Running Commentary: September 2007 Archives

« August 2007 | Main | October 2007 »

September 30, 2007

Another weekend come and gone

I didn't decide whether I was going to run or cross train this morning until about 10 last night, when Camille called to check. I decided to run one more day and then plan to bike tomorrow and maybe Tuesday to calm down my inflamed pes. Plus, I hadn't seen Camille in a couple of weeks and I knew it would be a nice morning.

We ran out on the Canal and then back on MacArthur, pretty much the opposite of our usual route. Camille's ailing hamstring was doing okay and my knee issues were pretty much under control except when I was going up the one (small) hill on the route. I am obviously carefully placing my steps when I go up hills in order to prevent myself from putting my full weight on my leg, and it isn't good. But aside from our few aches and pains and complaints, it was nice to catch up on all the exciting events in our lives during the past couple of weeks.

It took me a little longer than usual to get home from our meeting spot in Georgetown because there was a lot of traffic and I had to go the long way to bypass it. I was starving by the time I got home and it was great to eat finally! I have been wanting to try this blueberry pancake recipe I saw on Deena Kastor's Web site this week, but I didn't have all the right ingredients this morning and I didn't feel like waiting until I cooked to eat! Cereal was a much quicker option.

When I was eating breakfast, I saw that Kara Goucher beat Paula Radcliffe in her half marathon debut and I was so excited! She has strung together so many consecutively good races this summer/fall, it's very inspiring.

I had some around the house things to do today (cleaning, ironing, etc.) and then I went to a crafts fair in my neighborhood briefly with Liz. There was some neat stuff and it was a good day for it, but it was too crowded for us to be able to enjoy it. I ended up going back home and then Matt and I read the newspaper (good NYT magazine section today) outside on our balcony.

I had time to bike for about a half hour (episode of "Tori and Dean: Inn Love") before I had to leave for my MRI appointment. I got there on time, but the wait was more than an hour, ugh. I was fantasizing about food while I was in the tube. I won't know the results for a couple of weeks when I have my next orthopedist appointment, but it was good to get that done so that hopefully I can get a little more insight into my various knee ailments.

Posted by becky at 10:43 PM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2007

Not-so-great run with good company

The Yankee game last night wasn't over until close to 11 because the O's tied the game in the 9th inning (and then won in the 10th). Kind of disappointing for us NY fans, but still an exciting end to the game. We didn't get to sleep until almost 1 which is pretty late for me. Liz had asked me yesterday afternoon if I wanted to run in the morning since she had decided to come to DC for the weekend, and of course I was game. We planned to meet around 9 and I was definitely not quite awake when I left my apartment.

On the plus side, I always have fun running with Liz and it was nice out--dry, sunny, and breezy. But my pes anserine issue started acting up about halfway through the run and was annoying, both mentally and physically. Liz offered to carry me on her back the rest of the way, but I stuck it out. I iced when I got home and later this afternoon, so we'll see.

Matt and I joined a small contingent of Cornell fans this afternoon to tailgate before the first-ever Cornell-Georgetown football game. I am a Hoya basketball fan for sure, but when they are playing head-to-head, it's not hard to choose who to root for! We didn't stay for the game but it appears Cornell dominated (neither team is very good, so I was a little worried).

I ended up taking a nap later this afternoon instead of doing several things I had on my checklist. But I suspected I was tired, so no big shock. Tonight we have dinner plans and then a birthday party, but hopefully we can get home at a reasonable time.

Posted by becky at 5:53 PM | Comments (1)

September 28, 2007

Friday at last

It seems like it has been another long week. Maybe I always feel like that on Fridays? At least lately. This morning it was actually dark because it was cloudy/about to rain. I headed out and I could tell the humidity was about to lift (and I was psyched). Without the sun, though, it wasn't too bad out anyway.

My biggest complaint lately has been my pes anserine bursa--it's been flaring up. It's possible I've had this issue in the past and just thought it was shin pain, but it's clearly distinguishable from that and usually (hopefully!) seems to get better with massage and ice. I don't feel it when I am walking, only when running up steep hills or climbing steep stairs. Today's route was pretty flat so it didn't give me too much trouble, just occasionally.

It started raining just as I was on my way to work. I drove today, though, so it wasn't a big deal. I walked to the dentist shortly after I had gotten to work and it was already a lot less humid and becoming a very nice day. Matt and I are going to the Yankees-Orioles game tonight with friends and it should be a nice night--I hope it's even a little chilly!

Happy weekend to all!

Posted by becky at 3:57 PM | Comments (0)

September 27, 2007

IPod frustration

It was hard to get up this morning, as usual! It's never dark when I get outside but when I wake up it just seems so dark--it must be the way the sun comes in (or doesn't) through our bedroom windows. In any case, as is generally the case, I started to wake up when I began running. It was pretty humid again--I hear it's supposed to get better in the next couple of days, which is good since we have tickets to the Orioles game tomorrow.

I took the most direct route I could to get into Rock Creek Park. I headed toward Pierce Mill and then took a hilly route back. My knee wasn't behaving quite as well as it has on recent runs, but it wasn't too bad. When I was about to go up a rather large hill, my iPod stopped abruptly, reminiscent of the time that happened a couple of months ago. I could not believe it. This was the SECOND time I had used this particular iPod after three previous ones had shorted out. The first generation one lasted about two years, so that's acceptable. But the new, clip-on ones are ridiculous! It's obviously because of my sweat, but given the fact that these are marketed for ACTIVE users, it makes me so mad. And yes, I have a cover, but it doesn't make a difference, because the sweat is getting in through the headphone hole, which obviously can't be covered. I mean, I'm a heavy sweater, but today it stopped working after about 30 minutes of running--that is just unacceptable. After doing some research online about this problem, I'm thinking that my sweat is particularly salty and that is causing the most problems, not the moisture itself. Can this be possible?

