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November 30, 2008
Keeping my aches in check
It rained pretty much all day today here (and from what I gather, on most of the East Coast). I was a little bummed not to be donning my hat and heading out for a chilly, rainy run, but I knew I had to bike today. My quad felt slightly better when I woke up and I foam-rolled it before starting my workout. Oddly, my biggest complain today was my Achilles (or something in that area). I think this has happened before following a few days of hilly runs so I think it just is inflamed and clipping in probably exacerbated it. I hopped off the bike at one point to target my calf with the foam roller and that did help, a little. It's been tender all day since so I am hoping I didn't make anything worse by trying to be "good" and cross-train!
So overall today's bike workout wasn't so great--I was thinking about my various aches and pains too much. I managed to work pretty hard, though, and now I am all caught up on "Grey's" and almost finished with my current "Gossip Girl" DVD.
I spent most of the day doing errands, from grocery shopping to checking out Lord & Taylor with Matt (he needs a raincoat). I did some more work on my calves this evening and I am crossing my fingers that my Achilles is feeling better tomorrow.
Posted by becky at 9:00 PM | Comments (0)
November 29, 2008
Feelin' it
I've managed to string together several good runs in a row since Wednesday (all a little longer than I probably should have gone) and I was really feeling it today. My left quad is particularly sore, probably from Rockefeller and the hills. It did loosen up during the run but I think it is probably a good idea for me to bike tomorrow (and it is supposed to be rainy, my favorite!).
But back to today's run. Once my quad loosened up, I just felt sluggish--my knee wasn't too bad. It was another mild November morning, so I was comfortable weather-wise. I ran in "the Manor", a neighborhood in Westchester where the houses are big and many have a view of the Sound--pretty sweet. But I had a few rough patches and I was definitely ready to be done when I got back. I did a tiny bit of lifting and stretched in the hopes that I will feel better the next time I get out there.
Today was the third and final leg of our family Thanksgiving tour. Matt and I went to my parents' house to have lunch with them and my grandma. We had a nice time and then volunteered to take my grandma home to the Bronx on our way south. That part of the drive was fine--it was everything after that that took twice as long as it should have. We didn't anticipate so much traffic on a Saturday afternoon/evening but it seemed that everyone else had the same idea we did. We eventually arrived at about 9:30, picked up some food and are now waiting anxiously for the heat to warm up our chilly house!
Posted by becky at 10:33 PM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2008
Worth the trip
I did make the trip to Rockefeller this morning and it was definitely worth it. By the time I got back, I didn't want to spend any more time in my sweaty clothes so I skipped yet another day of lifting (although I did do some push-ups). But the run went very well, save for my slowness on the hills and a few spots of knee tenderness. It is always nice to run on those trails because they are both soft and smooth, and I have good memories of running there in high school and other times over the years. It was also really mild out--almost too warm for me, in the mid-50s by the time I finished.
Sometimes I can't believe our cross-country course was at Rockefeller because it is so hilly! If we had trained there more often and I had taken running more seriously, I would have been in awesome shape in high school. Oh, well, hindsight is always like that.
We spent most of today having a second Thanksgiving with Matt's dad and his grandparents. You would think I wouldn't be in the mood for turkey again after last night, but I had no trouble packing it in. Then tonight, we went to see the new James Bond movie. I embarrassingly fell asleep about ten minutes into the movie, so I can't really review it. That was a very expensive nap.
Posted by becky at 9:24 PM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2008
Thankful for the run (among other things)
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am very grateful that I was able to enjoy a relatively good run this morning. I probably should have done more lifting afterwards, but I was sore and a little bit stuffed up (I think I might be getting a cold) so have been taking it easy since. I have a couple of standard runs I do from Matt's mom's house and today's was the one that involves the Leatherstocking Trail (although that is only about a mile of it, if that). My knee did bother me a little on the trail part but I could have predicted that because I'm not able to hold my form as well. Other than that and my stuffy head, I felt pretty strong.
The one incident I had during the run was a dog running up to me on the trail, jumping up and scratching my leg. Even though the dog was small, I stopped short when I saw it bounding toward me and I absolutely hate dogs jumping on me. Predictably, its owners said to me, "He's just a puppy! There's no need to stop!" but I guess they didn't notice that his nails scratched my thigh (I was wearing shorts; it was quite balmy again). I just kept going but I think it just goes to show that people should leash their dogs if there is ANY chance that the dog will run up to someone.
