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October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween
I must have shut off my alarm this morning because I slept way later than I intended to! But I probably needed it. My cough got a little worse last night and I woke up with a headache--I'm definitely fighting something but I don't feel too bad.
It was gross and humid this morning. And wet--it must have rained during the night. I couldn't decide where to run so I took my time getting out the door. I purposely didn't take my water bottle so I wouldn't be tempted to go too long. It sort of worked. Interestingly, I felt better as the run went on, although just very lethargic (maybe because of my cold?) most of the time. I meandered around a few neighborhoods I don't know too well and was impressed with one street's level of Halloween decoration dedication. Then I took a wrong turn and ended up adding probably 15 minutes on to my route. Oops! But the good news was that I ended up on the soft part of the Capital Crescent for a couple of miles, which is good for my legs/knees. My knees felt, on the whole, better today, although not as normal as they've felt recently.
The one thing I don't like about running on the trails on the weekends is the number of other runners, bikers, walkers, etc. I turned onto the trail at the same time as this guy I judged to be going slower than I was, and passed him. But I realized I was uncomfortable and slowed down and then he passed me back. Argh! I so miss the days when I used to be able to reel in people.
We spent a lot of today raking leaves and cleaning up outside. Thankfully it started drizzling and I used it as an excuse to go inside. I was getting tired.
We are waiting for trick-or-treaters and then are going out to meet friends for a late dinner. Happy Halloween!
Posted by becky at 6:25 PM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2009
A smoother ride
I did end up on the bike this morning (finished before it even got light out) and I do have to say that the pedaling motion was smoother. Very nice. Now that I know what the problem is, though (rusting of the bearings) I can tell that the other bearings could stand to be replaced. I'm sure il have to deal with it sometime in the next few months.
Aside from being pretty sleepy this morning, I felt pretty good and caught up on several shows. My left knee and leg was feeling a lot less sore and the right knee is better but sore sort of near the quad (new spot). Hoping it's an aberration. I would like nothing more than to have a very relaxed and (mostly) pain-free run tomorrow morning. I will be good and not push myself to go too long. I'm thinking positive thoughts but I know it will take a lot of them.
In between work tasks today, I checked on Heps results and was very impressed by the Princeton women. Wow! It was a good diversion on an otherwise dreary day (both inside and outside the office).
Gotta go clean up from our (late) dinner. Happy weekend to all!
Posted by becky at 8:21 PM | Comments (0)
October 29, 2009
Meh
My spin bike repairman was due to come mid-day today (more on that later) so I planned to work from home in the morning rather than waste time going back and forth. I really should have just gotten up at my normal time, but the thought of a little extra sleep was very intoxicating and I let myself take advantage of the lack of commute. I was also confused about what time it was because it was still so dark out even past 7am. I suppose that will start to change on Sunday once we set the clocks back.
So off I went...it was another cloudy, humid, non-Fallish day here today. I can say with certainty that I saw some improvement in the overall soreness category. But still some localized soreness in my left knee/quad--this is somewhat relieved by foam rolling so I'm pretty sure it's muscular--and some of the good old pinching feeling in my right knee. I hopped on a trail for just a half-mile or so but there were a lot of leaves, roots (and even a stream crossing) and that uneven footing was what bothered my knee(s) the most. Once I was back on the road, I forced myself to think about my gait every step of the way and that was the best advice I could have given myself.
My bike repair guy showed up on time and replaced one of the sets of bearings on my bike. (There are two others, but this one was the most damaged.) He thinks it should make a big difference in the smoothness of the ride and now I am going to be very vigilant about drying off the bike. I think I will test it out tomorrow morning because I have an early-morning appointment anyway.
The gym was really crowded tonight, and I kept overhearing Halloween conversations. I suppose it is a big deal if you are into that! I am more looking forward to following the college cross country conference champs this weekend as well as my extra hour of sleep.
Posted by becky at 8:27 PM | Comments (0)
October 28, 2009
Not my finest outing
My litany of complaints today should be preceded by the fact that I actually got up on time today. Not early enough so that I could do some biking after my run, but on time is an improvement. I was nervous about running considering how my legs/knees have been feeling as well as the way I felt running on Monday.
But out the door I went, as I am a glutton for punishment. All told, I really didn't feel that bad. My legs are less stiff, especially my left one, which belongs to the "better" knee. I expected it to be chilly this morning since it rained all night but in fact it was extremely humid and gross. I wished I had opted for a tank top over a clingy short-sleeved shirt. When I checked later, I found out that the humidity was 97% at that time, so I wasn't imagining anything.
I didn't have too much "pop" in my legs, but my knee held up well for about 3/4 of the run. My old familiar discomfort joined me on the bike path and I just felt like my stride was very off. I hope no one I knew drove by me during the last mile.
I had on and off stiffness/discomfort today at work and it definitely got me down. I thought my Achilles would be the first sign that I had overdone the hills in SF but I think these feelings are my barometer. We'll see how things go the rest of the week.
Busy day again at work. The gym wasn't too crowded and I was on the mat next to one of the trainers I actually like, who was working with a trainer. I always thought he was normal but today I heard him talking about his belief in aliens. In a serious way. I know he was in the Army in Afghanistan. Maybe something happened over there that I don't know about. Regardless, it kind of freaked me out. (That was the eventful part of my evening at the gym; everything else was normal.)
I think the Phillies are already leading Game 1 of the World Series, but Go Yanks!
