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November 30, 2009
Slogging
My "good" knee has been bothering me all day (although it's better now that I did my exercises at the gym) so I have bad memories of this morning's run, but I actually felt okay during. I was again fooled by the fact that it was cold inside the house and overdressed. Actually, I think the temperature must have dropped all day because I was warm this morning, chilly when I went out to grab some soup at lunchtime, and downright freezing coming home from the gym tonight.
I did one of my usual routes today and don't have anything too exciting to report. I've been using a new (well, it's a year old, but never used) iPod shuffle since I think my sweat finally killed the one I've had for about a year. It sometimes works but it often stops in the middle of runs and that is really annoying.
I don't want to dwell on my newer knee issues or what they might be caused by, but I'll just vow to be better about taking my glucosamine (hate taking three pills daily) and better about foam rolling my IT bands since I think a lot of the tightness/soreness I'm getting is originating there.
It was tough getting back to work today after all those days off...but there was plenty to do! Still, by the end of the day it kind of felt like I had been sitting at my desk forever. I was ready for the gym, and of course it was amazingly crowded given it was not only a Monday, but a Monday after a holiday. I managed to get done what I needed to do, though.
Matt's working late tonight and likely gone for much of the remainder of the week. Bummer, but I have enough work that I can use the quiet time to do a little each night. Speaking of...
Posted by becky at 9:20 PM | Comments (0)
November 29, 2009
Up and down
The title of this entry describes both my route today and the way I felt. It was still chilly when I left the house but the temperature was supposed to be in the mid-60s today so I knew I was probably overdressed. This turned out to be true during long stretches in the sun, but I survived. This is a common complaint for me, but I feel like our weather has been very up and down lately too. It was just the other night--Friday--that it was cold enough so that we were uncomfortable walking from the restaurant to the car.
I started out feeling pretty relaxed and decided to try and navigate my way through a new neighborhood to get to one of my staple routes. Of course I got all turned around and ended up adding probably an extra mile (and a big hill) onto my route. Oops. And to top it off, neither one of my knees was feeling so hot today. I'm really not sure why since I biked yesterday and felt really good running on Thursday and Friday. Super frustrating. But I did have some nice stretches on the flat parts of the run so I guess I should be grateful for that.
I biked very easy for another half-hour when I got home and then called it a day. My "good" knee has been pretty sore all day although icing did seem to help. Except for a walk to pick up bagels at Whole Foods (it was really warm out at that point), it was a very low-key afternoon. Work, football and even a nap.
I can't believe Thanksgiving break is over already. The next three weeks are going to be super hectic at work...I may not be ready but here they come.
Posted by becky at 8:15 PM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2009
Easy Sat.
After my little niggles yesterday--even though my usual annoyances weren't too bad--I thought it might be wise to save my longer run for tomorrow and bike today. I could tell it was really windy out, too, which I don't enjoy. So I sucked it up and headed downstairs for some TV and cross training.
I feel like I got a good workout, though. I always find that during these longer spins, there is a point at which I forget to keep working hard and my heart rate starts to go down and it's hard to get it back up. I can get back into my groove, but it's somehow tougher the second time around. In any case, I stayed focused and lasted almost two hours in the saddle. "Gossip Girl" and "90210" were my shows of choice today.
Both Matt and I hung around the house most of the day. I was feeling restless in the afternoon so I went to the gym to lift and then did my grocery shopping once the crowds had thinned out. The gym was quiet but I did see some of the "regulars" there--I never know who goes on the weekends because I rarely do.
We have so many amazing desserts left over from Thanksgiving and I don't have self control when it comes to sweets. I figure that eventually they'll be gone and I won't have to worry about them anymore--I just can't bear the thought of throwing out yummy stuff to prevent myself from eating it!
Posted by becky at 6:55 PM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2009
Free Friday
It's always nice to have an unstructured day, especially to catch up on sleep. It poured again right before we went to sleep last night, so when my alarm first went off this morning, Matt woke up too and said, "Wow, it's sunny." It had been a few days since we'd seen the sun.