I have been tracking all the results from turkey trots all over the country. I haven't run one in a few years but would love to get back to that tradition someday. If I can get up early enough tomorrow, I am going to do another classic Westchester run in Rockefeller for both old time's sake and because of the soft surface. I think it is probably worth the 30-minute drive each way.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by becky at 3:30 PM | Comments (0)
November 26, 2008
Prospect Park revisited
We made pretty good time last night on our trip up to New York--there was some traffic, but it cleared once we got out of Maryland/Delaware and into New Jersey. We arrived right around midnight and I pretty much went right to sleep. I got to sleep in until about 8 and then I met up with my Brooklyn running buddy T for a loop of Prospect park. He had just run Philly on Sunday so we made a pact to take it easy (he didn't believe me that I am still slower than normal).
The weather wasn't as warm as last Thanksgiving , but it was pretty pleasant for November in New York. We ran the 2ish miles to the Park, did a loop and then took a slightly less direct route back. It was great to catch each other up on what's been going on in our lives and (for me) to run in one of my favorite places. I struggled a bit on some of the hills--and our pace kept picking up--but we managed to slow down when one of us felt uncomfortable and it ended up being a nice run. My knee bothered me a bit at the beginning and was a bit twingey throughout but what else can I expect?
Even though we did the bulk of our travel yesterday, I found myself on the road again mid-day driving from Brooklyn to Westchester. There were a ton of cars on the road and it took forever. I met my dad at work and then we went across the street to his gym. My mom met us there about an hour later (she got "caught" at a sale at Lord & Taylor). I biked for a bit and then lifted. It was weird doing my routine with a different cast of characters, but I was glad to have the opportunity. Matt met us for a quick dinner after that and now we are in for the evening.
Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by becky at 9:18 PM | Comments (0)
November 25, 2008
Just the bare minimum
My workout/lifting schedule is less predictable this week because of Thanksgiving and all the plans that go along with that. We're heading up to New York tonight and I knew work would be crazy today so I planned on having a one-workout day today. I contemplated trying to squeeze in lifting this morning as well, but I am a little sore from doing so yesterday evening and it is much more enjoyable to bike at home where I can watch my shows! However, we seem to be having some problems with our hot water, so perhaps a shower at the gym would have been more enjoyable.
So I did what I could this morning--a hard bike workout and some extra abs/hamstring stuff. I watched "Dexter" and "Grey's"--and this time "Grey's" was bloodier. My knee was feeling pretty good--actually, my only complaint was my other leg. I got a cramp and had to skip a couple of hill intervals before it subsided. But nothing too terrible.
We are staying in Brooklyn tonight so I am crossing my fingers for a decent run in the summer '05 'hood. Safe travels to everyone!
Posted by becky at 3:22 PM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2008
Running and thinking
I woke up a couple of times during the night last night because I kept thinking I heard noises outside, so I was less than thrilled when my alarm went off this morning. But I did think about the fact that it was the beginning of only a short week, so that helped. I debated for a few minutes between tights or shorts and went with the shorts...it was a little chilly but not too bad by the time I finished.
I only had one or two road crossings to deal with until the last couple of miles of my run, so I felt myself zoning out and thinking about all the things I needed to do at work today. It always seems that the days leading up to holidays are super stressful because everyone is trying to cross things off their list. But in many ways, thinking about work and not my knee was a good sign! My knee actually felt pretty much the same as yesterday--a few twinges starting out and then things improved. The whole thing was just over an hour and I was pretty tired when I was done--a good morning's work.
I was pretty busy at work but I took a break at 12:08 to watch NCAAs. I had some trouble at first with the streaming video (as did everyone) but I was psyched to see most of the race. The women's race went pretty much as expected but there were a few surprises in the top 10, which is always exciting. I wasn't able to watch the men's race but I plan to read about it tonight.
The gym was quite crowded tonight as I expect people are getting in their pre-Thanksgiving workouts. I did my biking/lifting thing and then headed home with Matt--it is strange to have him here on a weeknight after so much travel lately!
Posted by becky at 9:30 PM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2008
An improvement over yesterday
Continuing on the trend of sub-par runs followed by good runs, today was a pretty good day. When I woke up, I saw that the thermometer outside our window was somewhere below 30 degrees, so I changed out of my shorts even though the temperature was supposed to climb to 45 by mid-day. And of course I was a little hot, but once I started sweating and soaking my shirt I cooled way down. I should probably err more on the side of wearing tights to protect my old, arthritic knees...but it's not in my (hot-blooded!) nature.
I did a variation one of my morning loops to add some distance but it actually didn't add as much as I thought. I took a slightly roundabout way back to my house as opposed to the more direct route and ended up right at an hour, which was probably just fine since I did a little more than that yesterday. Except for a few instances where my knee acted up, I tried to be very conscious of my form and ended up feeling pretty good overall.
I met up with some friends from my sorority for brunch today, many of whom I hadn't seen in about 10 years. We had recently gotten back in touch on Facebook! I wasn't sure what to expect but it was a lot of fun and I hope we can manage to get together again soon. When I got back, I did a couple of errands and watched the Jets dominate against an unbeaten team (it's so much more fun when Matt is home) and then biked while catching up on "House."