Posted by becky at 8:48 PM | Comments (0)
October 27, 2009
Sorry, legs!
I have been having trouble posting blog entries, so loyal readers might want to scroll down to see what they've missed (not a whole lot, I have to admit). This morning I woke up to the sound of the rain and was glad (for once) that I was just going downstairs to bike. It was very cozy in bed though and hard to get out of it.
I think biking was good for my legs and knees—nothing hurt me and I was working hard—but my knees were still pretty stiff the rest of the day, especially after sitting down for hours at a time. I still think all of the hilly walking and running on pavement probably was a bit much and I am hoping I'm still in recovery mode. (Sitting on the plane didn't help matters, either, I bet.)
I also got to catch up on some TV. I might be the only "Brothers & Sisters" fan who noticed that Roxy Olin played a small role…I "know" her from one of the other shows I watched this morning, "The City." Trust me, I don't think the two shows have much fan overlap!
Work was really busy today (catching up after my time away) and that was a good thing because I wasn't thinking so much about being lonely in my office now that my other half is on maternity leave. It is weird not having anyone to whom I can express my mindless thoughts, but I'm sure by the time she's back I'll be used to it!
It felt good to get back to the gym tonight. I did all of the things that usually help my knee and foam-rolled and I hope my legs start to feel better soon.
Matt is on his way back from L.A. tonight and I will probably be asleep before he comes in, but I'm looking forward to his arrival nonetheless.
Posted by becky at 9:47 AM | Comments (0)
October 26, 2009
Heading home
I was bummed to wake up today and know it was my last vacation day (and that I'd be spending much of the day on the plane). I'm at the airport now, in fact (but posting later as wireless is spotty here). Matt left early this morning to fly down to LA and he will be back very late tomorrow night.
I had made tentative plans to meet up this morning with an old running buddy who lives in the area, but we never figured anything out, so I was on my own again today. My legs were really sore and stiff just walking around this morning so I decided to avoid the hills again and do a variation of yesterday's route. I wish I could have avoided the concrete as well. If the bike isn't the best thing for my knee, it will at least be good for my legs tomorrow.
I expected to feel pretty crappy this morning and I did, although there were a few bright spots. I didn't go as far as I did yesterday but still came within sight of the Golden Gate Bridge. There were far few runners out on the path along the water as it is a weekday, but still enough so that I got passed a couple of times (by men). I kept reminding myself that I should be glad that after two days of longish runs, my knee really wasn't too bad, but I still long for the old days of having some bounce in my legs. Maybe someday.
I had a little bit of time to do my abs and very light lifting in the hotel gym when I got back. Not nearly like my usual Monday lifting workout, but I think I'll survive.
Looks like they are getting ready to board my flight. Cross your fingers for no delays from here on out!
Posted by becky at 9:53 PM | Comments (0)
October 25, 2009
Flattest run in SF
Another exciting day in the Bay Area for us, highlighted by a big win by the Jets against the Oakland Raiders, personally witnessed by our little crew. Before that, of course, I did some more exploring on foot. My legs were pretty tired and I purposely avoided the big hills that I challenged myself with yesterday. I have been seeing runners along the Embarcadero out the window of our hotel since we arrived, so I decided to follow the masses.
As I set out, I was thinking about the Marine Corps Marathoners back in Washington. It sounds like they had great weather--a bunch of my co-workers were running but it's still too hard to keep close track of the results of people I know well. Too much bitterness/jealously about qualifying for Boston, etc. when I don't even know if I'll ever run another marathon again. (For the record, I will never run Boston again though--I have never been the same since Boston 2006.) But I was thinking about them all out there.
The Embarcadero goes along the water to Fisherman's Wharf and then there are a couple of options. I did choose a hill, but it was a short (steep) one that took me into this Fort/park area (I was following other runners). Then I took a bit of a detour away from the water just for variety's sake but eventually ended up close to the beginning of the pedestrian path on the Golden Gate Bridge. I had to turn back around at that point but it was cool to be that close to the bridge.
I had some tired moments, but felt pretty decent overall today. I didn't enjoy the fact that I was forced to run on concrete on the Embarcadero, but I got off and onto the road whenever it was safe.
I may repeat this route (but shorten it a little) tomorrow, just because it is so straightforward. In an ideal world, I'd be able to get in a modified lifting session (my hotel has free weights) too before my flight but we'll see. Matt is going to L.A. in the morning and I am heading back home. One more day of vacation before it's back to the grind for real.
Posted by becky at 11:30 PM | Comments (1)
October 24, 2009
Definitely on vacation
Matt and I had another busy day and we just watched the sun go down from the roof of our hotel (we did this last night too--it's awesome). I was going to go to the mini-hotel gym and lift, but Matt convinced me that I would miss the sunset, and he was right. Much more fun to chill out up here--you certainly can't do that every day. And we actually did a lot more walking this afternoon--I caught a glimpse of Golden Gate Park on my run this morning and I thought it would be nice to head back there together, which we did, and from there we walked to Haight-Ashbury and checked out that (famous and very bohemian) scene.
I only saw a little of GG Park during my run because it took awhile to get there from our hotel. It was pretty straightforward to get there and I didn't get lost. I was worried about how my knee(s) would feel after all of our walking yesterday, and they weren't on their best behavior but also not too terrible, considering. I knew I'd have to deal with big hills but they actually didn't arrive until about 30 minutes into the run. I did my best to make it up without compromising my form too much.
