Running Commentary

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October 31, 2007

Hot and cold

This morning's run was weird. I woke up with a headache and immediately took Aleve, which I've recently discovered works almost instantaneously (I should be on a commercial). By the time I was out the door ten minutes later, the headache was gone. Because I was chilly yesterday, I wore a long sleeve today and of course regretted it after about 10 minutes. But I didn't really feel warm enough to take it off, either. I felt like I had chills or something because I was hot but my shirt was cold with sweat--it was weird. Lots of people at work have had colds, sore throats, etc. so I thought maybe I was getting sick, but so far, it was just during running that I felt crappy. It's usually the opposite!

Anyway, I did not have time to run very far today, so I did what I could (a route I think of as my "sketchy loop") and then it was the usual mad rush to get ready. I was excited at the prospect of Halloween candy at work and in fact there was some--but not too much, which was good since I tend to overdo. There was even candy at the gym, the most unlikeliest of places (not this gym, really). I definitely stocked up when I was leaving after lifting tonight because as everyone knows, on Halloween, candy has no calories :)

I don't have too much else exciting to report. I did think that tonight would have been an awesome night (weatherwise) for a track workout. Ah, well...someday I'll be back.

Posted by becky at 8:44 PM | Comments (0)

October 30, 2007

A brisk morning

I definitely could have worn a long-sleeve shirt this morning--and maybe even gloves--and been okay. Instead, I went with my usual "I'd rather be cold than hot" mantra and just wore shorts and a t-shirt. It wasn't too bad except for my hands, but they eventually warmed up with the rest of me. Still, when I got back, it was hard to untie my shoelaces and find the right key to open the door. I loved it!

I did my Cathedral/Mass Ave loop today and saw plenty of winterized runners. I felt pretty relaxed during the run and no major discomfort although my pes has been sore since getting back, I'm not sure why. At the gym today (during lunch), I decided not to do squats because they seemed to irritate it. I will foam roll tonight if I can stay awake long enough and hopefully it will loosen up. Dr. T. tried to explain why it gets tight but I wasn't paying attention because it was feeling pretty good last week when I saw him...oh well.

I am really tired and am going to make an effort to go to bed on time. Good night!

Posted by becky at 9:36 PM | Comments (0)

October 29, 2007

A real fall day

Today might have been the first long-sleeve day of the season, with temperatures in the low 40s in the morning, but I was inside on the bike. I just have to be confident that there will be more of these days, although I heard that it is going to be 80 or something tomorrow after it was only in the 50s today. It's the fluctuation that drives me nuts. Anyway, I digress as usual about the weather. My bike workout was fine, I was able to really push it on some climbs and I hope that my legs aren't heavy and tired tomorrow. I caught up on last week's medical shows ("Grey's" and "ER") although having to fast forward the commercials is really annoying. I wish I could just do it mentally. Or get DVR, which is more of a possibility.

Several people asked me if I ran the marathon yesterday (Marine Corps). I wish. And a lot of people told me that the women's winner was a Georgetown grad. Of course, I knew that she is not only a Georgetown grad, but she is former Foot Locker national champion Kristen Gordon with a new (married) name. I actually used to see her running, not really that fast, around my neighborhood in the pre-Boston days in D.C. Good for her!

When I approached the only available bike at the gym tonight, I could tell that the guy next to me was going to be an open-mouth breather. Sure enough, he was stinking it up and I just tried my best not to breathe in though my nose too much. Yuck! My neck and shoulders are a little sore today, and I'm not sure why considering I haven't lifted since Thursday. Maybe I slept funny or maybe it's from the bike? Anyway, I tried not to irritate it but we'll see tomorrow.

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

October 28, 2007

Humbling hills

Camille and I couldn't do our usual run this morning in Georgetown because of Marine Corps, so we met at my place. I suggested a rather hilly run, not thinking about the fact that even when I was in good shape, Camille always leaves me in the dust on hills. We had a hard time getting started because it was so windy! I felt bad for the marathoners, but at least the temperature was in the 50s, which is pretty much as good as it's going to get for MCM. Anyway, once we got started on the hills in the Park, Camille got significantly ahead of me. I can only maintain on hills right now and she obviously has the ability to surge! I think I have a little more endurance than she does, though, because she was struggling a little bit at the end and I was doing okay. We both commented that it was a good run and a little bit longer than we usually do on Sundays.

Today I did the errands I had wanted to do yesterday and then I came home and rode the bike for a bit. I got a bloody nose right in the middle of it. It stopped quickly but it was annoying. Since the run, I have been sneezing all day and my nose has been running so I'm sure it's related--probably an allergy stirred up by the wind because I don't feel like I have a cold or anything.

Instead of staying in like usual on a Sunday evening, Matt and I are off to a WWE event at the Verizon Center. I mentioned to somebody at work that Matt was a wrestling fan, and she sprung a pair of free tickets on me on Friday! I am not really a fan but it is always somewhat entertaining!