I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow at the NCAA XC championships. I feel like blocking out 12-1 on my calendar as a "private appointment." I should probably warn my office-mate that she will be watching streaming live coverage too (fingers crossed that it works)!
Posted by becky at 8:39 PM | Comments (1)
November 22, 2008
Brrr and ouch
I fell asleep pretty much immediately last night--I was definitely exhausted from my long day. It was nice to be able to sleep in. It was so sunny when I woke up that I forgot it would be cold when I got outside! I was excited to run though and had no indication that my knee would give me any trouble today. But it bothered me from half a mile in--not anything worse than usual or out of the ordinary, just the nagging pinch again. It sort of came and went so I was able to enjoy myself for parts of the run, but overall it just added to my frustration about how inconsistent things have been. I even stretched really well before I headed out, and this was a route I've done many times before (my usual Saturday Chevy Chase loop). I just don't get it.
My legs felt super tight when I got home so I biked for just a few minutes very very easily to try and loosen them up. Unfortunately it didn't help too much. I spent the next hour or so tidying up and then I went to run a couple of errands and pick Matt up at Dulles. His plane was actually a half-hour early and I only found out when he landed, so he was waiting a bit for me.
This evening we went to our neighbors' house for what I hear is their traditional pre-Thanksgiving get-together. We met some more of our neighbors and it was really fun. Three different neighbors described the 'hood as a "throwback" because people are so friendly and social. So nice!
Posted by becky at 8:00 PM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2008
Long Friday
This was a long day at the end of a long week! I left the house at about 7am this morning to head up to Baltimore for my flight to Chicago. When I woke up at 5, it was still dark and cold enough so that I decided it would be more pleasant (and safer) to bike. So downstairs I went for some "Gossip Girl," "The Hills" and that silly (but strangely watchable) Paris Hilton show. My legs were a little sore from my hilly run yesterday but my knee didn't bother me. The workout went by really quickly and then I had to really hurry to get out the door on time.
I am too tired to write much about our meeting, but it went really well. We didn't see much of the city (we were at the University of Illinois-Chicago) but did take the El to the airport when we were done. I was lucky enough to be traveling with a friend from work so it actually was a very enjoyable travel experience! Now off to bed.
Happy weekend to all!
Posted by becky at 11:43 PM | Comments (1)
November 20, 2008
Rolling country hills
I continue to be baffled by the difference in run quality from one day to the next. Today was rather hilly and all on roads and I felt...pretty good. Not free of every issue, but pretty good. I ended up running without my colleagues because they stayed up too late having fun, while I was a dork and went back to my room on the early side. It was probably for the best since I didn't have to worry about anyone else's pace.
The place we were staying was gorgeous--lots of open fields and gorgeous views. There weren't a lot of roads around, but I knew there was one long road leading to the (very cute) downtown Middleburg strip, so I just headed that way. I had thought at the last minute to bring my iPod so that was great. In fact, I felt like country-appropriate songs came on more than usual (Dixie Chicks, etc.) so maybe my iPod is psychic.
The hill down to the main road was a bit steep and I took it slow both going down and coming back up. Otherwise it was rolling, which is generally my favorite since it mixes it up and forces you to focus on your pace. It was pretty chilly but perfect for me. The two things that bothered me on the long, windy road were a pair of dogs behind a fence that went nuts each time I went by and traffic going way too fast for a road like that. But we weren't all that far from Washington, so I should expect it.
I'm not sure how long the run was exactly because I had an issue with my watch. I think I was running for about an hour and despite crawling up the hill leading to the resort, I did not feel that dead. It was a good run.
We spent most of the day "retreating" and then headed back to the big city after lunch. I spent a couple of hours in the office and then was on schedule for my usual gym visit. I wasn't feeling super motivated but I did a decent amount of lifting.
I have another trip scheduled for tomorrow--a day trip to Chicago for a meeting. I hope to get in a workout before having to leave for the airport and it will be quite early. Matt is in LA again, or on his way, I guess--we keep missing each other! I look forward to his return this weekend.
Posted by becky at 9:23 PM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2008
Playing it safe
I was planning on running this morning (it was a cold one) but I noticed that the inside of my knee was still sore when I stepped out of bed. I took it as a sign that it wouldn't be a terrible idea to take an extra biking day. I am really hoping to have a decent run tomorrow morning with a couple of my colleagues at our retreat--although the hotel's location leads me to believe our route will be hilly--so I told myself this would increase the chances of that. (Knowing my knee, it probably won't, but I am trying to be positive!) So I lowered the heat, opened the window in the basement (brr!) and cranked out a good workout. I watched two teenager-focused shows, "Gossip Girl" and "90210". I have never watched them back-to-back but I noticed a lot of (silly) similarities! As for my knee, it did not bother me and I did my usual hill workout. I hope the "rest" pays off.