Eventually I arrived in the Park and noticed that the weather had changed--it was so foggy that there was a fine mist in the air. I could barely see it but felt as if I was sweating more all of a sudden. Kind of like San Francisco humidity. I only had time to run for about 15 minutes in there but it was nice and flat and filled with runners. I wished I didn't have to turn around and go back up and down those hills. But they weren't too bad. I was definitely feeling it in the last few miles--and I had to stop at lights every couple of blocks--but on the whole glad I made it through another 90-plus-minute run without incident. Not too much post-run discomfort either, a good thing since we did so much other walking around.
The other highlight of my day was having lunch with a close friend from college and her family. They live in the Bay Area and made the trip in to see us. We don't get to see each other much and it was really nice. Matt bonded with their older son--he could barely walk because he was getting tackled every couple of steps. It was cute!
Off to dinner. We are certainly eating our way through this city!
Posted by becky at 9:37 PM | Comments (0)
October 23, 2009
Super-sized day
Boy, am I beat, and we haven't even eaten dinner yet. We just spent a few hours exploring the hills of San Francisco on foot, and that was after waking up around 5:15 to bike and then of course flying here. But it has been a fun day so far.
I was worried that I wouldn't be able to wake up, but I set two alarms and was primed for the early start and did okay. I haven't been able to catch up on my shows in awhile (this is a good thing because it means I am running more) and I was looking forward to it. I finished an episode of "The Office" and watched "Mad Men" and "The Hills" from this week. I tried lowering the seat on the bike to see if that helped the niggles that tend to follow a spin and I think it helped somewhat. Hard to say though because we did so much walking today and I was having some trouble with the very steep downhills. (This might never change though--those are some really crazy hills and I am already nervous about my planned route for tomorrow!)
Aside from the few niggles this morning, I felt good. I always like getting a workout in before sitting for hours on the plane. Travel went smoothly and I got a good nap in. We've made the most of our day here and intend to do the same all weekend.
Happy weekend to all!
Posted by becky at 9:39 PM | Comments (0)
October 22, 2009
Spotted
I was fairly decent about getting out of bed today, but I took my time getting out the door because I made the mistake of checking my email. This was not a good idea since I also ended up running about 10 minutes longer than I planned...all making for a late morning. But it all turned out okay.
I decided to do a route that I hadn't done in awhile--out the Capital Crescent toward Silver Spring and then back to Bethesda via a fairly main road. I felt good on the trail part but got tired and felt my stride change as soon as I turned onto the road. And of course when I tired, my form deteriorated and my knee started to hurt a bit. Nothing too terrible, though. But I was thinking, "I need a day off from running" as I was heading towards home. And of course my colleague drove by me at the very end when I was slogging along. She told me when she saw me at work later and I said, "Oh, I probably had a funny stride at that point," hoping she would think that I in fact looked good. But she agreed that I looked a little weird! I wish she had kept that to herself. I'm going to try not to take it too seriously--I was tired!
Speaking of tired, I am tired again now and trying to get everything ready for our trip tomorrow. I had an okay time at the gym tonight--my bikes were all taken so I had to ride the spin bike again but didn't have very comfortable shorts for that. As for the lifting part, I did what I could but was feeling very unmotivated. Here's to the fact that it is almost the weekend...and go Yanks!
Posted by becky at 9:16 PM | Comments (0)
October 21, 2009
Overslept!
I have a huge fear of oversleeping and not being able to get in my workout before work. This happened to me once years ago and I sat through an all-day meeting dreading the fact that I still had to run when I got home. It hardly ever happens because Matt's alarm is usually set to go off not too long after mine is, but he's been away, and today when I opened my eyes I knew "it" had happened again. This time I was able to rush around getting dressed and managed a very quick run, but I was all discombobulated.
Surprisingly, since I chose getting out the door over doing my usual pre-run preparations, I felt good today. I think I was totally "running" on adrenaline--that probably helped! It was very nice out--I needed my gloves but was totally comfortable in a t-shirt after being so bundled up a few days ago. That's fall around here for you.
I was bummed to have to cut my run short, but relieved that I got to do something and that I felt pretty good. I knew I'd want to do more than just my stationary biking at the gym tonight so I threw my bike shoes in my bag so that I could do some spinning. I wasn't on the spin bike all that long but worked hard--I know what to do to get my heart rate up on the bike. There was actually a really good local runner on the bike next to me. I remember seeing her in the Olympic Trials in Boston but felt weird saying anything.
Matt's back from his trip but we are both headed west this weekend--to San Francisco for what we hope will be a relaxing few days. But since tomorrow is only Thursday, I'm getting ahead of myself...it's been that kind of week!
Posted by becky at 10:03 PM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2009
Not so cold anymore
I snoozed a million times as usual before getting out of bed (I was a tiny bit better today though) and must have heard the weather several times, because I woke up with the knowledge that today's high would be around 70 and tomorrow's 75. It was still a bit chilly this morning, though, and I am glad I thought to bring my gloves as I headed out.
I was feeling a little tired this morning when I started my run. I'm still wondering if I'm getting a cold, but maybe I'm just paranoid because of all of the time I spent being cold in the rain this weekend. Once I warmed up a little, I felt better. I have a bad (or good, I guess, depending on your opinion) habit of doing certain routes on certain days--this harkens back to my freshman year at Cornell, before I joined the track team--and I'm used to seeing the American U. runners out for their morning runs on Tuesdays now. Today I realized I must have been running a bit a late because I saw them in a different spot! I varied my route a bit today which was great until I looked at my watch and realized I forgot to restart it when I stopped for the only light on the run just 6 minutes in. Aaargh! So I'm really not sure how long I was gone today, but I managed to feel pretty good throughout so I'm fairly satisfied.