There is one company out there that will waterproof your shuffle for about $75. You supposedly can even swim with it (with waterproof headphones, of course). I am just skeptical because while it probably works for 99 percent of the population, I often have problems with so-called "sweat-proof" technical gear. Dri-fit doesn't work for me; I still have to wring it out. I sweat so much in Nike socks that I have to wring them out. I think there's a pattern here, and I'm feeling discriminated against (not really--I'm just feeling sorry for myself).

What else is there to say after my iPod rant? I biked/lifted during lunch so I could have time to get my nails done tonight and still watch "Grey's", and all went well. Actually, I didn't think the show was so great. But always entertaining.

I am glad it is almost Friday!

Posted by becky at 9:05 PM | Comments (1)

September 26, 2007

Hump day

This has nothing to do with running, but I was just thinking about a phenomenon I've noticed recently. Lately when I am trying to figure out where I put something--a book that I haven't seen since Boston, for example--I notice that I am picturing somehow Googling it. Like it's too much work to actually go and look in boxes, drawers, etc...when I think of "searching," I think of the Web first! Has anyone else noticed this? It sort of scares me.

Back to the daily report. Matt left really early to go to Providence and then New York today (and tomorrow). I was ready to get out of bed when he left but somehow pressed snooze again and didn't wake up until I had a very limited window of time to run. I got in probably about 5 miles and did a downtown run so that I could just cross with the lights and not have to worry too much about sticking to a particular route. My knee was all crackly at first but felt pretty much okay by the end. Maybe the Advil was kicking in. But that's fine, I'll take it.

I got home and totally rushed around (not without doing abs first though, of course) and made it down to the bus just in the nick of time to get me to an appointment. Phew! I hate rushing but it seems I am always doing just that!

I was pretty busy at work, just plugging away at my to-do list. Sometimes there is a lot of commotion in our suite and today was one of those days, so it was kind of difficult to get things done.

I went to the gym after work and entertained myself on the bike by reading the latest issue of Washingtonian magazine, a gossip-y montly that reports mostly on the same "hot spots" and trends year after year. But I always find it entertaining, and the longer I live here, the more names I end up recognizing! My lifting was pretty decent although I skipped a couple of things because the machines were just too crowded. I hope to lift at lunch tomorrow so I'll make up for it then!

I was planning on watching that new spinoff of "Grey's" tonight, "Private Practice," but it's too much pressure to have another prime time show during the week. I want to save everything for the bike...I think this makes a very good case for getting TiVo/DVR!

Posted by becky at 9:17 PM | Comments (0)

September 25, 2007

Knee update

Today was a planned cross-training day. It was hard to get up as usual because of the fact that it was so dark! I biked and watched a movie that was unfortunately pretty slow, "Catch and Release." But it did pass the time, I can say that. I did some hills and some steady riding and got in a decent workout. I knew it was supposed to be a lot warmer out today so I wasn't that disappointed not to be running outside. Although it was pretty warm in my apartment since Matt was getting ready for work (showering, etc.) and he tends to be cold and didn't want to turn the a/c down.

I went to work briefly this morning and then I headed over to my knee doctor (also on campus, so convenient). Usually I have a long wait there but it was pretty quick today. He doesn't spend very much time with each patient so I have learned to be assertive. He told me about these new types of natural injections that increase the viscosity of synovial fluid in the joints that I might want to try...I'm willing to try that before surgery, I guess, and it is safer than cortisone-type medications. In the meantime, I asked if I could have another MRI to make sure that the fall I had last April didn't cause any damage (my other MRI was taken last summer, obviously before that). I'm having the MRI on Sunday but my next appointment isn't for 3 weeks. In the meantime, I'm supposed to just keep doing what I'm doing.

I lifted at lunch because I had my Mini-Med School class tonight. It was fine and I actually had a little extra time because I had somewhere to be after the gym that was closer to the gym than my office. The class tonight ended up being interesting (stress and obesity) but a bit repetitive because I know the faculty member's research really well from pitching it to the media. But it's always good to get some reinforcement.

Posted by becky at 9:53 PM | Comments (0)

September 24, 2007

Cool morning, hot day

It is supposed to be in the 90s the next couple of days...yuck. But it is starting to feel more like fall, even on a day like today where it did get hot during the day but it was nice and cool this morning. Another hint of the seasons changing is the fact that it is dark when I get up and dark when I get home! Since we are changing the clocks back later this year, I thought it would feel very different, but I guess it only means that we'll have fewer of those days when it gets dark at 4:30 pm.

In any case, I am glad to say that I had another pretty enjoyable run today. My biggest complain was some pes anserine pain, or at least what I have come to identify as such since some doctor once pressed on that spot really hard and told me that was what it was. I find that icing and foam rolling it helps, but it is one of the most difficult spots to get to. Anyway, I ran up to the Cathedral and then was going to do my usual AU loop but decided to head down to Georgetown and onto the Rock Creek Parkway instead. I used to do this route often but it's somehow gotten out of the rotation. I enjoyed mixing it up a bit although this route also involves coming up the dreaded Calvert Hill to get out of the Park, and I am sooo slow on steep hills that I pray no one drives by and witnesses my pitiful sight.

I was doing so well getting stuff ready for work relatively on time this morning, and then I realized when I got on the bus that I had forgotten my cell phone. Oops. It ended up being fine since I was at my desk most of the day anyway, but I felt very disconnected. (Maybe that's a good thing?)