I am skipping the gym tonight since we'll be en route to our retreat in the late afternoon and then having dinner. Being social is always a good choice in these situations!
Posted by becky at 12:14 PM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2008
Irritated
It was cold this morning--not cold enough to wear pants, but longer shorts (and gloves). Actually, I think it is a lot colder tonight than it was this morning because the wind is howling.
I don't want to dwell on the fact that my run wasn't so great this morning. Actually, I felt pretty good on the run--out and back on the Capital Crescent Trail--but I had a few telltale knee twinges that I knew would mean that my hot spot would be irritated for the rest of the day. It's just kind of the way it goes and I can't seem to predict when I will irritate it. I could bike for days and then have it happen, or I could do a longish run and feel great. And it's not like the pain is unbearable, but I am reminded every time I get up from sitting for a few hours after the run.
Anyway--aside from those complaints, I had a good day. Work flew by because we were crashing on a bunch of stuff, and then I went to the gym. The heat was blasting in there but you could only feel it in certain spots (where the vents were, I guess). I think there was one over the bike I was using--note to self to use a different one on the next cold day.
Matt is back from his quick trip to New York but I am gone tomorrow night on a work retreat and then Matt is off to California again by the time I get back on Thursday! And I am in Chicago for the day on Friday for another meeting. We are busy bees!
Posted by becky at 8:45 PM | Comments (0)
November 17, 2008
Beloved Monday
I woke up pretty easily this morning and I thought, maybe today won't feel kind of slow and blah like my recent Mondays. But then I looked in the mirror and saw a big sty under my eye--lovely! It has gotten better throughout the day but is still a little itchy. Of course it didn't interfere with my biking/television-watching ability: as long as I could get my contacts in, I was good to go. In fact, I think I biked pretty hard today, judging by the way my legs have felt the rest of the day. I didn't even hear Matt yell goodbye when he left! (He went to New York.) I was also watching a rather bloody "Dexter" episode, so I think I was distracted. I balanced that out with a less-gruesome "Grey's"--but definitely some heavy shows for the early morning hours.
My knee didn't bother me while I was biking, but I noticed on my walk from the car to my office that the back of my knee was achy. This is something that has plagued me off and on for years and I've gotten several different diagnoses, from popliteal tendonitis to a hamstring injury to "that's just where you are feeling your arthritis." It's not really painful; it just feels like I need to put my leg up on something and stretch, if that makes any sense. Anyway--I am keeping an eye on it and it didn't bother me tonight at the gym, so that was good. I did one new chest thing tonight and I have a sinking feeling that I am going to be very sore in the morning.
Matt is at a very cool event tonight: 24 Hour Plays on Broadway (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/123379.html). It is a benefit which, according to Playbill, "attracts some of entertainment's biggest names as they join forces to participate in a rite of extreme live performance: writing, directing, and performing six original short plays, all in just 24 hours." When they say big names, they mean it--everyone from Julia Stiles to my personal faves, former "ER"-ers Maura Tierney and Julianna Margulies. He is under strict orders to secure autographs for me at the after-party. Next year I am going to plan better so I can go too!
Posted by becky at 9:16 PM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2008
Better today
I let myself sleep in this morning and felt well-rested (for once) when I finally did get out of bed. I heard the wind howling, though, and I had a feeling that the temperature would be significantly lower than it was during yesterday's run. It was definitely on the brisk side, but only because of the wind. I would much rather fight the wind than the humidity.
My legs definitely felt more normal today than they did yesterday, although my knee bothered me a little bit and I have a feeling that the bruising from the fall contributed. It's hard to tell since it's all in kind of the same area. But paying attention to my form (i.e. clenching my butt) helps that area, too--so at least there was that. In general I felt slow on the (minor) hills and pretty strong on the flat parts. I ran mostly in Chevy Chase and wondered where all the stray leaves were--I guess leaf cleanup is more precise in the tonier neighborhoods!
The rest of my day was pretty relaxing, except for the 20 minutes I spent in Whole Foods. I don't know why I go there in the middle of the day on the weekends. It was extremely crowded and there were way too many people walking around pushing their carts aimlessly with one hand and holding their cell phones to their ears in the other. Aaargh!
I biked tonight while waiting for my lasagna to cook. I don't think I ate enough all day though and didn't feel too energized. But I did get to watch another episode of "Gossip Girl" so I can't complain too much...
Posted by becky at 8:43 PM | Comments (0)
November 15, 2008
Too humid for Nov.