I had a little knee discomfort at the gym today but I stretched and foam-rolled when I was done with my biking and lifting and it seemed a bit better. Nothing out of the ordinary these days. I stopped by City Sports on my way home tonight to pick up another technical long-sleeved shirt because I am realizing that my old ones (from races, a lot of them) are just not fitting me anymore because my back and shoulders have gotten a lot bigger over the past few years from lifting. This is both a source of pride and embarrassment for me--I have yet to decide how I really feel about it.
Another quiet night here--Matt's due back tomorrow afternoon. Oh, and one more thing for today: Happy birthday to my favorite 92-year-old blog reader!
Posted by becky at 9:35 PM | Comments (0)
October 19, 2009
Monday morning special
I tried really, really hard to wake up (and get out of bed) when my alarm went off this morning. I knew I didn't have Matt's alarm as backup and eventually I did roll out of bed, but running a couple of minutes behind as usual. It's all too easy to stay in bed as long as possible when it is dark and chilly and I know I am only going downstairs for my workout.
I am always wary of the bike because I am suspicious lately that something about my form is bothering my knee. I did have a couple of moments of discomfort today but on the whole felt decent once I warmed up. As usual, I watched some exciting shows--"Brothers & Sisters" and something else that I can't even remember now. Oh, most of Pam and Jim's wedding episode on "The Office" from a couple of weeks ago. Hysterical.
The weather has returned to pleasant around here (although still too cold for many people's tastes) and I had a nice walk to the gym tonight. It was extremely crowded (Monday) and I tried to vary my routine in order to just take advantage of what was available. Towards the end of my workout, I felt like I was getting a cold, but now I feel better so I'm not sure what to think. We are headed to San Francisco next weekend for a long weekend and I would like to stay healthy (wouldn't we all). Fingers crossed.
Posted by becky at 9:48 PM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2009
A lot less rain, but a little soreness
We all know that I enjoy running in the rain probably more than anyone, but even I was encouraged to wake up this morning and not actually hear the rain. It was still overcast and chilly and drizzling a little, but nothing like it was when I went to bed. I bundled up (two shirts today since I was so cold yesterday) and headed out, again not exactly sure where I was going to go and how I would feel.
On the whole I felt surprisingly good. I did have some soreness in my knee that is different from my usual discomfort—much more in the kneecap. I'm going to assume and hope that it was just due to a longer run yesterday that had a lot of up and downhills in the last 4 miles or so. Today was pretty hilly too, but the downs were at the beginning and the ups were at the end. Even though the weather was better today, I didn't see a lot of other runners out. Maybe they were waiting until later today, when the sun actually came out!
I got home just in time to say goodbye to Matt's sister, who was heading out to meet a friend for brunch and then go back to New York. While Matt took her to the Metro, I hopped on the bike to finish watching an episode of "Grey's" that I started yesterday. My legs felt okay on the bike but both knees have been kind of achy all afternoon. I plan to bike tomorrow and hopefully it will improve the situation.
Matt is on his way to L.A. tonight for what I hope is a couple of days and not all week. I took him to the airport and am getting geared up for the week ahead. The weekend went by so fast!
Posted by becky at 10:15 PM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2009
Hard core=wet and cold
I sort of couldn't believe that it was still raining when I woke up this morning. And not just drizzling, either. No one else in my house was awake to convince me that it was a bad idea to head outside (not that I would have listened). I put on my hat and gloves and decided not to put any pressure on myself to run for a certain amount of time.
It was actually even wetter out than I expected--tons of deep puddles that were hard to avoid. I got on the Capital Crescent Trail pretty close to my house, something I normally would avoid on the weekend but I had a hunch that it would be pretty quiet today. It definitely was. I saw a few other hearty souls but it was mostly me and my iPod for the duration of the run. I stayed on the CCT longer than I have in quite some time--almost to Rock Creek Park but I ended up turning off before that. I was feeling good today--a no-complaint day and those are few and far between. The leaves on the ground and on the trees were wet but really pretty and I was grateful just to be doing what I was doing. Actually--one complaint: my hands were basically frozen after 30 minutes.
I ended up running 90 minutes today and it goes without saying that I was pleased. I did not expect to run that long or feel okay doing it. Who knows the next time that will happen? I didn't even bike when I got home because I felt like I had been hard core enough and also because my hands were frozen. (I actually got on for about 25 minutes this afternoon and realized my legs were pretty dead.)
Matt's sister and I hung out this afternoon (despite the rain) in Bethesda. We had a couple of errands to do and then spontaneously decided to get our hair cut. It was a long time coming for me. Tonight we made dinner at our house for more family--Matt's cousin, who lives here, has her parents in town and she brought them. Perfect rainy night activity (although it might have finally stopped) and a nice end to a great day.
Posted by becky at 4:51 PM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2009
Still raining
We are in the midst of some sort of low-pressure weather system or something that is keeping the rain around and the temperature down. Everyone's been complaining about it but I don't mind this weather and in fact prefer it over warmer-than-usual temps, as we all know. I'm sure we'll be getting some more of that anyway before we really settle into fall.