Posted by becky at 6:44 PM | Comments (0)

October 27, 2007

Catching up with old friends

It is late--it is actually after midnight but I am cheating and back-dating this entry--so I don't think I'll be able to write too much before conking out. Today was a day of running with and seeing people I hadn't caught up with in some time. First, I met my Brooklyn summer (2005) running partner, T., for a run this morning. He was here for less than 24 hours for work but managed to fit in a run around all his meetings. I originally wanted to run closer to 2 hours, but I did about 1:40 (most of it with him) and felt pretty tired so that was good enough. He is prepping for next weekend's New York City Marathon so this was his last "long" run. It was pouring when I left to meet him at his hotel but the rain finally stopped about halfway through and it got sunny and humid and a lot more uncomfortable (I prefer getting wet). We did kind of a hilly route through the Park and several of the neighborhoods east of Connecticut Avenue although none of the hills were particularly steep. T. is in good shape and did most of the talking--it was fun to catch up. I only see him for runs now and then when we are in the same city but it's always as if no time has passed.

After the run, I got ready to meet my old Boston running partner, Wynne, for lunch. She was in town for tomorrow's Marine Corps Marathon, in fact. Although we only had time for a brief visit before she and her boyfriend had to dash off to the Expo, it was so nice to see her! It of course made me miss the days of living in Somerville. (Many things do!)

The rest of my afternoon was uneventful because although I had planned to do a little shopping in Chevy Chase, I sat down to look up some conference XC results and promptly fell asleep for 2 hours. I guess I needed it, even though my run this morning wasn't particularly long or hard. Maybe it was the humidity. When I woke up, there wasn't much time before I had to get ready to go downtown for dinner with another friend I hadn't seen in ages, someone I actually met about 6 years ago at track. Matt came too, of course, and there was a third couple there as well. We stayed out later than usual but it was a lot of fun, especially when the Halloween crowd started streaming in to the bar we were out--no shortage of strange costumes to look and laugh at!

Posted by becky at 11:25 PM | Comments (0)

October 26, 2007

Deja vu

Another rainy run, although this time it was light enough so that I didn't need my hat. we have really gotten a lot of rain here over the last 72 hours or so, and I think it's finally tapering off. I was lucky--or strategic--enough not to slip on any leaves again this morning, so that was good. Being a creature of habit, I did my usual Friday loop. Fingers crossed, my newest iPod has been working fine and my knee felt all right (for me) too. Despite the weather, I actually saw a few other wet runners out there, too!

I spent much of the morning and afternoon walking either to appointments or meetings across campus, soaking my shoes in the process. It was fortunate that I remembered both my umbrella and my awesome L.L. Bean raincoat so the rest of me stayed relatively dry. I guess I've never had a real raincoat before--I am always amazed that it actually gets wet on the outside but doesn't absorb much.

I am heading out to pick up Matt and our dinner...happy XC conference weekend to all!

Posted by becky at 8:00 PM | Comments (0)

October 25, 2007

Another wet one

I could not believe that it was raining again when I woke up! Actually, I didn't think it was because I didn't hear anything, but when I went outside it was sprinkling and seemed dark so I decided to run back upstairs and get my hat. It wasn't nearly as heavy as yesterday but there were slippery leave and puddles everywhere so I'm surprised I didn't fall. I ran by the zoo, which was much quieter this week (maybe the hyenas don't like rain?) and up that longer, gradual uphill, which felt easier this week. Once things loosened up and I settled into a pace, I felt pretty good today. It has always taken me a long time to warm up and I need to remember not to judge a run by the first mile.

I went straight to an off-campus meeting this morning but after that was pretty much back at my desk working nonstop on a document we needed to have done by "close of business" today. As much as I hate the pressure of a deadline, it does feel good to have accomplished so much at the end of the day.

The gym was even more crowded than usual. One guy tried to take a plate off a machine I was working on while I was taking a drink of water. I don't think he realized that I was there, but it was still annoying. I did my thing (bike and lift) and got out of there, only to just make the bus as it was pulling away and it was so full that I had to stand on the steps. I made it home safe and sound though for my reunion with Matt (he'd been away since Sunday night). Since we missed our Sunday HBO shows, we're hoping to catch up on those tonight!

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

October 24, 2007

A rare run in the rain

Since it hasn't rained for weeks (and I honestly cannot remember the last time it rained significantly during a run), it was quite a shock to wake up and realize I had to put my baseball cap on and get ready to get wet. I really like running in the rain, though (except when it is very cold and my hands get numb) so I was kind of excited. It was definitely not cold out, so the rain was actually pretty cooling. Toward the end of the run, my feet felt heavy because of all the puddles I stepped in, but other than that, it was a typical rainy run, just not typical recently because of the drought we're in.

The run itself was pretty short because once again, I pressed the snooze button a million times and woke up just in time to get the bare minimum of a run in and catch the bus on time. I did my Howard/urban DC loop, but this time no one yelled anything out the window at me. My knee was kind of stiff for awhile and then my IT band was pulling a bit. But nothing too bad, just the usual discomfort in one of the various sticky spots on my knee.

I went to see Dr. T. at lunchtime today--he's the rehab/physical medicine guy I saw back in August. It takes forever to get an appointment with him because he is so unique. Last time he did a lot of assessing and figuring out where I was tight or imbalanced, and today he focused on my IT band, my TFL, and my fibula. He said he actually saw a significant improvement and said I need to make sure to do two things: this IT stretch before I run (which unfortunately requires a second person, so Matt may be getting up earlier), and move my kneecap every day to loosen it and "teach" it to track correctly. Thinking about and touching joints grosses me out, but I'm willing to try for the greater good of my knee.

I was much less hungry at the gym tonight because I snacked a little at a reception at the end of the day. Too bad I can't do that every day! I did a bunch of upper body things that I do occasionally but aren't in my everyday routine and I biked.