I had been looking forward to today's run all week because I planned to meet up with Liz (my idea--she agreed to slow down for me). Although I enjoyed the company, today just wasn't my day. First of all, it was super humid and already 65 degrees at 9 am. Not my kind of weather. Second of all, my knee has felt better in recent days than it did today. Thirdly, I slipped on some leaves and wiped out, right on the inside of my knee where all my other issues are! It was just a little cut and bruise but I wasn't happy about it. Otherwise, we had great conversation and I was definitely glad to be distracted from some of my complaints. We started our run in Georgetown and did the loop I used to do with Camille on Sundays. The last few miles were on the Canal which was chock full of muddy puddles! It would have been kind of fun to dodge them if my legs weren't feeling like lead and my knee wasn't hurting me. Ah, the joys of a sub-par run (but thanks, Liz, for not noticing too much!) I will try and remember to ice both the new and old aches tonight.
The rest of my day went by quickly. My stomach has been bothering me a little ever since I got home from running--I think I am still a little dehydrated from the humidity--but I rallied to have lunch with a grad school friend in town for the weekend. Then I drove out to Dulles to pick up Matt and we took the opportunity to swing by a nearby Wegmans. We could spend all day there--it really is a huge store. We finally got back home around 6 and plan to stay in tonight. Although I didn't do anything too strenuous today, I am pooped!
Posted by becky at 6:25 PM | Comments (0)
November 14, 2008
Rainy run!
The Jets pulled through and won a big one over the Patriots last night, but not before the game went into overtime. That meant I was up a lot later than planned, so it was not easy to get up and outside into the rain this morning. But it was actually only misting a little and it was quite warm. I wanted to stay on the bike path as much as I could to avoid traffic lights as I got a bit of a late start! So my loop was really more of an out-and-back but I had my iPod and I was feeling okay so I didn't mind. My knee was a bit twingey today and it was probably good that a lot of the run was on gravel/dirt. I tried to take it really easy so that I can hopefully have a couple of decent runs this weekend as well--we'll see.
Since I didn't get a chance to lift yesterday, I went after work today. A bit out of the ordinary for me on a Friday, but Matt is still in L.A. so I was making my own schedule tonight. The gym was definitely a lot quieter than it is on weeknights! I didn't do a whole lot and now I am looking forward to a couple of hours of catching up on TV...if I can stay awake!
Happy weekend to all--enjoy tracking the NCAA regionals if you are anything like me!
Posted by becky at 9:25 PM | Comments (0)
November 13, 2008
Entertaining myself
I thought about adding one more running day in this week instead of biking today, but am glad I didn't (although it would have been nice to have a rainy run as I can't remember the last one). I think I was attacking the hill intervals really hard (too hard) at the beginning of my workout this morning because my knee started to bother me all of a sudden. Nothing too terrible, but enough to remind me that I didn't need to kill myself in order to get a good trainer workout.
I watched two extremely different shows today on the bike--"Gossip Girl" and "Dexter." Talk about polar opposites--but both are entertaining in their own way.I think I did a good job of keeping my heart rate up throughout the workout, but since my actual heart rate monitor needs a battery, I can't really be sure. Effort and sweat level are good gauges for me.
I would normally be leaving work to go to the gym for my second workout of the day right about now, but I am actually heading home soon to host some football watching. The Jets (Matt's favorite team) are playing the Patriots (his cousin's favorite team) tonight so the aforementioned opposition is coming over for dinner. Sadly, Matt will be en route to his home-away-from-home, L.A. But we hope for domination anyway!
Posted by becky at 5:16 PM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2008
Moving, but not too quickly
Today was another running day for me. The house was chilly when I woke up, but it was not nearly as cold as yesterday when I got outside--the gloves were off after a couple of miles. I did some hamstring strengthening yesterday so maybe that was why my legs felt like bricks this morning...my knee was doing well but I felt like I was running in quicksand at times! I think we all know (and love) that feeling.
I did my route that sort of circles around American U. and definitely noticed a couple of their fast men on their morning runs. Other than that I saw mostly cars and people walking their dogs--no exiting sights to report. It's been so long since I ran downtown, let alone on the Mall or near the Capitol, where I hear they are setting up the Inauguration platform. I don't mind the 'burbs and love having easy access to the Capital Crescent Trail, but I do miss some of my quintessential Washington runs.
My day went quickly, which was surprising considering it stayed pretty dreary all day--something that usually makes for a sleepy stretch in the afternoon. There was lots of talk in the public health world about this article in the New York Times about Google's new flu surveillance system. Interesting stuff-Google always comes up with (and finances) the good ideas.
Aside from more shenanigans from the trainers at the gym (standing on top of a stability ball for minutes at a time), things were pretty status quo. Just another 6 weeks or so until the onslaught of New Year's resolution folks...
Posted by becky at 8:54 PM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2008
The watch never lies...right?