It was still pleasant in the shade at lunchtime today so I read a little while I ate my sandwich, a nice way to break up the day. We had a high-stress meeting as the very last thing on the agenda today and I was a little worried I wouldn't get to the gym tonight, but I had enough time to do a cursory lifting routine and my leg circuit. I've noticed, in case anyone was wondering, that the number of students at the gym has already lessened now that we're in the thick of the Fall semester.

Matt's working late tonight so I'm on my own. I have a ton of ironing to do but am not very motivated to do it as it is all in the room where I had a mouse sighting on Saturday. I know, excuses, excuses!

Posted by becky at 9:19 PM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2007

A nice run

Perhaps it was due to the two Advil I took beforehand, but I had a decent run today. I also made sure to keep the pace even--i.e. not take off at the pace my heart wants to go because my legs aren't there yet. My hamstring did get tight, but stopping to stretch/massage it seemed to help, and I avoided any major up or downhills. I also felt very awake because of all the sleep I got over the past couple of days! The weather was better than I anticipated--it was hot, but not as humid as it was yesterday. I ran up 16th Street and in the neighborhood to the west of 16th Street (Crestwood? 16th St. Heights?) and then took one of my favorites gentle downhills to get into Rock Creek Park. I noticed at one point when there were more runners around I started to unconsciously speed up and that bothered my knee. Good to know. Anyway, I can't say the whole thing was pain-free, but it was pretty good as far as my runs of late go. However, I am missing my iPod shuffle, which is now completely non-functional :(

Matt went to the Redskins-Giants game today and got a ride from a friend who was picking him up at the Metro. I dropped him off in Tenleytown and used that as an excuse to get out of the house and started on my grocery shopping. I hadn't gone in a couple of weeks since we were in LA last weekend, so it took awhile.

I read the newspaper and checked up on cross-country results from this weekend when I got back and then rode the trainer for a little bit. I attempted to change my flat tire, but I took the tube out without taking the wheel off and now I am having trouble getting my locking skewer to loosen and allow me to pop the wheel off. Matt's cousin and her boyfriend are coming over in a little while for dinner so I hope one of them can help me!

Posted by becky at 7:29 PM | Comments (0)

September 22, 2007

Praying, sleeping, and finally eating

Today felt like a tiring day although I napped for much of the afternoon. I am not very happy right now because we just got back from our Yom Kippur "break fast" at our friends' house and as I was putting away some dry cleaning, a mouse ran right by me. I thought our rodent problems were behind us but apparently not. At least it was a mouse and not...something worse.

Since I was going to fast for Yom Kippur today, I did my usual tradition of running about 30 minutes before going to temple. It has gotten very hot and humid again so even in that short period of time, I got very sweaty and my knee was also hurting. It was good to do it, though, since I knew I'd only be feeling weak and tired the rest of the day.

We spent about 3 hours in services this morning--services run practically all day but we tend to only stay for the morning ones. I was feeling caffeine withdrawal for about an hour and then I seemed to wake up. It was super-crowded in the room and we are lucky that we got there early enough to get two seats together.

We just read and napped in the afternoon and finally it was time to drive up to Silver Spring for the break fast. They had traditional dairy fare--bagels, lox, noodle kugel, etc.--and it was all delicious, although I'm sure practically anything would have satisfied me at that point.

I hope I am able to be productive tomorrow since today was not really a traditional weekend day in that sense!

Posted by becky at 10:03 PM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2007

The safe side

I really didn't want to bike this morning, but I thought with all of yesterday's aches and pains, it was probably a good idea. In addition to all of my usual niggles, I also have a sore spot in my left ("good") hip--it's definitely just a pulled muscle or something but I have no idea how it came about. So I biked through an episode of "Tori and Dean: Inn Love" and the premiere episode of this seriously dirty--I'm ashamed to admit it, but bordering on pornographic--HBO show, "Tell Me You Love Me" about four married couples. It is kind of disturbing, but also kind of addicting in the I-don't-want-to-look -away sense. I did not do as many hills as usual because getting out of the saddle bothered my hip a bit but otherwise it was status quo as far as bike workouts go.

Tonight is Yom Kippur eve so that means Matt and I are having dinner and then we are going to services (at Georgetown again) and beginning our daylong fast...or at least as long as I can keep it up since I am used to eating every hour :) It never gets easier!

Happy weekend to all!

Posted by becky at 5:22 PM | Comments (0)

September 20, 2007

Day of a thousand aches

I knew my tiredness from the weekend cross-country trip would catch up to me eventually--I was so uninterested in getting out of bed this morning. I snoozed for as long as I could and then got ready to run, but my eyes had that heavy-lidded feeling. I was not looking forward to running, but I knew it would at the very least wake me up!

I did my Howard/Shaw loop this morning and had many aches and pains to go along with my tiredness. My pes anserine bursa is bothering me a bit and I have not been good about icing it or massaging it, both of which have helped in the past. And my iPod is acting up again so I was way too tuned in to the sound of my knee cracking. I know it may always do that, but I might never get used to it. Everything seemed off and tight today. I have an orthopedist appointment next week at which point we will probably have the surgery discussion because things have not really improved much since physical therapy ended. I should get a second opinion, but I am unmotivated to wait the months and months I know it will take to get an appointment. Sigh.

I had some stuff to do after work so I went to the gym during lunch. While I was there, the back of my knee/hamstring got all cramped up, it was so weird. I did my leg circuit so it probably had something to do with that...but either way I really had to stretch it out before it felt normal again. I had just enough time to do my quickie lifting routine--this week has seen too much of that because I've been busy.