I don't know how it got to be past 9:30 but I have a ton of ironing calling my name...

Posted by becky at 9:26 PM | Comments (0)

October 23, 2007

Good idea, poor design

A couple of weeks ago, Matt's sister came across an ad for these new wireless headphones that you actually plug your little iPod shuffle right into. She knew that they would be perfect for me because the headphone jack would obviously be less likely to get contaminated with my sweat. It sounded too good to be true, but I bought them on Sat. at the Apple Store with high hopes.

Today was the first time I tried them out. They were kind of annoying at first because they did bounce a bit, but the sound quality was decent for what they were. You can't adjust them at all, though, and they are the behind-the-neck kind while I much prefer earbuds. The first few miles of the run were either flat or up (to the Cathedral). Once I turned onto Mass. Ave. and started going downhill, the headphones would not stay on my ears; they were around my neck. After two attempts to better secure them, I just folded them up and held them in my hand. Hopefully (when they dry out) I can return them.

The run part of the run was okay; not amazing but not too terrible, just a few aches and pains here and there and my legs felt a little heavy from my longish trainer ride yesterday. I knew I was running late today and I realized how late when I heard the VP's motorcade from about 2 miles away and I am usually quite close to the residence by then. But I hurried up when I got back and all was fine. (Except for the humid weather, it will continue to be awful until it isn't, at which point I'm sure I'll mention it.)

Since my pes feels better (for now), I am starting to add some leg stuff back in to my gym routine--but I may permanently avoid lunges. I did some weighted squats and a couple of other things in addition to my usual upper body stuff at lunch since I had Mini-Med School tonight. Actually, tonight's lecture was on joint pain and thus quite relevant to my poor knees. It was kind of making me squeamish to see the inside of diseased and osteoarthritic knees because I know that someday those could be mine. But the prof did make a point of mentioning a study showing that older men who had been runners all their lives had less joint pain than their more sedentary counterparts, so I used that as my take-away message!

Oh, on a more somber note, anyone who is affected by the California coastal fires, you and your families are in my thoughts.

Posted by becky at 9:44 PM | Comments (0)

October 22, 2007

Cross train and TV catch up

I've gotten into a Monday cross-training routine, which seems to be going okay for now. When I woke up, I had a headache, and I was dreading how it would feel riding the trainer. But I took Aleve and that seemed to do the trick almost immediately--amazing! Maybe I slept weird on my head or something. Anyway, I turned the a/c in the apartment up and hopped on the bike and had a pretty good workout. I did a bunch of "hills" and my legs felt fine (until they got tired and then I felt like I could barely pedal). I watched last week's "ER" and yet another amusing episode of "Tori and Dean." In this one, they were launching their new french-fry business and it was making me extremely hungry!

Speaking of hunger, I was hungry at the gym tonight and hurried through a bit of biking and lifting before I got totally low blood sugar. As I was walking home from the bus, I was thinking about how I can barely remember any days in the last several months where I wasn't totally sweaty when I got home (tonight was no exception). I think it's supposed to cool off again after tomorrow, but I'll believe it when I feel it.

Matt is at a really neat performance tonight and I'm totally jealous. It's this 24 Hour Plays thing on Broadway--basically a bunch of famous actors are given 24 hours to write, rehearse and perform short plays (I think). One of the law firms that Matt's company works with is a sponsor, so he and a few co-workers snagged a seat. They even get to go to the afterparty!! I can't wait to hear about it.

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

October 21, 2007

Sunday standard

I had a nightmare last night and woke myself up because I was breathing really heavily. After that I had a little bit of a hard time falling back to sleep and then when my alarm did go off, I felt like I could barely open my eyes. But I was meeting Camille in Georgetown so of course I dragged myself out of bed and it was actually a little chilly in the car so that woke me up. It was not as humid as it was yesterday, but it was quite warm in the sun, especially during the last few miles of our run when we were on the Canal. (We did our standard Sunday route of out on MacArthur and back on the Canal.) Considering my longer-than-I'm-used-to run yesterday, my legs actually felt okay. But I think I am going to bike tomorrow to be safe.

I made up for my lost sleep by taking a nap in the afternoon. Matt was reading outside for a few hours but the temperature was about 80 at that point but I'm just done with being hot. I did some grocery shopping and then we had an early dinner because Matt is going to New York tonight for the majority of the week. In fact, I am getting ready to take him to the airport right now. Here's to another week!

Posted by becky at 7:15 PM | Comments (0)

October 20, 2007

Long and slow

I ran longer this morning than I have in a long time, but it was at a very relaxed pace. I made it in the nick of time to the start of SLR (DC Road Runners Club slang for Saturday Long Run) and there were tons of people there, many of whom were running their last long run before next weekend's Marine Corps Marathon. Early forecasts are calling for a very hot end of the week, so hopefully the marathoners catch a break. Anyway, it's weird that I don't know that many people at these runs anymore, but Leilani and a few other girls I've run with before were around. Today's loop was the one that Lei and I did a couple of weeks ago, and I added on a bit with her today in her attempt to run close to 20 (she dropped me off at the start and did more; we did about 12 or 13 together).

I didn't feel great on the run, but not too bad either. Although the temperature was reasonable, it was still really humid and I was a bit bothered by it (shocker). My knee sort of ached on and off depending whether we were running up or down hills or on flat. I heard some grumblings about Chicago weather from people who were just getting back to training and caught up with a few folks I hadn't seen in a long time during the run, so it was a good time. I was sucking wind on the hills as usual but I felt just the tiniest bit more in control than when I did this run two weeks ago. So, I was pretty pleased.