My plan today was 45 minutes of running and 45 minutes of biking, and I pretty much stuck to the plan. In addition to being sunny, it was also colder than it's been the past few days (I was happy about that), and it was very windy (I wasn't happy about that). My knees both felt okay after the initial few minutes of warming up, but my ankle sort of near my Achilles was a little sore. I noticed it yesterday walking around in my dressy shoes and thought the foam roller would take care of it. It's nothing too terrible but it was last Thanksgiving that I developed my most recent Achilles problem and I certainly don't want this to turn into anything.
Matt and his family were eating breakfast when I got back. I was tempted to join them but hunkered down in the basement to finish my workout on the bike. I am back on "Gossip Girl" as I just got another DVD from last season on Netflix and that kept me entertained.
Matt's sister and I did some errands this afternoon and then went to get pedicures, which took forever since apparently everyone had the same idea. Tonight we're going to dinner at a sushi place in our old DC neighborhood and I already can tell it's likely that I'll fall asleep on the couch--still tired from yesterday's festivities.
Posted by becky at 6:26 PM | Comments (0)
November 26, 2009
Thankful
Wow, it's almost 10pm but it feels even later. It's been a long day, but I did start it out with a pretty comfortable run. It was kind of drizzly and humid yet again, and my decision to leave my gloves behind at the last minute wasn't the best. Even though it wasn't really raining, there was enough moisture in the air so I got soaked after a couple of miles and got cold. I started out with a few uphill miles and struggled a bit but was glad to see some other runners enjoying the morning but obviously not competing in turkey day races either. I hit the soft part of the bike path for the last couple of miles of the run and decided to experiment with a few 30-second "pickups." Let's just say I'm glad they weren't longer than 30 seconds! But they didn't seem to bother my knee--it was a little sore at first but seemed to loosen up after a quick stretch break. All in all, a good run and I was truly thinking that I was thankful to be out there (and thankful for the many other good things in my life!)
Matt's family arrived shortly after noon and we all got to cooking. I did most of the heavy lifting last night but our turkey was the main thing today. It certainly took awhile, but I think it all turned out tasty. I heard no complaints and heard a lot of requests for seconds!
Two of our friends and their families (including two brand-new babies) joined us for dessert. It was a lot of fun. We are all about to crash shortly...hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
Posted by becky at 6:41 PM | Comments (0)
November 25, 2009
Preparation interruptions
I woke up a little nervous today, knowing I had a lot to get done. But I was glad I had taken the day off from work or it would have been even more hectic. I was also glad to head downstairs to the bike as I could tell it was another not-too-cold, humid morning. I think the weather finally dried out this afternoon, but it's been a pretty wet couple of days.
Since I hadn't been on the bike in a few days, I expected to have some shows to catch up on and that was definitely the case. But it does seem like many of my staple shows, especially the ones on cable, are winding down. Hopefully some others will pick back up in the new year. Anyway, I made sure to stretch well and foam roll before getting on the bike and I had a good, pretty much pain-free workout.
Matt and I had a leisurely brunch and then I started to do my cooking. About an hour into it, the power suddenly went off. And didn't come back on immediately, so I knew we might be waiting awhile. Luckily 1) I hadn't picked up the turkey yet and 2) it wasn't very cold out so we weren't suffering without the heat. But I was worried about all I had to do and the inability to use the stove or the oven. And the contents of my refrigerator.
We found out that someone was going to be in our neighborhood to fix it (the outage was very localized, just a handful of houses) in the late afternoon. I set the table for tomorrow and Matt went to do some errands. The power still wasn't back on when he returned, so I went to the gym to lift. It of course came back on about 15 minutes after I left. So I did my thing at the gym and then came back to first make dinner for us and then do the rest of my preparations. I think it all went well but we will find out for sure tomorrow.
I haven't run a turkey trot in years, but I always remember the Somerville one I used to do growing up (because we spent Thanksgivings with my grandparents) fondly. There is a race here in Bethesda tomorrow, but I will be thankful just to have a decent run on my own in the morning.