I planned to do today what I had originally intended to do yesterday--a short run and some biking. It actually wasn't raining too hard when I was out there, but it was chilly. I wore gloves for the first time this season, in fact. Except for the fact that my iPod inexplicably stopped working, I felt pretty good today. I sort of made up a route as I went along. As I was climbing Mass. Ave near AU, I realized I was inching closer and closer to another runner who was wearing a garbage bag over her shirt. I've seen that at the start of marathons, but never on someone just out for a run. Interesting. I ended up passing her but as I crested the hill, she was right there again. We were basically running side-by-side for a couple of minutes before she turned off. It was a little awkward but kind of fun at the same time.
I didn't end up having all that much time to bike--just enough for "The Hills" and most of "The City." Nothing too exciting to report about either the shows or the workout.
I was supposed to have an appointment with my knee doc this afternoon but when I showed up, it was apparent that they had scheduled me at the wrong location. It was really annoying. Luckily I was able to reschedule for three weeks from now (a short time considering how long it took me to make this appointment in the first place).
I'm looking forward to seeing what happens at Pre Nats tomorrow. And also looking forward to hanging out with Matt's sister, who is en route from NYC and arriving here soon.
Happy weekend to all!
Posted by becky at 9:01 PM | Comments (1)
October 15, 2009
Last-minute decision to bike
I fell asleep last night to the sound of rain and woke up to the same. I was planning on doing a short run and then biking, but I was feeling less than enthusiastic about getting all wet and then sitting on the bike like that. (I may do this tomorrow though as this weather shows no signs of stopping). But for today, I decided to just head downstairs to the bike.
I worked hard today, but my knee bothered me more than it did on Monday. As usual, not terrible, but annoying and then I felt it at times during the day. What are you gonna do? I am actually going to see my orthopedic surgeon tomorrow just to get his opinion on how things are going. I have no intention of having any additional surgeries unless he thinks my most recent problems are unrelated to the cartilage damage. Just curious to get his take.
In case anyone is wondering what shows kept me occupied today, I watched "90210" and "Mad Men." I'm nothing if not predictable.
I'm not sure if it was the rainy weather today or what, but I felt exhausted all day--sleepy, in fact. Starbucks didn't even help. I forced myself to go to the gym knowing that it would probably be difficult and I perked up a bit but then started to fade. I am waiting for Matt to come home but am going to try and at least be in my bed by 10. I feel a little sniffly so maybe I am getting a cold. In any case, I am quite relieved that the weekend is in sight!
Posted by becky at 9:03 PM | Comments (0)
October 14, 2009
Mount Bethesda
One of my colleagues who telecommutes has been in the office this week and remarked that she forgot how hilly Bethesda is after she went for a run yesterday afternoon. I concur! It's not like San Francisco or anything, but there are just a lot of ups and downs and you are hard-pressed to find a flat route that doesn't involve the Canal or Capital Crescent Trail. Our company's president walked by and heard us talking and asked if we were talking about Mt. Bethesda (he was joking, of course). But I think there are several Mt. Bethesdas and I experienced one of them this morning.
I bundled up (i.e. long-sleeved shirt) because I heard it was only going to be in the 50s today. It was great. I could tell that my knee would bother me off and on and I just tried to focus on the techniques I know that help me. I struggled on the hilliest parts of the run but that's nothing new these days. I was excited to see that part of one of the roads along this route was finally repaved--it was completely torn up last Friday and had been in bad shape before that.
I was rushing to get back home so I wouldn't be late to an appointment, and my run was a few minutes shorter than I wanted. And I was still late. Sometimes I don't understand the discrepancy between the chronological time on my watch and the clock time. I didn't even have to stop for any lights today!
My knee didn't really bother me during the day today although it has been a little sore tonight since the gym. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary there and actually was a little more into it than usual since I skipped last night to socialize.
Matt's in Miami tonight. I am having a quiet evening filled with domestic tasks like laundry, ironing...and catching up on "Gossip Girl."
Posted by becky at 9:17 PM | Comments (0)
October 13, 2009
No complaints
Matt had to be up pretty early for a flight today and I forced myself to be inspired and got up on time instead of late as usual (hey, I do what I can). It was cold in the house last night and I definitely bundled up a little too much as it was actually perfect weather out. But I was glad to be out there on a fall-ish day even if I did have to tie my shirt around my waist.
I did one of my usual weekday routes but added a new little mini-loop to extend it by a few minutes. I was definitely not the only runner out there and I saw the American U. teams on their morning runs again. One of their runners was way out ahead of the others just outside the gates of campus. Ah, the days of being young and fit.
I didn't feel young today but all in all my knees held up well. Sometimes I feel like I spend half the run worrying about how I am going to feel with each step--I know it's important to chill out and relax a bit so I try to remember that. It's just frustrating to know that one day can be so different from the next.
Since I had gotten up on time, I actually had a little time to bike when I got back. Not much, but I'll take what I can get, especially since I knew I wouldn't be hitting the gym tonight because I went to dinner with my colleagues. That was fun though and I'm sure I didn't miss much at the gym!
Posted by becky at 9:24 PM | Comments (1)
October 12, 2009
Semi-holiday
I technically had the day off today, but I had a couple of things to take care of and a call to be on so I spent a couple of hours in the office this afternoon. But it was really nice to have an extra day to sleep in a bit, especially since it was chilly and cloudy this morning. Being the nice wife that I am, I woke up in time to drive Matt to work and then I came back and hopped on the bike.