I was bummed I didn't get to take a nap today, but I had a bunch of errands (including the Apple Store, where I finagled another Shuffle which hopefully will last me a couple of weeks) and we had early dinner plans. But my lack of nap means that I will most likely conk out on the couch very shortly...not that that's a bad thing.

Posted by becky at 10:27 PM | Comments (1)

October 19, 2007

Indian summer

The stifling heat and humidity finally lifted after a pretty heavy rainstorm just about 90 minutes ago. Although it was kind of drizzly all day, it was super oppressive especially when I left for my run. Luckily it was a short one, and I didn't have to go quite as early because my first stop was a meeting close to home. I was dripping with sweat probably within a mile...yuck. As for the knees, it was an "eh" day. Not terrible, but I've had better this week. I am planning to do a longish run tomorrow so hopefully it will feel okay.

It's Friday, so that was it for working out. Matt and I had dinner at a new (to us) wood-burning pizza place with our friends. I had recently read an article hyping this place up, and it wasn't that great, but it was pretty decent, especially since I was so hungry. By 9:30 all four of us were yawning so we called it a night.

Happy weekend to all!

Posted by becky at 10:58 PM | Comments (0)

October 18, 2007

Moving in the right direction

My ability to do a decent job on this blog post might be hindered by the fact that I am feeling really lazy and also really hungry with no exciting prospects for dinner. Despite the fact that I live a five-minute walk from tons of places, I am enjoying sitting on the couch too much right now.

So anyway, I had a decent run this morning with less knee pain. I'm probably jinxing myself but I just need to take it day by day and see how I feel. It was quite humid today and it is supposed to be worse tomorrow (but maybe better on Sat.?? I hope so). I did a lot of my run on one of the bike paths that connects the Zoo with Rock Creek Park and it was either dark or shady, but I did get pretty hot on the last, sunny stretch. Instead of doing the steep hill I usually do with this route, I did a more gradual one. It's a good one except for the fact that it is heavily traveled in the morning as it's a shortcut into and out of the Park. In any case, I am always thrilled when I figure out new routes and the distance is about right.

I had tentative plans with a friend tonight so I went to the gym at lunch (nothing too exciting to report). The plans ended up falling through so I am taking that as a sign that I should use the extra free time not to do laundry or iron, but to relax and watch "Grey's" since I missed it last week!

Posted by becky at 7:45 PM | Comments (0)

October 17, 2007

The latest report

I was changing in the locker room at the gym tonight and I thought about how long it's been since Wednesday night (or Tuesday) meant "track night." I almost can't believe that I am the same person who did everything possible to clear her schedule to be able to make it to track. I've gotten used to the "new me," but every so often, I think about it and I get frustrated.

Anyway. So this morning's run was a little better than yesterday's, but very similar. It wasn't yet hot but I could feel the humidity creeping in. I continue to be without music on my runs because the latest shuffle I got never worked and I haven't had a chance to go to the Apple store--I hope to go this weekend. But I wouldn't say I'm ever bored while running, so it's not such a big deal. This morning I did my Howard U-Cardozo/Shaw loop. It goes through some gritty neighborhoods and occasionally, like this morning, people like to yell things. As long as they are somewhat complimentary (like today's, "Hey baby, I'll get in shape for you!"), I am amused.

My first stop post-run this morning was the orthopedist. I left the apartment without my MRI films despite leaving them right next to my bag and had to go back to get them, which combined with really bad traffic on my bus route, made me late. So most of the time I spent at the doctor was in the waiting room. Eventually, the doctor came in and breezed over my MRI. I was curious if they would show less of a wear pattern and more of an acute thing from my fall last spring, but he said the cartilage problems were most likely due to "normal" wear and tear. He said my knee doesn't look "terrible," but obviously it's not miraculously get cartilage back. We had the same discussion we've had several times after that, going over what he sees are my options: doing nothing; trying these injections that might increase the viscosity of the synovial fluid; cleaning up the knee arthroscopically, but he said that's not a long-term fix; or doing a lateral release, which is drastic (6 months of no running) but could ultimately change the tracking of my knee.

For now, I'm going to try the injections, but I need to make sure it will be okay with the insurance company because I don't want to get stuck with an enormous bill. I am supposed to wait a couple of weeks to fill the prescription for the stuff he would inject so that he can write a letter for insurance.

I left there feeling pretty frustrated. I almost wish someone would tell me what to do, but there aren't any clear answers here. I've heard sketchy things about the lateral release (although one of my friends did well with that) and most people who get that have pain in the IT band area. I should probably get the arthoscopic surgery, but I don't want surgery at all. Maybe I'm a baby, but I'm going to try and avoid it right now. I also have a sneaking suspicion that my left knee might actually look worse in terms of wear and tear on and MRI, and I've managed that for a long time now.

So, that's where I'm at. The same place I was before I went to the doctor this morning, basically. It's okay, though, I was distracted from thinking about it too much because I was busy at work most of the day. I went to the gym as usual but I was so hungry that I ended up cutting it short and making the earlier bus home. I think I ate too much candy corn today and forgot to eat enough real food!