Posted by becky at 8:10 PM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2009
Getting ready for Thanksgiving
It was once again hard to wake up this morning since it was so overcast! I thought it was earlier than it was since the sun hadn't come out yet, but when I opened the front door, I saw that the woman next door had already gone to work, indicating that I was running late already. Sigh. It would have been good for me to get to work early to try and cross a couple more things off my list before the upcoming mini break, but it was not to be.
Aside from the orthotic blister and a couple of knee niggles (a couple more than yesterday, I should say), I had a decent run. I chose a very hilly route today and I was hoping that no one I knew drove down the last, long hill as I was struggling to get to the top. It was drizzling a little but the ground was very wet and I got very muddy on the tiny portion of woods this route takes me through.
I've been having a bit of soreness on the inside of my other knee, which I imagine might be related to my nasty pronation habit, especially considering that's where my bad knee bothers me. It feels more muscular, though, so I am going to bike tomorrow and foam roll as much as I can to see if that helps.
My day at work was busy as usual and then I went to the gym per usual. My cold/sinus issues finally seem to be clearing up and I was happy to be able to do push-ups without a major headache. It's the little things.
We are hosting a small Thanksgiving this year so I will be taking tomorrow off to cook. Not my favorite thing in the world, but I'll do my best. Wish me luck!
Posted by becky at 9:39 PM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2009
Start of a short week
It seemed darker than usual when I woke up today, and I think I might have caught the last hour before the rain moved in. I was just glad that it was finally feeling like fall again. And glad that this was the first day of a two-day week (although it's not fun cramming five days of work into two, I found out today).
As soon as I started running, I was glad that I had biked yesterday. My knee didn't feel perfect (does it ever?) but it was better than it's been the past few days. I am still frustrated by how much I struggle on hills even when I am feeling pretty good, but I figure that's something that I can work on if I am able able to get strong again. I did put in new Superfeet orthotics today which felt good on the whole but gave me a bit of a blister on the bottom of one foot. Maybe it wasn't set in the shoe exactly right.
I was thinking about the NCAA cross country champs when I was finishing my run. The running community may be small, but it's tight-knit, and I think there is even more pressure on athletes these days now that they can be on Twitter, have blogs, etc. Sure enough, when I was watching the race later, it appeared that the pressure of being a favorite got to Jenny Barringer. I felt really badly for her...although I have never been in the Olympics or even the NCAA championships, we all know how scary it is to start feeling crappy in the middle of a race. And, I would imagine, it's much worse when you are expected to blow away the rest of the field. It's just sad that Jenny's one bad race happened to be her last one. She's had a lot of pressure before--in track, at the World Champs, etc.--and always seems to exceed expectations. But I think it was a good reminder to the rest of the running community that no matter how well-trained and talented you are, everyone can have a bad race or psych themselves out.
Anyway, back to reality. It was a nice distraction to have the races to watch at work and I was able to multi-task. I went to the gym tonight and I think everyone must be realizing that it's getting close to the holidays and they are letting their gym memberships lapse, because it was super crowded. Someone even moved my towel off of a machine--the nerve!
I just realized that I also taped the Versus broadcast of the race in HD and it is taking up space on my DVR. Must go remove it and do my other chores for the night.
Posted by becky at 9:23 PM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2009
Pretending to be a triathlete
My knee was bothering me a lot last night and just getting out of bed this morning, so I pretended that I was a triathlete and today was a day I had to "get a ride in," as they say. Of course, my ride was inside and it was actually yet another warm fall day, so the real bikers/triathletes were outside for sure. But I have entertainment inside, so it's not too bad.
I was aiming to stay on the bike for about two hours, so I tried to find a movie to watch so that I wouldn't have to worry about commercials. But there was nothing good that I didn't have to pay for, so it was back to making progress on the DVR. I found out that one of the episodes of "House" I had been saving up was actually a baseball playoff game, so that was easy to get rid of. I did watch another "House," and "Grey's" from this past week, and "30 Rock" from almost two months ago, and that took me to my two hours. It actually went by pretty quickly. My knee hurt a little bit, but I think it was a good decision to bike.