Last week it seemed that biking irritated my knee a bit, so I made sure to stretch a lot today as well as shortening the out-of-the-saddle intervals. I felt better today, so maybe those techniques helped (who knows). I had a hard time getting my heart rate up at first because it was cold in the basement, but once I warmed up I got into a good rhythm. I ended up covering a lot of TV ground too--"Brothers & Sisters," "Grey's" from a couple of weeks ago, and something else that is escaping me now. I was able to get in a bit of a longer workout too because I wasn't worried about getting to work on time.
I had a really nice lunch with a friend at a deli in Silver Spring I've been wanting to try (the food was decent, it was the company that made it fun) and then went into the office. I wasn't the only one there because a lot of people were working today as a flex day. I got what I needed to done and then headed to the gym. This is how all work days should be--sleeping late and long lunches. The gym was crowded but a lot of the "regulars" didn't seem to be around. I started the new(ish) Jennifer Weiner book on the bike--I've been waiting for it to be available at the library since June or so.
Tonight is a rare TV night for us, but it's only because the Jets are on Monday Night Football. I'll be surprised if I make it to the end of the game!
Posted by becky at 9:37 PM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2009
Better knee day
I really wasn't sure what to expect from my body this morning: I had run longish and hilly yesterday, my knee hurt afterwards, and I went to bed with a sore back because of my fall down the stairs. I decided to just try to run and see how things went. It was too beautiful out not to try (and I am too stubborn).
I tried to foam roll and stretch well before I left and I could tell when I started out that I was feeling better (knee-wise) than yesterday. I did have a bit of that dead-leg feeling though and tried to avoid any major hills. I haven't yet found a route that is completely flat around here--at least not from my doorstep; I could drive to the C&O Canal--but I tried my best. Except for moments of full-body tiredness that I was able to pretty much talk myself out of, I felt pretty good. I certainly felt better than yesterday and I'm not sure if it was just lack of pressure on myself or what. In any case, I'll take it. I also got to catch up a bit on "House" while biking when I got back.
I checked Chicago Marathon results when we were eating breakfast/brunch and was impressed by Deena's great attitude about her race. She has to deal with a whole lot of expectations. And tons of women ran under 3:10, which is super impressive. One of them was a former training partner of mine who just keeps improving and improving even after having hip surgery last year. She is a hard worker and naturally talented...I have no idea what her training's been like lately but I was blown away by her 3:03. I'm sure she wanted to break 3 hours, but at this point, I'd just love to be healthy enough to train for a marathon. It's definitely hard this time of year to see everyone's marathon times and wonder what might have been if I hadn't run into all of these physical problems. Sigh.
We did a few errands this afternoon--on foot because it was so nice out--and I am heading to a concert with a friend tonight. Tomorrow is technically a day off from work for me but I will be going in for a few hours to be on a conference call. Glad to have a not-technically-five-day work week, though.
Posted by becky at 2:28 PM | Comments (0)
October 10, 2009
Putting in the time
The first time my alarm went off this morning, it was pouring. I figured it was a good excuse to go back to sleep for a bit. Then a phone call woke us both up and it just looked to be windy and drizzly. I really wanted to try and run about 90 minutes today since I'm trying to increase my long run by a few minutes each week, so I was kind of nervous about how it would go--I had a feeling that a few knee troubles might crop up because that's how the last few days have been.
But I figured I might as well try. I did a variation of the hilly Western route I did a couple of weeks ago. It was very fall-ish today with all the wet leaves on the ground, but the hills were still there to challenge me. I actually felt pretty comfortable and relaxed for the majority of the run. Toward the end, I could feel my knee start to bother me and although it didn't get worse and was manageable, I also knew that I would be feeling it the rest of the day, which I hate.
I ended up running about 85 minutes, so a bit short of my goal but I'm going to try and chalk up my knee issues to just being tired and having my form break down a little. We'll see what happens over the next few days. I also got in a little biking once I was back because I didn't feel too tired from the run (and I wanted to get a couple of shows off the DVR).
We got some furniture delivered this afternoon and it rained half the day (but then got really nice and sunny and cool) so we hung out inside for much of the day. I went downstairs to iron at one point and somehow slipped (though I had bare feet and the stairs are carpeted) and fell down the stairs on my butt. I made sure to get the brunt of the impact on my "good" side and didn't think I did too much damage but my back has been killing me for the last few hours. Ugh! Matt and I went to a Vietnamese place we like for dinner tonight and are once again back in front of the TV on a Saturday night. Not that I'm complaining--relaxing is great!
Posted by becky at 9:09 PM | Comments (0)
October 9, 2009
Could have been worse
I had a feeling that my knee might bother me a bit on my run today, and it did. Just a few twinges that seemed to clear up as the run went on, but I've had better this week. I'm trying to just roll with it though since I don't seem to be much worse for the wear. I did the same route I did last week when I got stung by the bee, so I was on the lookout today but luckily avoided that fate!
I used the few extra minutes I had when I got home to watch this week's episode of "The Hills" while on the bike. Very silly as usual.
I have a couple of friends running marathons in various parts of the country this weekend--good luck to all! (And happy Friday, too!)
Posted by becky at 9:30 PM | Comments (0)
October 8, 2009
Easy day
My goal today was to give my legs a break since they were pretty sore. As for my knee, I'm truly never sure if biking makes things better or worse (or neither). In fact today, once I finally got my butt out of bed and downstairs, I did have a few twinges and I had a bit of discomfort later in the day walking around as well. I think that I've been able to teach myself a stride that works but I haven't quite figured out my form on the bike (when I'm out of the saddle, that is--I don't think there's too many ways to sit and pedal). But I didn't feel too bad today, and time seemed to pass really quickly thanks to some good TV. I finished the "Dexter" episode I started last night and then watched this week's "Mad Men." I can't believe I was ever lukewarm about "Mad Men"--it's just so good! Besides the great storylines, I love seeing what the women wore to work (and even around the house) in the early 1960s--they just look so polished and formal.