Posted by becky at 8:36 PM | Comments (0)

October 16, 2007

Jinxed

I'm not going to write about how I've had some good runs in a row anymore because I jinxed myself and had some knee discomfort this morning. I think I irritated the patellar tendon by doing some VMO strengthening on a new machine, because it was bothering me almost from the beginning. Nothing unbearable or even that painful, but of course anything with my knee gets me upset.

On the plus side, it was pretty cool outside and although I was a little overdressed in a t-shirt, I was fairly comfortable in that department. I did my Cathedral-AU-Vice President's Residence route. I headed out about 10 minutes early because I needed to pick up snacks for a morning meeting and I knew I was on time when I heard the VP's motorcade instead of seeing it (I was almost home when I heard it). I was kind of bummed about my knee when I got back and I did the best 5-minute stretching I could and iced it when I got to work. Hopefully it will be a little less angry tomorrow.

Tuesday is my Mini Med School night so I went to the gym at lunch. They must be working on the lights or something because about half of them were out and it was strangely dark. But not too crowded so I was able to efficiently get done what I needed to.

Tonight's med school talk was on hypertension, not something that I have personally dealt with (although I think my mom has it) so I was a little bored. I did learn that salt in our diet may not be as important as people previously thought--some people tend to be more sensitive to it than others. That is my educational tidbit for the blog entry!

Posted by becky at 9:45 PM | Comments (0)

October 15, 2007

Cross train quickie

I was indoors as planned this morning, on the bike. I had planned to watch my tape of "ER" from last week but unfortunately I taped the wrong channel. After all these years of living here, I still get the channels messed up. Further proof that we need DVR, right? I ended up watching "Tori and Dean" and "The Hills" and the news. My pes hurt a bit when I got out of the saddle, so I just tried to keep up a good, steady pace and do fewer hills than usual. When I was watching the news, I was dismayed to see that it is still supposed to be unseasonably warm here this week--not horrible like last week, but in the low 80s. At least the mornings and evenings are comfortable for walking to and from the bus.

Today was a busy day at work as I anticipated, but nothing too crazy. I actually got a bunch of stuff done during the time I wasn't in meetings, which is always good. I went to the gym after work to bike and lift and I realized that it really has remained crowded all semester. Maybe it's my imagination, but I don't think the falloff has actually occurred. On some level, I'm glad more students are working out...but selfishly I'm looking forward to winter break!

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

October 14, 2007

Ready for a cross-training day

I was glad to see that it was another bright and sunny fall day when I woke up this morning, but I was kind of dreading my run only because I knew my legs would be tired. I've actually had quite a decent string of days since about last Friday (with Monday as a biking day) and while I am psyched, I don't want to do anything to jeapordize it. But I didn't really have access to a gym this morning and besides, I would always choose to run when I'm healthy.

So out I went. It wasn't terrible, but I never got into a rhythm and both my legs were pretty achy. At least I had good scenery to distract me, including a country club/golf course and two parks, one of them that hugs the shoreline of the Long Island Sound (we were still in Westchester). It was so nice out today that I didn't even have to wring out my sports bra top after I was done--significant for me.

We spent much of the afternoon at Matt's grandparents' house hanging out with them before we had to go to New Rochelle to catch our train back to D.C. It was nice to be able to see them both at the party yesterday and then today in a much more calm setting.

The train was crowded but once people got off at Penn Station we got two seats together. I read and slept and then we were back and it was already almost time for our Sunday HBO show. Time flies when you spend the day on a train! I anticipate a busy week so I should get ready for bed.

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

October 13, 2007

Re-learning how to trail run

Somehow my alarm didn't go off this morning, and I'm lucky I only woke up a little bit later than I wanted to. We stayed at Matt's mom's house in Westchester so I did one of the few routes I know from there, involving the Leatherstocking Trail. I hadn't been on the trail in a few months and I thought maybe it would be better since a later winter/early spring storm really tore it up. Unfortunately it is still in pretty bad shape. There are several wooden bridges that are torn up and I am skeptical that anyone is really going to do anything about it. Tons of people walk their dogs there or use the path for exercising--I actually saw a mountain biker there this morning--so I'm very surprised. I have a love/hate relationship with trails, especially when I am out of shape like I am right now, so I used today as a (re) learning experience. At least I didn't lose my footing, I just was extremely careful and slow. The weather was great today--crisp and fall-like once again, and I loved it. My legs felt less tired than yesterday but a little sore after navigating the trail and then looking at my watch toward the end and realizing I had to hurry to get back!

The reason for the hurrying was that we had to get ready and leave for Matt's grandfather's 90th birthday. We made it there in time and it was a really nice party. He is still super-sharp with a great sense of humor and I think he really enjoyed himself. My family was there too, including my sister and her boyfriend and my grandma, so it was nice to have everyone together. Here's to another ten years and then we will celebrate his 100th!

Posted by becky at 6:14 PM | Comments (0)

October 12, 2007

Autumn in New York

It's probably my imagination, but I feel like the leaves are so much nicer here than in DC and Maryland. It has been almost as hot here as in the mid-Atlantic so I think this is a recent development. Whatever it is, I'm enjoying it! I got to sleep in this morning because I am at my parents' and I think I definitely needed it. In fact, I fell asleep sitting up in bed with the lights on last night--I didn't wake up until my dad came in at 5:15am when he was going to the kitchen to eat breakfast. I think I'm used to sleeping with the light on when I'm waiting up for Matt to come home.