I did tons of errands today, from the grocery store (never again will I go the Sunday before Thanksgiving) to the hardware store (I think I finally fixed our toilet). Then I cooked a couple of pre-Thanksgiving things, did a little work and now I am pooped. Glad it's a short week but it just means that everyone will be cramming a lot of work into a couple of days!
Posted by becky at 6:34 PM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2009
Saturday stroll
I woke up with this crazy idea that it was cold outside (because it was cold inside, basically) and overdressed for my run. It was on the chilly side, I guess, but I was mostly in the sun and could tell I was overheated because I had to wring out my shirt when I was done. But aside from being a little hot, it was a decent outing.
The best part of the run for sure was the couple of miles that I was on the Georgetown Branch Trail, which is packed dirt and a little gravel. I was enjoying the colors of the leaves on the ground and my music and my knee really wasn't hurting. Of course, when I got back on the road, it wasn't quite as enjoyable, but not too terrible. I should have brought some water with me--I thought I would find a working water fountain in Rock Creek Park but it was not meant to be.
One guy blew by me on the trail but other than that I saw mostly bikers today, even on the hills in the park.
I biked for a bit when I got home and realized that the DVR is 95% full and I need to watch more of my shows if I don't want them to get erased. Matt is actually working tonight on something so I will do my best to watch a couple of things.
I went to visit my office-mate and her new baby today...it was so nice to catch up with her (and "meet" the baby, but she didn't really open her eyes for me). I can't wait until she comes back to work, but I doubt she feels the same way :) This evening Matt and I went next door to our neighbors' house for a pre-Thanksgiving neighborhood party. Aside from the screaming and coughing kids all over the place, it was really nice.
Posted by becky at 7:58 PM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2009
Ready for the week to be done
I had to fit my workout in early this morning because of an appointment I had, and I was a little worried that it would still be pouring when I woke up. But thankfully the humidity (and the rain) had left the air and it felt like fall again. I didn't have a whole lot of time to stretch and I wasn't sure what to expect. All I knew was that I didn't have a lot of time and I wanted to just do a shorter, easy run.
I ended up feeling better than expected and seeing a lot of other runners out there despite the early hour. My cough is definitely doing better and I felt like I had slightly more energy than the previous couple of days. I can't say I didn't have some intermittent knee discomfort, but on the whole it goes in the good category.
The office was quiet today as seems to be typical for a Friday but that worked to my advantage as I got a bunch of stuff done. I met a friend for dinner after work, which was a lot of fun. She is an old co-worker of mine from Georgetown and I got all caught up on the gossip from that world. Matt was working late as usual so I grabbed something to go for him and then rescued him from the office.
I can't wait to see how the MIT ladies do at the DIII cross country champs tomorrow. Happy weekend to all!
Posted by becky at 10:17 PM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2009
A little less coughing
I think my cough virus (or whatever it is) is finally going away. I still have a headache that comes and goes, but my sinuses felt clearer today and I am coughing less frequently. It still wasn't easy to get out of bed this morning, but it never really is!
I was on the bike again today--I felt like I needed it. I am current on "Grey's" and getting caught up with "90210." (I recently found out that another 32-year-old Ivy League-educated friend watches "90210," so I don't feel quite as embarrassed about it as I once did.) My knee felt a bit sore when I woke up and came down the stairs, but I have to say that it really didn't bother me on the bike much or walking around today.
I suspect that all the sitting that I do is not particularly good for my knee/legs/mood. But even when I bring my lunch, like today, I always have some reason to take a little walk mid-day. Still, I hate being so sedentary. (But am happy to have a job I enjoy, don't get me wrong.)
Empty gym week continued today. Where is everyone? Clearly I didn't get the memo as I was doing my thing as usual. Glad that tomorrow is Friday and I will be taking a couple of days off from lifting.
I should really do some work now, but I am tired and can think of a million other things to occupy me!