Matt is out tonight at a real estate event so I am going to hang out on the couch with my dinner from Chipotle and see what's on MTV tonight. Soon enough, Thursday will be Grey's Anatomy night again!

Posted by becky at 7:59 PM | Comments (0)

September 19, 2007

Real Washingtonians don't wear gloves in September

It was another cool morning today (although walking home tonight, I could tell that as predicted, the humidity was creeping back) and I nearly did a double take when I saw a walker wearing pants, a warm-up jacket, and GLOVES. Puh-leeze. I was wishing I hadn't worn a tank top after a mile! I bet I won't be wearing gloves until 2008.

My run this morning was decent. I enjoyed the weather, and I felt less tired from all the hills, but my knee/hamstring tightened up in the last few miles. I noticed a guy across the street running at what seemed my pace on one of the last downhills and all of a sudden he picked it up and was flying. Kind of depressing...I try not to dwell on it, but I really miss speed work. I spent so much energy dreading my weekly track workouts...how I wish I could again!

Since it was such a nice day today, I ate my lunch outside in the sun. Although I miss working downtown, one thing I can say about the outskirts of the Georgetown Medical campus is that there are a lot of woodsy/grassy spots to sit down and enjoy some alone time.

I had more time to lift tonight but I found myself getting hungrier and hungrier as the minutes ticked by. I arrived right on time at the bus stop to find that the bus had left early. I also had to pick up some things on the way home so by the time I walked in I was really starving.

While I ate my pasta with tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms, I listened to an interview with Ann Gaffigan from a couple weeks back on The Final Sprint. In my opinion, Gaffigan is one of the most honest and eloquent elite runners out there. I interviewed her several years ago for fast-women.com and really liked her then, too. She's dealt with a lot of setbacks this year and has had to confront many difficult issues relating to training and racing goals. I highly recommend a listen.

Posted by becky at 9:58 PM | Comments (0)

September 18, 2007

Anatomy lessons

My first anatomy lesson came this morning on the bike. I thought it was only my quads that were sore/tired from the hills this weekend, but I realized it was my hips as well when I started doing some bike hills (getting out of the saddle and trying to ride hard). I didn't end up doing too many of those and just tried to keep up a steady pace for almost 90 minutes. There weren't any movies to watch (again) so I selected a few episodes of "The Hills" and "Tori and Dean: Inn Love" instead. Always entertaining, especially now that after our trip to Hollywood I actually recognize some of the LA scenery that flashes by. (I'm so cool.) I was surprised that I didn't feel tired or jet-lagged but we managed to get to bed by about midnight last night after we got home so it wasn't too bad.

I did start to feel a bit tired during the day at work, but I had a lot to get done so that kept me occupied. I went to the gym during lunch and did the bare minimum--a bit of biking to warm up, my leg circuit, abs, and a few upper body things. Since it was so nice out--cool in the shade, even--it wasn't so bad walking back to my office post-shower as it has been in recent humid days.

Tonight was busy. I had a quick bite to eat with my grad school friend Steph who was in town for just a few hours and it was great to catch up. Then I went back to Georgetown for the first of several "Mini-Medical School" sessions. It's an informal lecture series for community members who want to learn more about the human body and the research that our faculty does. I signed up this year out of interest and just to get another perspective from some of the people I work with.

Tonight we had an hour-long lecture on the heart and heart disease and then a visit to the gross anatomy lab with first-year medical students. My student was awesome and made our little group feel right at ease despite the fact that there was a cadaver in front of us. I was a little nervous at first, but surprisingly okay once she started to explain some of the structures. It was so neat, actually. The cadaver had been 93 when she died, and healthy, so it was easy to see her organs and muscles. I really learned a lot--and for those of you who know me well, yes, I even saw the appendix up close. I don't think we have any other practical sessions, but I think I am really going to enjoy the rest of this course!

Posted by becky at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2007

Last day in CA

Our mini-vacation has come to an end and we are in the airport waiting for our flight back to D.C. It was fun while it lasted! Matt went to the office this morning and I just went for a run, contemplated lifting but decided not to, and then packed up and got ready to leave. I was definitely not in the mood for anymore hills or canyons, so I ended up running out Sunset Boulevard to the beginning of Beverly Hills and then back on Santa Monica. Sunset doesn't get pretty until BH, so it was several miles of ugly billboards and mostly crappy fast food joints. But it was definitely flatter. The neighborhoods of BH are beautiful to run through; leafy and beautifully manicured. Santa Monica is a much more scenic road to run on but my legs started getting really tired when I was at that point so I didn't enjoy it too much. I haven't done all that much mileage in the past few days, but the hills did me in. I am looking forward to a cross-training day tomorrow.

We are boarding so that is it for me!

Posted by becky at 4:27 PM | Comments (0)

September 16, 2007

Hollywood hills, Part 2

Matt had to get up early to meet some people from work to play golf, but the rest of us (Liz and her husband stayed over) got to sleep in. Once we did get up, I had to take Liz on the Runyon Canyon run. When we started to go up the hill and she noticed how hot and sunny it was, she commented that it was very un-Beckyish of me to want to do something without any shade. I just grunted that I felt hard core because my legs were screaming at me for repeating this horrible punishment on them. I think this would be a great hill to train on, and it's a neat thing to do while I'm out here, but I am definitely going somewhere flat tomorrow! We had fun though and stopped at the top for a moment to enjoy the views.