My legs felt really heavy this morning, I'm not sure why. Maybe it was all the sitting around on the train yesterday, or maybe it was something I did in the gym. And I can't remember if I mentioned it yesterday, but I strained a pectoral muscle somehow and it was bothering me yesterday and then when I took deep breaths on my run today. There were a bunch of hills so that translated into a bunch of deep breaths. I was a little worried, but it's gotten better throughout the day so I think it is on the mend.

I ran a similar route to the one I did back in April when I fell running early in the dark morning. But today it was nice and sunny out, although very windy. I felt like I was crawling up big hills that I used to be so good at. I purposely didn't look at my watch much throughout this run because I know where all the mile marks are from doing in in high school and on college breaks. As usual, I had a few twinges but the legs felt pretty decent.

This afternoon, I had to walk down to my mom's school (just about a 1/4 mile away) to pick up the car, and then I had to do a couple of errands. My dad called to get me on the guest list at his fancy gym so I also got in a quick lifting session (and a little biking).

Tonight I met Matt in Union Square (and his sister too) and we went to this show called Fuerzabruta . It's hard to describe but it is very different than anything we had ever seen, and Matt and Laura got completely soaking wet at the end of the show dancing around with the cast. If you live in NY, go see it! It's half price until Oct. 24 when it officially opens!

Posted by becky at 5:07 PM | Comments (0)

October 11, 2007

Finally, weather I like

I sort of thought maybe I should bike this morning, but I had heard that the weather was supposed to change and I just wanted to experience it for myself. I had to go out earlier than usual so it was pretty dark, but I was so excited to actually feel a little chilly (it was a lot cooler and it was also windy). I stuck to well-lit streets for most of the run, and in one neighborhood, I overheard a conversation between two people walking their dogs and one guy said," Sure feels good out here, doesn't it?" I couldn't have agreed more.

I finished up the run today by going up the hill in the National Zoo. I used to do that about once a week when I lived even closer to the Zoo and I should get in the habit of doing it again. It's always more fun than doing a regular hill because you hear and see animals. In fact, today I only heard them, but they were loud--hyenas maybe? In any case, I wasn't moving very quickly, up the hill or during any part of the run, but I felt pretty good in terms of aches and pains.

I left work at about 3:15 to go to Union Station to catch a train to New Rochelle, where my parents picked me up. This weekend is Matt's grandfather's 90th birthday bash and I wanted to spend a little extra time in New York and today is also my mom's birthday. The train was packed the whole way so I didn't really get to spread out and I didn't even sleep as much as I thought I would. But it turns out it was a good decision not to fly up to New York because the heavy rain and tornado warnings apparently caused a lot of problems at the area airports.

I feel like it has been a long day even though I spent most of it sitting on my butt. Some days are like that!

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

October 10, 2007

Still hot, but getting better

Today was a "hurry run." I seem to have one (or more) of these each week--I wake up a few minutes late and am in a rush to get as much running in as possible in a very limited amount of time. Actually, today my goal was only about 5 miles, so it wasn't too bad. It was still pretty muggy out but the word on the street is it's going to get much better tomorrow (or tonight?). I did my Ledroit Park/Howard loop but mixed it up by going the opposite way around Fort McMillan, which I think is a water treatment plant but I call it a reservoir. It separates Howard from a medical area that includes several large hospitals and trauma centers. It's a funny area that I never knew existed until a few years ago--I believe it is right on the border of the NW quadrant of the city (where I live and work and spend 98% of my time) and the NE quadrant. (Just a little trivia, but I enjoy running in places where normal life doesn't usually take me.)

In any case...my knee was a little bit achy in the kneecap area but I was pretty satisfied. I wasn't going very fast, but I expect that these days. For a hurried run, it wasn't bad.

I went to the gym at lunch today because I have dinner plans with a friend tonight and I didn't want to be rushed (again) at the gym before that. I biked and lifted as usual, but I did the leg press machine, which is a little new for me. I have still been avoiding lunges and stuff that seem to put all the pressure on my pes/inside knee...I think it's for the best to give it a little more time.

Posted by becky at 5:44 PM | Comments (1)

October 9, 2007

Hot but happy

It was definitely gross out again today, even in the morning, because the humidity was so high. I should have brought my water bottle, but I was too lazy and didn't feel like having something around my waist. I got to bed at a fairly reasonable hour last night so it wasn't too bad getting up this morning. I did my Cathedral/Glover Park loop, which has a significant gradual uphill and a significant gradual downhill but nothing too steep. I had a few aches and niggles here and there but overall my knee/leg was behaving pretty well. On the aforementioned downhill, I made a right turn to start going down the hill at the same time a girl came from another direction. She was moving well and passed me but I stuck on her heels for about a quarter mile. I felt like I could have kept up all the way down the hill, but I didn't want to push it with the pounding. It reminded me of how much slower I've gotten these past few months, but also rekindled that competitive desire to get faster again.

Everyone at work was complaining about the heat, it wasn't just me. My mom emailed me from New York midday to alert me that a cold front had just come through there. Ours hasn't come yet, although it did rain tonight while I was in my Mini Med School class, judging by the wet streets.

I lifted at lunchtime and the gym was pretty empty. I didn't get done everything that I wanted to, but for an abbreviated session, it was pretty good. I listened to music the whole time and while that makes it a little more enjoyable, it also makes me paranoid that people are trying to talk to me or get my attention and I can't hear them.

Matt is stuck at LaGuardia waiting for thunderstorms to pass. I have a bunch of stuff to do before I can go to sleep (including waiting for the apartment to cool off) but I doubt I will be able to wait up for him!