Posted by becky at 9:07 PM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2009
Still coughing
Weirdly, I felt better this morning while running (less coughing) but then kind of headachy and crappy all day. Probably being at my desk didn't help. I know I should probably make sure I don't have a sinus infection (my head bothers me a bit when I do pushups at the gym) but I am clearly lazy. I also don't want to wait around at the CVS Minute Clinic with a bunch of sick people. Terrible, I know--I do need to find a primary care doc sometime soon.
Knee-wise, things seemed to loosen up as the run went on. I don't really understand how or why that happens, but I like when it does. I was excited to see that one of my most-frequented road shoulders has been paved (along with the actual road). Between that and the piles of leaves being cleared away, it is a lot safer. No one passed me today but I was only on the bike path briefly so it doesn't count. When I was about 5 minutes away from home, I decided to go to the light to cross the street instead of darting across between traffic as I often do (speaking of safety) and that little detour brought me straight into Matt's path! He was headed to the Metro and then the train to New York, so it was nice that we got to say goodbye in person. He'll be back tomorrow sometime.
The gym continued to be empty today, and I was not feeling very motivated, especially because I wasn't feeling so great. I took my temp just to check when I got home and it was in the 97s. Very normal for me. (Odd that Ms. Always Hot has a low core body temp, but maybe that actually makes sense scientifically. I wouldn't know.)
Lots of little things to do tonight and hope to get to bed within the hour. Good luck to me.
Posted by becky at 9:22 PM | Comments (0)
November 17, 2009
Down on my luck
I did not have a very good run today. Not only did my knee bother me, but I got passed by one woman and one man (the woman bothered me more). It was one of those mornings when I headed out aimlessly because I was sick of all of my usual routes. I recently found a new entrance to the Capital Crescent Trail so I decided to check that out. Despite the fact that I've run on the CCT for at least 10 years, I always get turned around when I enter from a new place. I turned left thinking I was heading away from Bethesda and toward D.C. but I ended up back near my house (wrong way) in about 5 minutes. So I was left to just go out and back on the trail, which in general I don't really like.
The CCT is very subtly sloped up from D.C. to Maryland and I was feeling the tiny grade. I just had no power. I stopped to take my gloves off and pin them to my shorts and looked behind me and saw a woman off in the distance. I swear, as soon as I started running again, she was blowing by me. If I had felt better kneewise, it wouldn't have been quite so demoralizing. But it was just a reminder of how far I still am from the way I used to be and the way I may never be again.
On the plus side, I felt better once I turned and was going slightly downhill. Still, I was glad to get back and stop dwelling on the negativity of the run. (Sometimes I do dwell post-run, but I didn't today.)
I had an appointment today with my physical rehab guy, who I see about once every six months because he is so popular. I always feel better after I see him because he is so positive--and because he does all of these little muscle adjustments. Today he gave me a referral to a physical therapist that practices in a gym near me--apparently she will be able to critique my spinning form, which I have been wanting to do for a long time. I am excited because I think I should check in with a PT about the right and wrong things to do in the gym anyway. I just hope she's on my insurance.
Speaking of the gym, it was totally empty today. I wondered if there was some sort of event going on that I didn't know about. But I at least was able to get through things quickly. It was just a little too quiet.
Just as I've finished recapping my day, it's almost bedtime again. Good night!
Posted by becky at 9:12 PM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2009
And so the week begins
I have a feeling that this week might be a long one. But it started off on a good note--I didn't have too much trouble waking up because I actually went to bed at a reasonable time last night. As is the case on most Mondays, today was a biking day.
I felt good this morning on the bike. I'm working on remembering to foam roll and stretch a little bit beforehand to prevent some of the soreness that seems to linger post-bike. I watched last night's "Brothers & Sisters" and started working my way through a backlog of episodes of "The Office." Just another Monday on the bike.
Work was really busy and I wished for the thousandth time that my office-mate was back from maternity leave already so I could vent to her! Just a couple of more months...Matt actually called me just as I was going to grab a sandwich so we ended up meeting for a quick lunch, which was nice. Despite the fact that our offices are about a half-mile from each other, we hardly ever see each other during the day.
