist seemed kind of distracted (by other patients since he was running late). He didn't seem that concerned about my inner knee pain and did a little massage and showed me new way to do squats with a theraband to teach my knees to stop wobbling. I say this way too often now, but I just want to run and not worry about it anymore. Grr.
Matt is working late tonight, and I have a sneaking suspicion I will be asleep before he comes home.
Posted by becky at 8:45 PM | Comments (0)
July 1, 2007
Nice weather run
I couldn't believe how nice it was outside when I woke up. It was breezy and sunny but not humid at all and also not too hot. We had stayed over at Matt's mom's house and I was looking forward to a run on the Leatherstocking Trail. I was feeling pretty good until after the trail part of it, at which point I think I was getting tired and my stride reverted back to bad biomechanics--I could tell because my hamstring was tight and the inside of my knee was bothering me a bit. I threw in a couple of (very brief) walking breaks and made it back just fine. The only lingering discomfort is the inside of the knee, which I know from PT is due to the fact that my knee rolls in. I have my orthotics appointment tomorrow, actually, and hopefully that will help correct that, although I imagine they might take weeks to come in.
We spent the afternoon at Matt's dad's house where we were joined by his grandparents and my parents. Considering there were three people around the table who were older than 88, the conversations about politics, travel and current events were even more interesting. It was beautiful out and we were outside the whole time, which was really nice.
Speaking of nice, my parents drove me back to LGA after that (thanks!) and I made it on an earlier flight than I had planned. I cleaned up around the apartment a bit, picked up some groceries, biked very briefly, and then made dinner for a few friends who came over. We sat outside and had a very simple dinner of wine, salad, pasta and ice cream. It was a lot of fun and all and all a nice weekend.
Posted by becky at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)