Posted by becky at 9:51 PM | Comments (0)

October 8, 2007

Low-key day

It's always great to have a third weekend day. Matt got up in time to go to an 8am meeting, and I felt a little guilty...but I went back to sleep for a couple of hours. I decided that today would be a good day to cross train: it is still hot and humid (unfortunately until Thursday or so, I heard today) and I had a "big" last three days of running. I also had enough to watch so that I'd be occupied for a good chunk of time. I watched "ER" and the rest of the Dixie Chicks movie that I started on Thursday. My butt was getting a little numb by the end, but it was a good workout.

Laura was heading downtown to have lunch with a friend before taking the train to NY, so I hung out with her for a bit before she left and then did a couple of errands myself. The rest of the afternoon was spent reading and, my favorite free-time activity, napping. And then of course I went to the gym--it was very crowded since the students were all off today too--and did a little biking and my upper-body lifting routine. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and it was ridiculously crowded! It was either due to the holiday or maybe it always is at 7pm...I wouldn't know.

Matt's in New York tonight and possibly tomorrow, so I am enjoying some quiet time after a busy weekend. Back to work tomorrow and I am so looking forward to the end of the week weather change!

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

October 7, 2007

Not as hot as Chicago...

Ugh, I feel terrible for the Chicago Marathoners who had rough days out there today (everyone ran slower than they would have in ideal conditions, obviously, but some people, like Kate O'Neill and fellow blogger Bridget, came closer than I would have expected to meeting their goals). I am surprised they actually closed the course early but hopefully that helped some people out, especially the ones who would have been exposed to the heat and humidity for more than four hours. Things are probably still chaotic now but hopefully we'll learn more about what happened out there in the next few days.

It was pretty warm again this morning, although not quite as humid as yesterday. Camille and I met at my apartment and we ran along Connecticut Avenue to a nice big downhill that took us into Rock Creek Park. I tried to keep us in the shade as much as possible. My leg surprisingly felt pretty good, except for a couple of steep hills (the pes area still bothers me when going up particularly steep stairs as well). Camille totally kicked my butt on the last two hills, but it was nice to have company on another uncomfortable day.

Laura and I spent a couple of hours in the afternoon getting pedicures and going food shopping (my shopping, but we're cooking dinner tonight for the cousins so she was helping). Then we came back home and I biked for a little while ("The Hills" and "Tori and Dean") while Matt and Laura were out playing tennis.

I am psyched to have a three-day weekend, but it is tempered by the fact that we don't get Veterans Day off. Oh, well, you take what you can get!

Posted by becky at 7:03 PM | Comments (0)

October 6, 2007

A long run, kind of

It was really, really, hard to get up in the dark this morning (and after going to bed way too late). It was even darker than usual this morning because the fog/humidity was so thick. It was very crowded at Iwo Jima (club long run starting point) because apparently the AIDS Walk this morning and people were parking there. I luckily found a spot not too far away and got there in time to meet Leilani. Most of the people are in marathon training mode now and were going on an out-and-back 20 miler. Lei and I did about 10--we were going to go out and back but I suggested making it into a loop. Unfortunately for me, it was a very hilly loop--I am so slow right now on hills. And going up steep hills is what unfortunately still bothers my knee/leg. But I can manage it by going slowly to make sure I don't chop my stride.

So anyway, it was great as always to catch up with Lei and we had a decent run once we got through the first bunch of hills at the beginning. It was super humid and I really hope that the Chicago marathoners have better weather tomorrow (I last paid attention to the forecast mid-week so I'm not sure what it is now).

After I got back from running, we had breakfast (Matt's sister is visiting) and cleaned up a little. Then we all went to Taste of Bethesda, a street fair/food fest in downtown Bethesda. It was fun but really crowded and also hot. Later in the afternoon, Matt went back home and Laura (Matt's sis) and I did some shopping in Chevy Chase. Neither one of us bought anything, though.

Tonight we had dinner and now are staying in to catch up on our HBO shows. Good luck to all of tomorrow's marathoners!

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

October 5, 2007

Not too bad

It is late and I'm tired so this will be quick! My run this morning felt like it happened ages ago. It wasn't too bad leg and knee-wise except for a few steps that felt funny. Being the routinized person that I am, I did my Friday loop. Not too many hills and a bunch of shade, which was good on a humid morning. Toward the end of the run, I was waiting at a stoplight next to a woman who was screaming and carrying on about "choosing the devil." It was kind of freaky but I don't think she knew what she was saying.

I'm attempting to meet Leilani in the (early) morning for part of her long run, so I should already be sleeping. Happy weekend to all!

Posted by becky at 11:36 PM | Comments (1)

October 4, 2007

Stuck in a rut

I feel like I'm in a rut today. I'm tired of this weather (it is hot and humid and supposed to be close to 90 degrees until at least Tuesday), I'm tired of dealing with my knee issues, and...well, I think that's it. When I woke up, I heard (or thought I heard?) on the radio that today was going to be much warmer than tomorrow. I knew I wanted to bike one of those two days, so I decided to stay in today to enjoy the humidity. Unfortunately it looks like tomorrow will be just as uncomfortable.