The gym was crowded as usual for a Monday, but not too many of the "regulars" were there. I got through my routine but was a little bothered by my lingering cough, which has stuck around for about 3 weeks. I've never had any other symptoms like a fever or a runny nose or anything, just the intermittent cough. The public health professional in me says I should probably get it checked out, but the busy professional in me reassures me that it will probably go away on its own soon.
Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!
Posted by becky at 9:44 PM | Comments (0)
November 15, 2009
Day of doing
I feel like it should be later than it is right now. I intended to take a nap sometime today but it never happened, meaning that the chances I will fall asleep tonight on the couch are quite high! I woke up somewhat early for a Sunday (and especially after getting back from our benefit after midnight) because I wanted to do part of my workout (run) before taking Matt to the airport for a day trip to New York. It wasn't easy waking up, but once I was up, I wasn't as sleepy as I expected.
Today was not a great day for my knee. I think it got somewhat irritated from wearing high heels last night. It was bothering me a bit then and it hurt off and on during my run today. Nothing I couldn't manage, but it got me in a funk, along with the fact that my iPod ran out of juice when I had barely left home. I was left to entertain myself with the sound of my uneven stride.
There were a ton of people out this morning, even early. It was in the mid-70s today by the afternoon so it was pretty warm even in the morning. I made it home exactly at the time Matt said we had to leave, so I sat my sweaty self on a towel in the car. I was back about 45 minutes later and headed straight downstairs to the bike for another hour or so. Today was medical day--"Grey's" and "House."
This afternoon I grocery shopped, vacuumed the car, cleaned the oven, did a couple of hours of work, and practiced two Thanksgiving recipes. I am shocked that I actually got it all done. I'm not really motivated to do much more except cook dinner and watch TV tonight, so I'm glad I don't need to!
Posted by becky at 5:21 PM | Comments (0)
November 14, 2009
Doesn't feel like November
I really wanted to get up early to get a head start on the day this morning, but it wasn't meant to be. When I finally did get up, I was glad to see that it had stopped raining, but it still looked pretty cloudy. But it was really warm and is supposed to be around 70 tomorrow. I have not needed to layer up in quite some time--it sure doesn't seem like Thanksgiving is right around the corner.
I'm not sure why I picked a wet-ground day to switch to a new pair of sneakers, but I don't like them when they are too white anyway. My knee bothered me off and on for the first mile or so and then although I was struggling on the hills, my knee seemed to have loosened up. I'm never quite sure how that works but I enjoy it when it happens.
Today's run was up and down--both in terms of how I was feeling and the terrain. It was on the "longer" side but not as long as last Saturday's. I think I felt better last Sat., though. I biked a little when I got home and then started to feel some soreness in both knees, although stretching/foam rolling helped.
I was really excited to go to this Title Nine warehouse sale going on right near my house today. I had wanted to go on Thursday or Friday but didn't get there. So of course most things were picked over--especially in the small/medium sizes--but I still got a couple of things. I love their stuff but it is so expensive.
Tonight we're going to a black-tie benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We went last year and it was a really nice one for a good cause that doesn't get as much media attention as some other diseases. I am most excited about the dessert buffet--last year it was amazing and I hope the economic downturn won't affect the selection!
Posted by becky at 5:05 PM | Comments (0)
November 13, 2009
Foggy Friday
Boy, did I have a hard time waking up this morning. Setting two alarms again helped, but I don't think I completely woke up until about midway through my run. Or maybe not even then--it was a very long day. I knew it would be since this was a verrrry long week.
Today was a one-workout day and I was glad about it. I actually ran about ten minutes longer than I planned just because I miscalculated my route, but it was okay. I felt very stiff starting out and had a few knee twinges off and on. I stopped to stretch and reminded myself to focus on my form and things improved. I didn't even have much soreness post-run.
Nothing else too exciting to report from today. I'm about to fall asleep as I type this so that's it for me. Happy weekend to all!
Posted by becky at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2009
Felt good to bike
After three days of running in a row, I knew I needed to cross-train today. I'm still struggling with the fact that I always feel good on the bike but end up having knee discomfort later on, but I know that at least the lack of impact is good for me. I am still suspicious that the problem has something to do with the way the bike is adjusted. I'm choosing to ignore it until I have more time to devote to the problem.