After we got back, I showered and then drove L&T back to Santa Monica. We took a scenic route, so it wasn't a quick trip but a very pretty one. They went back to their hotel and I walked around a bit and browsed some of the shops there and then drove back to a couple of other boutiques closer to Hollywood that I had wanted to check out. It was fun to look but everything was too expensive to buy!

Matt was still gone by the time I got back to the hotel, so I went to the fitness center here to bike and lift. It's a bare bones gym, but it was fine for my needs. Matt came back right around the time I was finished and then we went to dinner with some of his coworkers. He is going in to work for a few hours in the morning and then we'll head to the airport and back home to D.C. The downside of a relaxing West Coast trip is the whole day travel back East!

Posted by becky at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)

Hollywood hills, Part 2

Posted by becky at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)

September 15, 2007

Hollywood hills, Part 1

I had such a busy day yesterday that I didn't have time to update my blog until today. Everything went smoothly on our flight getting here--and we got to watch the Yankees stage a great comeback to beat the Red Sox since we were on Jet Blue--and we pretty much went to bed soon after arriving at our hotel. In the morning, I ran about a mile to get to the hill that leads to one of the entrances to Runyon Canyon Park (not sure that's the official name). It's basically a big hill that winds around and ends up at the famed Mullholland Drive. Parts of it are not that steep, but most of is pretty uncomfortable to run up, especially when you are in crappy shape like I am. It was also very crowded with walkers, runners, and off-leash dogs, so it's obviously a very popular fitness spot.

I felt like I was crawling on the way up to the top. Coming down was more fun, but my quads started to really feel it, especially on the very last part because it is so steep. Once I got back down to Hollywood Blvd, I added on a bit to see how my legs would react and then looped back to the hotel. My knees were doing pretty well but it felt a bit like the Boston Marathon quad feeling and I was so glad to be done. I enjoyed the stares I got from the hotel workers as I came back in dripping sweat everywhere (and it's not at all humid here)!

After we ate breakfast, Matt and I drove out to his company picnic in Malibu. It took a lot longer to get there than we expected--it was far and the traffic was horrible--but it was definitely one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. It was a pretty mellow crowd and we mostly hung out and socialized.

We left the beach at around 5 and met up with my friend Liz and her husband in Santa Monica. In a fortuitous coincidence, they happen to be vacationing in the area this week. We had dinner there and then we all came back to Hollywood and went out to this "hot" club that is often frequented by celebrities. The only celebrities we saw were two people from VH1 shows and the host of some cooking show called "The Take-Out Chef" or something. It was great people-watching though and we were quite amused! It's not often I go out at all so to go out in Hollywood was quite a new experience for me!

Posted by becky at 6:33 PM | Comments (1)

September 14, 2007

Another jet-setting weekend

I woke up so nervous for my presentation this morning that I could hardly take a deep breath! I knew I would feel better after I ran, and I did. Once the adrenaline/nervousness had died down a bit, that is. I figured it would be just as cool and non-humid as it's been the past few mornings, so I actually put on a tank top...but it wasn't. Tank top was off after about a mile, but c'est la vie. Anyway, my knee was its usual self this morning and my hamstring a bit tight, but I was able to zone out during the run and think a little more calmly about the presentation, which was good. And I had my iPod back again; I had to take it to the Apple store again yesterday, which I'm sure was due to a sweat issue.

The class went well this morning. People seemed to be talking a lot at first and not that engaged, but they definitely got more into it as time went on and we broke up into small groups for an activity. I got a few tough questions but I really enjoyed being up at the podium a lot more than I anticipated. Too bad you need a PhD to be a college professor.

So I'm leaving work in a few minutes to drive to Dulles Airport (Matt is meeting me there with a colleague) and we are heading to LA. I'm pretty tired and I usually fall asleep on planes, so hopefully I'll get some rest. We have a company picnic on a beach in Malibu in the morning and I will try to sneak in a run before that, but probably just in the Hollywood area, which isn't too scenic. I'd like to make it back to the Wildwood Trail I ran on near Santa Monica last time we were out there sometime during the weekend, but we'll see.

Happy weekend to all!

Posted by becky at 3:42 PM | Comments (2)

September 13, 2007

Nervous New Year

This will be a quickie as we just got home from a Rosh Hashanah dinner at our friends' house (very nice and authentically "New York Jewish") and I am doing some last minute preparations for both my presentation in the morning and our trip to L.A. for the weekend.

My run this morning was great in terms of weather. It was nice and cool again in the morning, although it warmed up a lot later. My knees felt the way they have been lately--a weird combination of achy yet strong. It's not like injury pain, it's just...not exactly what I want. But at least I got out there and it wasn't stiflingly humid.

I ended up going to the dentist after dropping Matt off at RH services at Georgetown. I woke up a few times during the night worrying about my mouth bleeding and was also concerned about what the dentist would say. He said that I had some irritation due to a combination of the work that was done on Friday and a filling that was sticking out too close to where my wisdom tooth was. He flattened that out and it is definitely feeling better.

I met Matt at services after that, which were nice, but I kept falling asleep. As I said, I hadn't slept that well...and it was warm in there. And I tend to get drowsy when I am sitting still, something that probably means I need more sleep! But I managed to stay awake for most of it and it was very nice. After that I dropped Matt off at the Metro and I went and did some errands, packed for our trip, and rode the trainer before having to leave for dinner. I am very apprehensive about tomorrow's presentation but excited to have it behind me!

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

September 12, 2007

Sweatshirt morning

I woke up again with the bloody mouth problem and it was actually worse than yesterday, but (being me) I went for a run and will go to the dentist tomorrow right before Rosh Hashanah services. Anyway, it was so much less humid and almost chilly when I walked outside--the kind of morning when we would wear sweatshirts to camp until it warmed up! I still ran in a sports bra and shorts, but it was terrific to feel like I could breathe again.