I guess I was busy today because I'm not sure where the hours went. I'm also not sure why the gym was like a ghost town tonight. The only people there were the meatheads (myself included). The guys were having an intense discussion about the Discovery Health show about women who don't know they are pregnant until they have a baby. And you thought guys in the gym talked about sports, right? (There was some of that, too.)
Poor Matt is at the office late again. I have laundry to fold and tons of "Gossip Girl" to catch up on before I can watch this season's episodes, so I may find myself watching TV on yet another weeknight. So glad tomorrow's Friday!
Posted by becky at 9:24 PM | Comments (0)
October 7, 2009
Better than expected
After my weird knee flare-up yesterday, I really wasn't sure what to expect this morning. Many times even the few hours of rest will help calm things down--this isn't how it goes with other injuries, but this one is weird (this I know). So when I woke up and nothing felt too terrible (definitely better than last night) I decided to head out.
The weather did turn more fall-ish later today, but it was warm and humid this morning. I kept reminding myself that I would probably not feel so great but on the whole my knee didn't really bother me. I wasn't running hard or anything, but the last mile or so was on the Capital Crescent and I was grateful to be able to open up my stride a bit. Definitely glad that the run went better than expected--but I should probably pay my penance and bike tomorrow.
We had pizza brought in to our office for lunch today so I didn't get my usual breath of fresh air and I was definitely ready for a break when I left tonight for the gym. It had gotten a lot more brisk out and I was psyched except for the fact that I was wearing flip-flops! Started a new book on the bike after finishing that other one I liked so much and did my usual lifting thing while negotiating a throng of people. Where are they coming from?
I hardly ever watch TV at night but Matt had the Yankee game on and I have taken control of the remote and now am getting sucked into "Dexter"...
Posted by becky at 9:33 PM | Comments (0)
October 6, 2009
Why am I surprised?
I would never have imagined after I got back from my run this morning that I'd be sitting here hours later with an ice pack on my knee. Once I finally got out the door this morning (I had a sweat attack during the night and was therefore frigid in bed when I woke up--not easy to force myself out), I felt pretty smooth and strong and had a run that I felt really good about. I didn't have any soreness when I got back, and I stretched and foam-rolled and did all of my usual preventive things. It wasn't until lunchtime when I was walking to the library that I started to feel that same old familiar twinge. I figured it would go away but it has lingered and bothered me at the gym, too. Nothing too terrible, just...annoying. Every time I think I am managing my knee issues well, they rear their ugly heads once again.
Although it was pretty warm during the day today, this morning was cool enough so that I wore a long-sleeved shirt for the first time this season. Always a milestone. It didn't stay on long, but...And I passed (as in we were going opposite directions) the entire men's and women's American University cross country teams out for their morning run. It really felt like fall to me--and I did have a good run, it's just hard to remember it now when I'm wondering what tomorrow will bring.
I tried to do my usual stretches and exercises that sometimes release the tightness in my knee, but nothing helped tonight. I did what I could (on top of my usual routine, of course) and headed out.
In the midst of all my complaining about my knee, I should mention that I read the article about Jenny Crain last night in Runner's World. Hers was such a devastating accident, and all of us dart across streets and through yellow lights to save a couple of minutes. The story really haunted me because although Jenny is doing better and has a great support system, she has just lost so much...it is so sad. I had a hard time falling asleep last night because I was thinking about it, and I should remember the things I still can do before complaining about the things I can't. (We all should, but a blog is a place to be selfish.)
Posted by becky at 9:31 PM | Comments (0)
October 5, 2009
Monday TV catchup
Another Monday, another day on the bike. If all has gone well running-wise in the past week, I am usually glad for the opportunity to catch up on all of my shows that have been building up on the DVR. Today was one of those days--I finished off the last few minutes of a "90210" from a few weeks ago, watched last night's "Brothers & Sisters" and also finally watched the season finale of a silly MTV show that most people in my age group probably don't watch. A very productive morning, plus I managed to get in a pretty good workout! I am no longer worried about damaging my bike by getting up out of the saddle so I am able to work hard again. Once the bearings are replaced on the bike, I'll be worried about damaging it, but it will be a smoother ride.
Today was pretty quiet at work--I had a chance to catch up on some things that had been sitting around for awhile, so that was good. I'm sure things will pick up again as the week goes on.
I was looking forward to getting to the gym mostly because I am reading a book that I love (Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan) and knew I'd get some reading done on the bike. The weight area was really crowded tonight and a lot of people were also congregating around the TV to hear the announcers hyping up tonight's football game--apparently Brett Favre is facing his old team. I tried not to let anyone get in my way and managed pretty well.
Matt's working late tonight and I am going to do some more reading (my book and Runner's World, which arrived today). I skip over all the training tips but still find some of the features interesting. Hope everyone's week is off to a grand start.
Posted by becky at 9:29 PM | Comments (0)
October 4, 2009
Perfect weather day
I woke up this morning thinking about the Army Ten Miler. I never even did this race when I was racing a lot so I don't know why it feels so weird to know that it is going on right under my nose. Selfishly, I can't wait until fall marathon season is over--at least when it gets cold you don't have the same throngs of people out there and long races every weekend! But the Army runners had great weather today and I at least could take advantage of that too.