I set two alarms today because I knew that I would have trouble waking up after such a long first half of the week. I eventually made it downstairs and was sort of glad not to have to venture out in what sounded to be pouring rain. I was looking forward to watching the season finale of "Mad Men" (among other things) because I had heard somewhere that it was really good. It didn't disappoint, but I'm bummed that now I have to wait for next season for new episodes.
As usual, my knee didn't bother me during my workout, but it hurt a bit later on. I have a couple of things I can do at the gym to stretch things out and I did those when I got there tonight. (In between workouts, there was a lot of regular work.) I was looking forward to getting back to my gym and seeing my peeps (the other regulars) but no one was around! It was really dead and I'm not sure why. Maybe the rain, although it seems like that is done.
Matt gets home late tonight (I will most likely be sleeping) but I am looking forward to our reunion nonetheless!
Posted by becky at 9:38 PM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2009
Last day in Philly
I was lucky today because I did not have an early-morning session to cover. I got to sleep in a little and get in another run on the river path and then a quick stop at the gym. I didn't realize it was raining when I woke up and was too lazy to go back upstairs (24th floor, slow elevator) to get my hat. It was never coming down too hard though and I was just psyched that the weather was finally cooler (though I think we're supposed to be back in the 70s or 80s this weekend).
I knew I wouldn't feel great today considering my knee had been hurting a little yesterday and this was my third run in a row. On the whole, though, I had more energy than I anticipated. And I stuck to the dirt part of the path whenever there was that option. I did the same out-and-back run as I did on Monday. What was different today (in addition to having a little bit of knee discomfort) was the fact that my nose started bleeding after about 10 minutes. It usually stops quickly but it kept up for a while and was annoying.
I stopped off the gym and did my abs stuff and an abbreviated lifting routine. I ended up getting back home at around 6 tonight and knew I wouldn't feel like going to the gym then so I'm glad I got it all out of the way early. (Although I did do a very quick spin tonight to wake myself up--I fell asleep on the train and need to finish up some work tonight.)
It feels like it should be the weekend already, but it's back to work tomorrow after a whirlwind few days at my conference. Wish me luck and motivation...
Posted by becky at 8:57 PM | Comments (0)
November 10, 2009
You can't have two in a row
Yesterday I had one of my better runs in a while, and today I had one of my worst. I have no idea what to expect tomorrow. On the plus side, I didn't have to get up quite as early today as yesterday. I knew I'd have some time in the late afternoon to go to the gym and lift, so I "only" needed to run.
I wasn't sure where to go today, and I could already tell that my body and mind were tired soon after waking up. I wanted to find some streets that weren't busy so I could run on the road and not the sidewalk after too much concrete yesterday. I had a pretty good idea of the city map in my head and meandered down to Penn's Landing and then came back very randomly and not very scenically. I also almost got swiped by cars on three separate street crossings, and I had the walk signal. Not a good impression of Philly drivers.
My knee started bothering me (same old issue) about halfway through the run, of course just at the time when traffic heated up and I had to stick to the sidewalks. My legs were also pretty tired and I couldn't wait to get back. My knee bothered me off and on during the day. Yuck.
After a hectic morning and afternoon, I escaped and got to go to the gym for my usual PM workout. It was crowded but I was glad to be there. I've got one more day (well, a half-day, really) tomorrow and then I will be heading home. Unfortunately, Matt is on the way to L.A. tonight so won't be there when I get home.
Posted by becky at 9:54 PM | Comments (0)
November 8, 2009
Sedentary Sunday
All I wanted to do this morning was get up early enough so that I could get in a decently-long bike workout and have a relaxed breakfast before getting on the train to Philly. And of course, something weird happened with my alarm and I opened my eyes knowing I had overslept. Arrrgh! I had just enough time for a short workout and then I had to quickly make a bagel and take it to go. Not the relaxing morning I was hoping for. (But thanks to Matt for taking me to the train station after all of that rushing around.)