I must admit that it was a little chilly stepping outside this morning. But once I got going I was perfectly happy with the temperature. Unfortunately once the temperature drops below 50, I start getting chapped from my salty sweat, so my face has been burning all day. That is one thing I always forget about the weather that I prefer.
I was very confused on my run this morning. I did the exact same route (at least according to my memory) as last week, but the times on my watch at various checkpoints were completely different--like 5 minutes off. I probably approached the trail in a little different way today and that added time, but the rest of the route was an out-and-back. My turnaround wasn't where I expected it to be, but I also didn't want to be too late to work. And right when I was wondering about all this, a black cat ran right across my path! Eeek! That cat was the only other runner I saw--probably a combination of chilly weather and the Veteran's Day holiday for federal workers.
My office-mate (we are very much like roommates after almost a year together now!) took advantage of a quiet day to go jean shopping at lunch. Well, she wanted jeans. I knew I would just get down about my body after trying on a bunch of things that didn't fit--and that's exactly what happened. No matter how proud I am of being a "fit" person, I have never accepted that my body type will never look like a traditional "runner." I have lots of muscles and hips that remain no matter if I am doing more or less running. I should accept what I've got after almost 32 years but somehow every time I get into a dressing room, it's like I am trying on bathing suits in high school again. So that's my rant for the day.
Speaking of muscles, I was of course back in the gym tonight doing my thing. The trainers were showing off again by setting up ridiculous circuits and bragging about how they can do 90 pushups in a row. At least I can rely on them for entertainment!
Posted by becky at 9:36 PM | Comments (0)
November 10, 2008
Monday morning usual
Ah, Mondays. Gotta love them. Actually, I am probably the most awake on Monday mornings because I've gotten a decent amount of sleep. Last night I tried really hard to stay awake long enough to finish the book that I'm reading and I just could not do it. I have so few pages left though that it would be really sad if I didn't finish it tonight.
So anyway, I don't have anything too exciting to report from my bike workout this morning, unless of course you are a "Gossip Girl" fan. I am totally into that show and love that it is really filmed in New York and not on a studio lot in L.A. My knee didn't feel amazing today--I had a few twinges--but I got through my usual hill intervals just fine.
The gym was very crowded tonight--must be because no one was that interested in the Monday Night Football game. I started a new book on the stationary bike and then lifted. I think my lifting routine is getting a little stale. I could ask one of the trainers who are often wandering around aimlessly, but I usually do better watching what strong-looking people are doing and then mimicking it, so I'll start keeping an eye out.
Posted by becky at 9:16 PM | Comments (0)
November 9, 2008
Re-learning to run tired
I must say that today was really a beautiful fall day and I was happy to be out there for a run. My knee didn't feel as great as it did yesterday, but I think I was probably a little tired from that run. My legs just need to get on board with running tired, something I used to be so good at!
I repeated my route from last Sunday, which is especially pretty on a clear day. It starts and ends on (different) main roads, but the middle is pretty quiet and there is that several-mile stretch where there are bikers on my left and the Potomac on my right in the distance. I also took a little detour into Glen Echo Park, which was a thriving amusement park from about 1900 to the late 1960s. Now they have art classes and pottery lessons and puppet shows and stuff but some of the old amusement park stuff is still there so it is an interesting sight. I think it would scare me a little if no one else was around.
My knee really wasn't too bad, but of course I hate it when it bothers me at all. And I usually know when it will be sore the rest of the day, and it was. I just have to remember that it could be (and was) a lot worse--and remind myself that my cross-training days are still necessary.
Speaking of cross training, I did do a little biking this afternoon. I am making headway with my backlog of DVR'd shows because I also watched while I was ironing for an hour yesterday! Matt was working most of the afternoon and I tried to be productive at Bed Bath and Beyond but it already looks like I'll be making a return trip (and I mean "return"). But all in all it was a nice and relaxing day.
Posted by becky at 7:44 PM | Comments (0)
November 8, 2008
Short day
I wasn't as productive today as I had hoped to be (shopping for curtains, etc.) but I did have a good run this morning. I did one of my longer weekend routes--the same one I did last Saturday, in fact. It starts out uphill and my legs felt really heavy for the first few miles. I stopped and stretched a bit and that seemed to help, as did the flat part of the course. The theme of today's run was definitely "fall" (as in the season, not the accident). The weather was warm and muggy, but there were leaves everywhere, and especially on the bike trail the last few miles, when I kept feeling them landing on me and then floating off. It made it very pretty. I haven't had too much soreness since I've been back from my run (I also biked a little bit as soon as I got home to hopefully loosen up the legs) and I'm happy with how things went.
I'm off to see Dar Williams shortly. Matt is opting out of the girly music and I am meeting a friend for dinner beforehand. Unfortunately one of my other friends, who I haven't seen for ages, is sick. We'll miss her but I hope the concert is a good one.