I made my way downtown to do one of those loops--not quite down to the Mall since I spent a lot of time heading east instead of directly downtown. My knee felt pretty good for a few miles, and then I could feel my hamstring tightening up which causes me to (unintentionally) chop my stride and make my knee hurt. But it wasn't too bad and I felt strong most of the way. I noticed when I ran in front of the White House on the plaza that used to be Pennsylvania Avenue that there are permanent police/secret service cars parked there now. It used to be so open and pedestrian-friendly, and now it seems kind of foreboding, like they are expecting something bad to happen. Kind of sad, I think.

Today was a day when I was busy almost every second. I was working on a bunch of things throughout the day as well as interviewing some more student worker candidates and then practicing the lesson I am going to give on Friday in a med school class. I left work a little early so that I could very briefly visit the gym--for me, brief is better than nothing.

Matt met me on campus tonight because we went to the evening Rosh Hashanah services at Georgetown. We had never gone there but decided to try it out because we had heard good things and it is free, unlike many of the other services in the area that cost hundreds of dollars to attend. It was really nice and we bumped into some friends of ours. Hopefully my mouth problem will get solved quickly tomorrow morning and I will make it to services without missing too much.

If it applies, Shana Tovah!

Posted by becky at 10:06 PM | Comments (0)

September 11, 2007

Eventful morning

I woke up this morning tasting blood, which was really weird, and noticed that there was blood on my pillow. I used to get bloody noses a lot, but that wasn't it; it was something in my mouth that was bleeding. I think I must have gotten a cut near my wisdom tooth hole at the dentist on Friday and I somehow dislodged a scab. It has been achy all day but no more blood. It was really scary until I figured out what it was this morning!

I was a little bummed to see that it was actually raining outside and I was due for a cross-training day. (Must have been the rain-themed songs I chose on my iPod yesterday that caused the skies to finally open up after weeks of no rain.) But I heard on the weather that it was still muggy, so it made getting on the bike a little easier.

There were no movies or shows that looked at all appealing this morning, so I just listened to my music and read the scrolling headlines. My legs were a little tired from yesterday's leg circuit but otherwise I felt like I was working hard and getting in a decent workout.

We were interviewing candidates for a student position much of the day today so I didn't even get a chance to leave the office. I sometimes feel like I am being super-productive when I eat at my desk but in the long run it just makes me really antsy by 4pm or so. I made it until 6 and then couldn't wait to get to the gym.

All the good bikes were taken today so I suffered through a pre-lifting warmup on one of the more uncomfortable ones. Then I did my usual turbo lifting routine, rinsed off the sweat, racewalked to the bus and made it. (It's been leaving earlier than it is scheduled to so I am getting paranoid.) I feel my eyelids getting heavy as I type so I am going to go to bed shortly. Hopefully there won't be a repeat bleeding mouth performance.

Oh, I forgot to mention the exciting weather news: a cold front is coming!! Lows in the high 50s by Thursday...wahoo!

Posted by becky at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2007

Too much sweat

It did not rain as predicted last night and it was swampy as ever when I stepped outside this morning. My knee actually held up pretty well, but I just felt gross with all the sweating. I stopped to tie my shoe for a sec and left a puddle, and this was the beginning of the run. I didn't run that far but exertion-wise, it felt like a long run. I did my Howard-Georgia Ave-Columbia Heights route and for once saw a few other runners! I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I am so ready for cooler temps.

I brought a towel with me for my walk/bus ride to work and definitely needed it. I am always amazed when I see people on the bus with long pants and sweaters and stuff. Maybe someday I'll lose my heat sensitivity and be cold all the time instead of hot! One can dream...

Work went by quickly today and we had a lunchtime retreat/meeting with a lot of communicators from the non-medical part of campus, which was fun and informative. Plus they ordered Thai food, which is always a plus. The downside is that we were in a faculty member's on-campus apartment that did not have very effective air conditioning. [Actually, said faculty member said that he saw me running on the Canal a couple of weeks ago but I did not notice him--I am so bad about that!]

I biked to warm up, then did my leg routine, and then lifted tonight. It was hot and crowded as usual but I tried to tune everything out and managed all right. I can't believe it is 9pm already and we haven't even finished cooking dinner...sometimes I long for more hours in the day!

Posted by becky at 8:43 PM | Comments (0)

September 9, 2007

Run without company

Our birthday party for Matt was a lot of fun last night, but I did not get to sleep until about 1:30--late for me! Very late. Camille and I had plans to meet up in Georgetown at 8:30, not too early but probably a little late given the hot weather. Camille pulled her hamstring tripping over a sidewalk hump last weekend when she was visiting a friend in New York and she wasn't sure what running would be like.

She warned me that she was going to be slow, but it was obvious from the beginning that she was quite uncomfortable and heavily favoring one leg. She ended up stopping to walk early on and said her whole run would probably be like that and she encouraged me to go on. So I did--she's been through this with me and would do the same thing. I wasn't feeling all that amazing myself; I just felt like I couldn't open up my stride and my knee ache kept moving from one side (of the knee) to the other. It was very hot and humid (almost 90 degrees at 10am when I was driving home) and wearing an all-black outfit probably didn't help. But I did at least have my frozen water bottle.

Camille ended up only a few minutes behind me because her hamstring did loosen up and she was able to run the last few miles without stopping. I'm out of town next weekend so hopefully by the weekend after that she will be feeling better.