So I rode the trainer and tried to watch my new DVD of "Shut Up and Sing," the movie about the Dixie Chicks that came out last year. I've already seen it (and blogged about it, too), but I really wanted to see it again and have had trouble finding it at Blockbuster-type places. So I bought it on Amazon last week. However, our DVD player seems to be broken. It kept freezing and wouldn't resume unless I did all sorts of things that definitely required me to get off the bike. Eventually I just turned it off. But I think I rode a little harder than I usually do, just because I had nothing to distract me, so that turned out okay.

My leg wasn't feeling too bad during the day, but at the gym after work, I tried doing a step-down, and it really hurt. That put me back into my funk. But I'm watching "Grey's Anatomy" now and it is a much better episode than last week, so I'm doing my best to get back out of it.

Posted by becky at 9:03 PM | Comments (0)

October 3, 2007

A few aches and pains

It was really humid this morning (and the rest of the day). I am so sick of it, and this time, I'm not the only one--I heard a few grumblings from my co-workers, too! I had to head out before it was fully light out today, which unfortunately didn't help with the fact that I wasn't fully awake. I did one of my downtown loops but it felt like I hit red lights everywhere I went, even when trying to avoid them. That happens sometimes, usually when I'm in a hurry. I didn't feel as peppy today as yesterday and also felt as if my legs weren't in sync. My pes/knee issue wasn't terrible, but I think I am also trying not to stress that leg when I do things like jump up onto curbs and go up hills. I would try using the heating pad again tonight but I am just too hot.

I lifted at lunch again because I had plans with a friend after work. Actually, I didn't really lift, I actually biked and then just did abs and the bench press. I had a fun time on the bike, I listened to my iPod instead of reading and got much more into it. I kind of wished I was alone so I could sing. My pes/knee always hurts when I first start to bike and then things loosen up.

Tonight I met my friend at the brand-new Bloomingdale's in Chevy Chase. It was small, but definitely nice. We mostly just browsed although I restocked on perfume. I was reminded of how pleasant it is to shop during the middle of the week rather than on the weekend!

Posted by becky at 9:36 PM | Comments (0)

October 2, 2007

New shoes

I gave my leg some TLC last night--used the heating pad and then the foam roller while my muscles were still warm--and finally put on my new pair of sneakers to run this morning. I could still feel that the area where everything (hamstrings, quad, etc.) comes together was tight, but it was a little better and I had an okay, if extra slow, run. I did my Cathedral-Georgetown-Rock Creek Parkway loop which doesn't involve much uphill after the initial climb up to Cathedral, so maybe that helped, too. It was pretty humid again--what happened to the nice cool mornings we've had recently?

This morning when I was walking from the parking garage to my office, I tripped over something (probably my foot) and totally wiped out. All I can say is I am really glad that no one saw it happen, because generally there are a lot of people on that part of campus! I managed to cut my (good) knee, bruise the other one, cut my ankle in two places, and scrape my hands. Talk about embarassing. Luckily nothing is too bad and all the scapes and cuts were pretty superficial. I was really glad I wore a long skirt today.

I had my community med school course tonight so I lifted during lunch. I wanted to do legs, but I didn't because I think I should take it easy on my leg. I biked for a bit and started a new book and then did some upper body stuff. When I got back to my office, I was all hot and sweaty from the (5 minute) walk from the gym. I want real Fall!

I had a couple of errands to do after "school" so I didn't get home until 9:45. Matt has a few friends over playing poker and I can barely keep my eyes open so I am hiding out in the bedroom. On that note...I think it's time to go to bed.

Posted by becky at 10:17 PM | Comments (0)

October 1, 2007

Candy Corn month

Hooray, it's October--even closer to my favorite season/temperatures. And although I've already cheated and bought one bag of Harvest Mix in September, it is officially Candy Corn month now. I haven't been anywhere lately where it's been sold, but the next time I see it, I most likely won't be able to resist.

This morning began bizzarely. I woke up several times during the night and noticed a smoky smell, but I knew it was coming from outside. We only had the window open a crack, but it was really strong. When I got out of bed, I checked Washingtonpost.com and read that there had been a four-alarm fire in a condo building a few blocks away. It had started around 1 a.m. and firefighters were still trying to contain it at 6 a.m. Luckily no one was hurt, but the building was badly damaged and a problem with the hydrants and available water pressure sparked a controversy between WASA and city officials.

I biked this morning so I didn't see the fire damage first hand. I watched my tape of "ER" from Thursday as well as an episode of "Weeds" because we are enjoying a free Showtime preview this week (or at least today). I thought that doing some climbs would bother my knee/leg, but it was okay. I tried to remember to keep a good pace when I was just spinning. I should find my heart-rate monitor and wear that on the bike--I think it is at the gym.

I got really sleepy in the afternoon today. I hate when that happens. Someone had left M&Ms (dark chocolate ones) in the kitchen so I took a handful and that seemed to help, but I was still yawning when I left for the gym. I felt better after biking a little and made it through a shoulders and abs routine. I'm laying off my step-downs and leg circuit because the stepping up onto the step impact is exactly what bothers my pes. In fact, that may be the origin of the irritation...hmm. If only a little bell would go off when I was unwittingly doing something that was causing harm!

Speaking of...I came across this interview on Flotrack with Anne St. Geme, a Stanford sophomore who is dealing with her third stress fracture since coming to college. She hasn't even had a chance to compete yet. She has a realistic, yet positive outlook on her injuries. I love the part where she says she is jealous of the 12-minute/mile joggers she sees on the side of the road. I know exactly how she feels!

Posted by becky at 9:04 PM | Comments (0)