Posted by becky at 4:44 PM | Comments (0)
November 7, 2008
Trail blazing
I stayed up too late reading last night--usually this is impossible as I tend to fall asleep with the book open--and I was not happy to hear the alarm. Grrr. I finally made my way downstairs and out the door for my run--I wasn't sure how my knee would feel since it had been achy last night so I was a little apprehensive. I also didn't have a good route in mind and I usually like to have that set before I head out. So I kind of made it up as I went along. I added a little bit in the Glover Park woods I used to run in several times a week when I lived closer to them. I am super slow on trails and there were a few steep steps and downhills, but I was careful. In general, my legs just felt heavy and sore today--maybe from biking? My knee wasn't great but I've definitely had worse. I was bothered today mostly by the humidity--it was only in the 60s but the air seemed way too heavy for November. I hear the fall is supposed to return in a couple of days and I am looking forward to it.
It seemed like everyone in the office was working too hard for a Friday. We were all looking forward to the end of the day, I think. I am hoping to have a relaxing weekend including a Dar Williams concert tomorrow night. Happy weekend to all!
Posted by becky at 9:29 PM | Comments (0)
November 6, 2008
A trainer ride in two parts
As I was falling asleep last night (I did get to bed on the early side), Matt asked me if I could drive him up to the Metro in the morning at 7:20 am so he could make an 8 am train to Union Station. I knew that would be smack in the middle of my bike workout, so I wasn't thrilled, but it wasn't too bad. I got through an episode of "Gossip Girl" (my new obsession) and a little bit of an "ER" episode before I was called to come upstairs. I wrapped myself in a towel and headed out with Matt. He made the train and all was good. As for my workout, I came home to finish it and continued doing the hill intervals I had started. Both knees were a little sore but nothing to really complain about.
I don't have anything too exciting to report from work today...it was another warm-but-dreary day and I was less tired than yesterday but still feeling the yen for an afternoon nap that of course I couldn't take. Wouldn't workplaces be more productive if everyone had a mat to nap on just like in nursery school? I think so.
The gym was empty tonight. I was just about the only woman in the lifting area. Maybe everyone has started their weekend early? I'm certainly glad that the end of this long-seeming week is almost here.
Posted by becky at 9:11 PM | Comments (0)
November 5, 2008
Election night hangover
I wouldn't trade my time on the couch last night listening to Obama's acceptance speech for anything, but I definitely didn't get enough sleep. I felt kind of off when I woke up and really wished I could go back to sleep for a couple more hours. But alas...I was dressed to run and out the door as quickly as I could muster (not quickly). It was very mild and humid and I was stripped down to my sports bra in no time. It is supposed to be near 80 the next couple of days, I think, and warm on the weekend too so there is more of that wardrobe to come.
I had a little less than an hour to run and I did one of my neighborhood routes with a couple of add-ons when the time didn't quite work. My legs didn't feel as springy as yesterday and although my knee really didn't bother me a lot, I had a few twinges. So it was a step down from yesterday, I'd say, but not too terrible. I'm sure the lack of sleep didn't help things.
Everyone at work was excited about the election results so that was fun...but we were also all pretty sleepy, which was not so fun. The day seemed sort of long despite the fact that I had a lot of work to do and I was psyched to find a Diet Coke in the kitchen for a caffeine boost. I'm not sure it helped too much but I did get through some biking and lifting this evening and now I am hoping to get into bed within the next half-hour or so. I hope it helps!
Posted by becky at 9:20 PM | Comments (0)
November 4, 2008
Where is everybody? (Voting!)
I woke up with butterflies today for two reasons: the election and a lecture that I was giving at Georgetown tonight. I've definitely never been this invested in an election and I can't wait to see what happens (currently watching CNN election coverage!) So I was thinking about all these things and not really thinking about running, but off I went. I planned to end my run at the poll and vote if the line wasn't too long and come back if I would freeze waiting around (due to sweat; it was in the 50s).
I headed to the Capital Crescent and was glad to note my knee was feeling pretty good. I saw a bunch of bikers but barely any runners. It was so warm out so I'm thinking they were probably all voting. A few miles into the run, I came across a "Vote Obama" chalking on the bike path--a good omen, I hope. It was an "only in Washington" moment. (Or, maybe an "only in a blue state" moment.) Even though the second half of my run (gradual uphill) was a bit harder, I never felt too bad, knee or otherwise.
When I stopped at the poll, Matt was there and very close to the actual voting booths. But the line was kind of long and I didn't want to obnoxiously cut in, so I decided to come back after I was all ready for work. And it ended up being the right decision--the line was much shorter then!