My legs were feeling pretty dead, but my knee behaved most of the time. I've had a couple of twinges post-run, but three decent runs in a row is a good three days and I am reminded not to get overzealous and to cross-train tomorrow. I think the hills I did yesterday (both up and down) beat me up a bit and I was definitely feeling it. It was one of those runs where you look at your watch several times and time seems to be moving way too slowly.
But I'll take it!
I biked a bit when I came home. I need to replace my headphone extension cord (that allows my headphones to reach the TV when I'm on the bike) and I had to have the volume up really loud to follow what was going on on "90210." I think that is probably why Matt decided to take his bagel and coffee outside this morning.
Since I was gone yesterday, I spent today cleaning up and doing errands. I considered biking again this afternoon but I decided on a quick nap instead--a good decision in hindsight, I think. My uncle was in town for a meeting tonight and came over for dinner. We just brought him back to his hotel and now we are both trying to stay awake for our Sunday night HBO shows. I don't think I'll make it!
Posted by becky at 10:12 PM | Comments (0)
October 3, 2009
Letting my feet guide me
I didn't give a whole lot of thought to where I was going to run this morning before I woke up today. When I'm at my parents' house, which is pretty rare because Matt and I generally stay at his mom's place when we are here (more room), I like to go to Rockefeller. But somehow I didn't feel like driving 20 minutes each way to run and last time I was there (end of August for my sister's wedding weekend) I had a not-so-great run. So I decided to just run from here and revisit a route I did countless times in high school and college.
It is a hilly route but I actually didn't think it was too much worse than my usual Bethesda runs. My bee sting was still bothering me but I put on some Benadryl before I headed out and that helped. It's funny, I don't know all the names of the streets along this route anymore, but I had no problem just doing it by memory. It was drizzly and humid out, so not my ideal conditions, but I can't complain because my knee felt pretty normal. I definitely was huffing and puffing and practically walking up the last steep hill, but I have always struggled with it, even when I was in the best shape of my life. So I was pretty pleased.
I suppose I could have motivated to go to the gym following my run, but I really didn't feel like it and was soaked from the humidity and the hills. I got cleaned up and went with my mom to do a little shopping. We hit up a great sale at Lord & Taylor and I am shocked at all of the great things I found in about an hour of shopping! That hardly ever happens but it is always great when it does.
I'm heading back to DC tonight--my parents just dropped me off at the train station and headed to NYC to see a play. Of course the train is late but I have plenty of things to keep me occupied, including today's high school and collegiate XC results.
Posted by becky at 4:07 PM | Comments (0)
October 2, 2009
Pain in the butt
On the plus side, my legs felt good this morning. It was a little chilly and I sort of made up a loop as I went along--I didn't want to run too far and hoped to have some time left for a little biking. I did have to contend with a bunch of hills but took it slow and focused on my form to keep things feeling comfortable. About halfway through the run, I felt this weird stinging feeling on my butt, right below my back. I had just passed a garbage truck so I thought maybe I had run over a piece of glass or something. It wasn't getting any better after a couple of minutes, so I stopped for a second to make sure I didn't have anything rubbing me or anything. All clear. Then I realized what happened--I got stung by a bee! Through my spandex shorts!
The weirdest part is that in my very first cross-country meet, the Kennedy Invitational in Somers, I got stung on the butt too! It was much more embarassing then but it hurt all the same today. I didn't see any bees around, but there is a big welt and that is clearly what happened. Thankfully I'm not allergic (my mom is) so it's only been causing me minor discomfort today. Made for a good story, anyway.
I did have a few leftover minutes after my run to watch "The City," more brain candy, in case anyone was wondering.
I only worked for a few hours today because I caught a 2pm train up to New York. I bought tickets to an Indigo Girls concert a couple of months ago sort of on a whim because the venue is right near my parents' house and it is the smallest one I have heard of the Indigo Girls playing lately. I ended up selling one of the three tickets and Matt's sis came with me as well. It was a lot of traveling (Amtrak to Penn Station, subways to Times Sq. and Grand Central and then Metro North) but it was a great show. I have a bunch of stuff to do back home so I'll only be here for one night. Speaking of that, my childhood single bed is calling my name...
Posted by becky at 3:23 PM | Comments (0)
October 1, 2009
Catching up
I was looking forward to catching up on a few of my shows this morning on the bike. Of course my knee felt fine while I was biking but has been a little achy since. What are you gonna do...at least I got to watch "Mad Men." I also watched the season premiere of "The Hills" which was bad before but now is even worse since they have a new "main character." I do like seeing that all of these bars and restaurants I run by on Sunset Boulevard when I'm in Hollywood are actually cool places to go (at least by reality show standards).
I have no idea when the new bearings for the bike will arrive and I'm trying not to worry about it. The ride isn't as smooth as it should be, but I feel better knowing that I'm not doing any further damage by using it.
Aside from doing a couple of errands at lunchtime, my day was pretty much spent at my desk. One of those days. By the time I got to the gym, I just wasn't feeling very motivated. I was definitely just going through the motions. Sometimes that happens, especially when you go to the gym as often as I do :)
Off to pack a bag for a very quick trip to New York for a concert tomorrow night. Always on the go these days!
Posted by becky at 9:12 PM | Comments (0)