Matt spent most of the afternoon watching the Jets game at a bar in our neighborhood because it wasn't on regular TV. I finished my book, answered a few work-related emails, and read the Sunday New York Times. (My grad school friend was featured in one of the longer wedding blurbs in the Styles section!) I did not really have any desire to go outside so I enjoyed the air conditioning.

I rode the trainer tonight for a little while while watching a rather exciting U.S. Open men's final, considering everyone expected Roger Federer to win. I have a flat tire and I know I need to change the tube but I am rather unmotivated. Since it doesn't matter on the trainer, I can ignore it until I feel like it!

Posted by becky at 7:39 PM | Comments (0)

September 8, 2007

Me and the bugs

It was pretty gross out this morning--although there was a nice breeze--and I didn't get out the door until 9am so I was not very excited about running. I thought it was going to be another one of those runs where I never got comfortable, but it wasn't quite that bad. I was getting kind of annoyed by my water belt at first, but within a couple of miles, I was glad I had it. I ran through the neighborhoods up to the Cathedral area and tried to stay in the shade as much as I could. Then I hit the area around American University and decided to go into the woods for more shade. It was kind of muggy in there, but I felt myself relax a little and my knee started to feel better too (it was just kind of achy, nothing out of the ordinary). I came out of the woods across the street from work and took the most direct route back that I could, because at that point I was really tired and hot. I was barely moving up the last hill, but at least I made it. I think there were a lot of bugs in the woods because I feel all bitten up.

Since we are having people over for Matt's birthday tonight, I've been cleaning and shopping ever since. Our apartment looks pretty good now, but I am tired. I am relaxing for a little while until I need to start putting out the food and all that. Parties are fun, but the preparation is always stressful!

Posted by becky at 5:42 PM | Comments (0)

September 7, 2007

An 'eh' run and some more dental work

Another Friday? This week seemed to go by really fast (a good thing). I did not manage to stay awake until Matt came home from the baseball game last night, but I did try to distract myself from falling asleep by reading. But the next thing I knew, he was waking me up to turn off the light and my book had fallen across my chest. Ah, well, it was a valiant effort.

This morning I did a pretty short run. It didn't feel quite as oppressive yesterday but I brought water so that might have helped. I just felt kind of stiff all over and the top of my knee was hurting. I think something is tight in my quad and pulling on the kneecap so I'm trying to do some good work with the foam roller. Anyway, it was fairly uneventful and my iPod seemed to be okay (I'll keep my fingers crossed).

My dentist appointment was fairly unpleasant; I had some work done on both sides of my mouth and the numbness didn't wear off until about 1pm, at which point I was starving. But people have to endure much worse things than dental visits so I will stop complaining!

I am going to try and go to bed at a reasonable hour so that I can drag myself out of bed and run before it gets too hot. I plan to spend tomorrow cleaning our apartment and shopping in preparation for Matt's birthday party at night.

Happy weekend to all!

Posted by becky at 8:21 PM | Comments (0)

September 6, 2007

Happy birthday Matt!

Today is a landmark day in the Wexler household because it's Matt's 30th birthday. He is actually at the Orioles game tonight in Baltimore but we will celebrate this weekend. Of course, the small gathering we're having can't live up to the surprise he staged for my 30th, but hopefully it'll be fun anyway.

The string of sub-par workouts continued this morning. It was noticeably more humid than it's been the past few days and I didn't bring anything to drink with me. I felt like I was plodding along and my knee wasn't feeling so hot either. Then, as I had just started to go up a rather large hill to get out of Rock Creek Park, my iPod froze in the middle of a song. Despite the fact that the iPod shuffle is supposed to be for exercisers and I have it in a supposedly waterproof case, on the sweatiest days it just can't hold up. (It has since dried out and seems to be okay.) So all in all, not the best of runs.

I went to the gym during lunch today to mix things up and because I wanted to have a little time after work to check out the sales in Ann Taylor Loft. It was much less crowded, which was nice. I've been doing that leg circuit about twice a week and today was one of the days it felt pretty good. I also biked a little and did some upper body lifting. It was so hot when I left the gym to walk back to my office...it took me a long time to stop sweating.

It's another night at the US Open, so let's hope there aren't any thrilling matches going way past my bedtime.

Posted by becky at 9:22 PM | Comments (0)

September 5, 2007

Movie morning

This morning found me on the bike and watching another mindless movie. This one (which I still have to finish) was pretty good--"Because I Said So" with Mandy Moore and Diane Keaton. I felt a little flat this morning; not sure if I was just tired or what, but I didn't feel like I got quite as good of a workout as I usually do. I did my hill climbs and all that but sometimes you just can't get that extra gear (no pun intended).

I had a quick day because I spent several hours staffing a TV shoot. It was just a segment for ABC affiliates, and who knows if it'll ever air, but it required a lot of TLC for various reasons. By the time I got back to my office I was tired and not in the mood to go to the gym...but of course I went anyway. It was crowded as usual but I made the best of it.

Not much else to report so that's it for today!

Posted by becky at 9:18 PM | Comments (0)

September 4, 2007

Not as smooth

The past few days' runs have been pretty good, so I guess I was destined for a sub-par day. I had some alarm troubles again this morning, but Matt's went off at around the time I wanted to get up, so it was okay. I decided again not to wear the blister-causing orthotic because no bandage, wrap, or gauze stays on when I run anyway. I headed out toward the Cathedral and did a variation on that route. My knee was achy almost from the beginning and I just didn't feel all that great. Luckily it still wasn't too uncomfortably hot or that would have added to the trouble. It wasn't a terrible run, just the kind that reminded me to take a cross-training day tomorrow.