My lecture tonight went fine except for some technical difficulties. Now we are tuned in on the couch and I expect we'll be here for a while.
Posted by becky at 8:39 PM | Comments (0)
November 3, 2008
The usual
Another Monday, another morning on the bike. It was definitely lighter out when I woke up due to the time change, but for some reason it didn't really make is easier for me to get out of bed. Eventually I made my way down to the basement and onto the bike. I watched the last episode of the first season of "Mad Men." I have really enjoyed that show and am looking forward to whenever the next season comes out on DVD. I think it just ended, so it will be a while.
As for my workout, aside from a couple of twinges, my knee felt good. I did hill intervals during both "Mad Men" and my next choice of entertainment, an episode of "House" from a few weeks ago. I did notice I was hungrier than usual, which was probably due to the time change (several of us at work commented on that).
I was sort of dragging all day and I'm really not sure why. It was a little overcast, so that could be part of it. I think there is also a lot of anticipation building up for the election tomorrow and it is on everyone's minds. I suppose we will know a lot more 24 hours from now. I am lecturing tomorrow evening at Georgetown in a class my friend is teaching, but after that, I expect to be glued to the TV.
The gym was emptier than usual tonight due to the (home) Redskins game, I think. And the guys who weren't at the game were talking about it! I just did my thing and got out of there as usual. I can already tell that I am going to be sore tomorrow, and I'm not sure why since I did my regular routine. Maybe I will prove myself wrong!
Posted by becky at 9:42 PM | Comments (0)
November 2, 2008
Another pretty good one
We got home pretty late from our benefit last night, and I was really glad to be able to get that extra hour for sleeping. Once I finally woke up, I puttered around the house a bit and procrastinated going outside for my run. I just didn't have a good route in mind and was bored by all the choices. I ended up exploring a couple of new neighborhoods not too far from us but further into Bethesda and then linking up with a bike path of sorts (really just a shoulder protected by a guardrail) on MacArthur Boulevard. The road is quite popular with serious bikers since it has the nice shoulder all the way to...I'm not sure, but it goes a long way. So I saw a lot of bikers, a few other runners, and the sun glinting off the Potomac off to my right. It was another perfect weather day (a little warm for me) so it was pretty picturesque. I had to climb a pretty long (but gradual) hill in the last couple of miles but I just focused on relaxing and not worrying about how much it was slowing me down. My knee-protecting form is pretty solid on flat and even downhills but not yet going up--it is a work in progress.
I noticed that during both today's and yesterday's run, I felt a blood sugar drop around the 30 minute mark. I didn't have access to a water fountain today (which helped yesterday) but I pushed through it and did eventually feel better. I'm not sure why that is happening but I wonder if I didn't eat enough or something before I left.
When I got home, I tried desperately to get the NBC stream of the NYC Marathon to load but it wouldn't work. I read that Kara was battling for second and wanted to know what was going on! My sister happened to call then from NY and she was watching so she kept me apprised of the situation. Paula is awesome and I'm glad she bounced back after her recent disappointments--and Kara did amazing for a first marathon. Women's distance running is on fire and I love it.
I didn't do anything too exciting today--mostly work and catching up on some reading. I did bike tonight before dinner and crossed another "Grey's" episode off the list. My knee was a little sore and I will definitely be cross training tomorrow again.
Posted by becky at 8:39 PM | Comments (2)
November 1, 2008
Not half bad
I definitely slept in this morning. It had been awhile since I had gotten the chance, and I think I needed it. Matt slept even longer--I went running, got back and biked for awhile, and then finally when I came up from the shower he was up and about. But with his crazy schedule this week, I know he needed it too.
My run ended up feeling like two different runs. The first half was kind of crappy and then all of a sudden I was feeling better. I did a loop that started out uphill so that may have been why--but I also think I remembered somewhere along the way to think about my form and that had an impact on how my knee felt. The last three miles or so were on a combination of the Georgetown Branch Trail (gravel) and the Capital Crescent Trail (I ran on the dirt part when possible) so that probably helped too. It is just so weird to me that I not only have inconsistency with my knee from run to run, but within the same run, too!
The aforementioned post-run biking was very easy. I am still trying to get through my backlog of DVR'd shows and today's feature was a "Grey's" episode from a couple of weeks ago. I liked this one more than the other ones this season but unfortunately that is not saying a whole lot.
After some tidying up around the house, I went out to do a couple of errands and found a last-minute dress for a Cystic Fibrosis benefit that we are going to tonight. I have been wanting to beef up my fancy wardrobe since we go to these things now and then and the dress I usually wear is a hand-me-down from my (younger!) sister from probably 8 or 10 years ago, so this is a start. I am looking forward to being able to change the clocks when we get home so it won't be as late as I think.
Posted by becky at 5:36 PM | Comments (0)