My day at work went by quickly, which is always good. Many people in the office will be off-site at a meeting during the next few days so I hope it is nice and quiet! (It never is when you expect it to be, though.) After work I went to the gym to lift and it was more crowded than ever. I assume that soon enough, most of these students will not be so diligent about their gym routine.

I hadn't been keeping up with the U.S. Open until last night when we watched Roger Federer's match, and now I'm kind of into it. So back to Serena and Justine!

Posted by becky at 8:42 PM | Comments (0)

September 3, 2007

Extra weekend day

I think all weekends should have three days. It's just so much more humane! I tried to be as productive today as I was yesterday, but unfortunately it didn't happen. I started off pretty well with getting out the door for a run. It was a little warmer than yesterday but still not too bad. I was worried about how my blister would react if I wore that left orthotic, so I just stuck in my over-the-counter one (Superfeet). (I think it was a good decision.)

I decided to run toward the Mall and the Capitol since it has probably been months since I've done that. While there was less vehicle traffic on Labor Day, there was a lot of tourist traffic and most of them were not paying much attention and I had to work hard to get around a few groups! But I came back via a much more residential neighborhood that is usually tourist-free. My knee felt all right; a little achiness coming back up the final hill, but otherwise pretty good. The blister is no longer filled with fluid but there is a lot of extra skin on it--gross. I will try to leave it alone and hopefully it will continue to heal.

I tried to do some more work on my presentation for the med school class but I kept getting really sleepy so finally I gave in. After my nap--which incidentally was not so great because I had a bad dream--I went out for a bit, to the Gap for a birthday present and then to the gym. It was super crowded there but otherwise all was fine.

I think we are going to go get falafel tonight since I cooked the last two nights. Not too healthy, but always fun!

Posted by becky at 7:23 PM | Comments (0)

September 2, 2007

Blisters are back

Another cool morning...phew. I think it is supposed to be humid again starting tomorrow. I drove to Georgetown to meet up with Leilani and Rob for a run. I hadn't seen them since my birthday in June so it was good to catch up. We didn't go too far--about 5.5 miles out and back on the Canal--but the pace was honest, I think, and my knee felt pretty good. But of course, I had another issue: the instep blisters from my orthotics. I hadn't been wearing the left orthotic for weeks because it irritates my instep more and I've built up a pretty good callous on the right. However, I think the uneveness of only wearing one orthotic is causing issues...so I've begun the process of callousing my left instep. Yesterday it felt okay, but today, I think it must have been all the pebbles on the Canal that made it worse. I know it will eventually get better and I won't get the blister every time, but for now, it kills!

I was near the gym after we finished running so I went there to bike a bit and shower. For some reason, I got really low blood sugar after about 10 minutes and felt awful. I ate an energy bar and lasted another 25 minutes or so, but that feeling never totally goes away until you have a real meal. I couldn't wait to get home to eat more.

I spent most of the day working on a presentation that I'm giving in a med school class in a couple of weeks. It took me awhile to get started, but once I did, I ended up being pretty productive. We grilled and ate outside again tonight since it was so nice out. Tonight I biked for a little while while watching "Tori and Dean: Inn Love" and now we are enjoying a non-work Sunday night!

Posted by becky at 8:25 PM | Comments (0)

September 1, 2007

Bee stings and other frustrations

It was so not humid this morning when I stepped outside that I couldn't believe it! I could breathe, there was a breeze, and it was downright comfortable. This makes me look forward to fall. Anyway, I wasn't sure exactly where I was going to run today so I just made it up as I went along based on how I felt. After I had been running for about 10 minutes, I moved over to the bushes on my left to pass a dad and his two kids walking on the sidewalk, and I immediately felt a stinging pain in my foot. Somehow, a bee (or something) got me right where my ankle and foot meet. I stopped and took off my shoe to make sure there wasn't anything flying around in there and then massaged the stung area a bit. It hurt a lot but I'm not allergic or anything so I sucked it up and kept on running. It reminded me of my very first cross-country race, when I got stung by a bee on my butt! I thought I had run into a pricker bush or something--I didn't figure it out until I was back on the bus.

Anyway, with the sting to keep my mind off other aches and pains, I was actually feeling okay and still able to enjoy the nice weather. I ended up coming down a nice, gradual hill into Rock Creek Park and then having to climb out in the last mile or so of the run. I was slogging, but I made it. I iced my sting and my knee when I got home and both are doing decently. There's no sting mark, oddly, but it is still sore to the touch and when I walk.

This afternoon Matt and I went to the Crate and Barrel Outlet in Alexandria. Matt wanted to treat himself to a new reading chair for the living room and we figured we'd try there first. We found a floor model that was in good shape and some other little kitchen items I remembered we needed. We had some trouble getting the chair into the backseat of our car (obviously not an SUV) but the store guy made it look easy. But when we got home, we couldn't get it out of the car. We tried everything for 45 minutes. We called AAA, the DC Fire Department, the mechanic, a towing company...no one could help us. Finally, a good samaritan passing by asked if we needed help and he figured out how to maneuver in out in about 30 seconds. Someday we will laugh about the whole situation, but at the time it wasn't so funny! The door doesn't close correctly because we had to practically pull it off the hinges to slide the chair out, but...at least it still locks!

I had wanted to ride the trainer for a bit tonight but by the time we got the chair inside, it was time for dinner (we were having a friend over) and I was beat. We grilled and I made a salad and we had a nice time eating outside on the balcony. Now Matt and the aforementioned friend are probably going to go out, but I'm going to go to bed.

Posted by becky at 7:52 PM | Comments (1)