I did get to catch up on "Grey's" though--I am almost up to date now. I tried not to dwell on the fact that I couldn't stay on the bike as long as I wanted and focus on the fact that I didn't oversleep even longer!
My train ride was quick and uneventful. I walked from the station to my friend's apartment (I am staying with her while I'm here in Philly) and was totally soaked with sweat after a not-very-long walk. It was really, really warm today (near 70 I think) and it is supposed to be that way for a couple of days. We all know how I feel about warm weather (especially when I have to dress up) so I am not too pleased about that. At least I don't have to worry about layering up when walking from one place to another around here.
Tomorrow will be a very full day. If I do want to get in any lifting, it will have to be in the same chunk of early-morning workout as a run. After what happened this morning, let's just hope I wake up in time to cover my first session. Cross your fingers for me!
Posted by becky at 8:55 PM | Comments (0)
November 7, 2009
Quick weekend
I really wanted to make the most of today since I'm heading to Philly tomorrow morning until Wednesday for work (and that includes a four-hour meeting tomorrow afternoon). But when my alarm went off, I could tell I wasn't ready to get up and I slept for another hour. That meant I didn't get out the door for my run until 9:30 or so...a bit later than I intended. But by that time, the sun had been out for awhile and it was a lot warmer than I expected considering it was really chilly last night when we came home. I actually overdressed (rare for me) and regretted it during the sunniest parts of my route. And I just checked the weather and it is supposed to be near 70 the next few days, even in Philly. Just when I am getting used to the 50s...
Anyway. I'm going to be on the bike tomorrow so that I can run a bit in Philly, so today was my "long" run. I've had a little bit of soreness since I've been back, but I felt very good for close to 90 minutes. I ran along Western Ave. (the northwestern border of D.C. until it hit Rock Creek Park and took a bike path that parallels the park for a bit after that (and then looped back a different way). Lots of hills but nothing too steep. I was slow on the hilly parts but felt strong otherwise. When I was almost to the park, I saw two deer cross the street right in front of me. It looked like they were going from one backyard to another! It was neat.
I biked for a bit when I got home but I was too hungry to do so for too long. Matt and I ate a late breakfast/brunch together and then he got to work raking up all of the leaves in the yard. I helped him a very little bit but stopped when my back started aching--no idea why but it was a good excuse. In the afternoon, I did a little shopping to take advantage of a really good sale at Lord & Taylor, my favorite store that happens to be less than a mile away from our house. I got a fall coat...it would be great if it was cool enough outside to wear it!
Tomorrow will be an early morning if I want to get in a decent workout before a busy day, but I will do my best to make it happen.
Posted by becky at 8:35 PM | Comments (0)
November 6, 2009
Friday at last
Boy, did this week feel long. And next week will likely be worse. But I woke up glad for the fact that today was Friday and happy that I will at least be able to sleep in a bit tomorrow.
I glanced at the thermometer when I came downstairs today and it appeared to be below 40. Perhaps, but that didn't spur me on to go upstairs and change out of my shorts. It wasn't too bad actually because the sun was out and very warming. I also chose a hilly route and that gets the heart rate up too. Unfortunately, just as I had climbed the first hill, my nose started bleeding. This happens every year in the fall/winter when the heat first comes on. It stops quickly but is quite annoying while running or doing anything active.
I was super-conscious of how my knee felt today while running because I finally had my rescheduled orthopedist appointment this afternoon. It felt good, actually, save for a few niggles when I stepped funny because of the piles of slippery leaves that have accumulated on the streets around here (you should see our lawn). The route actually took a couple less minutes than I anticipated, so I added on a few blocks (and yet one more hill) to give myself an hour. That was it for today--I really like to keep Fridays as my one, not-too-long workout day.
A couple of colleagues and I spent the morning downtown at a client meeting. I headed up to the knee doctor on my way back to the office via Metro. I was looking at my iPhone and marveling at the fact that iPhones now work in the Metro...and suddenly realized I was going the wrong way! I got off and turned back around (and ran into someone from the gym while I was waiting) but ended up running really late to my appointment. I'm lucky I could still get in.
My appointment was very quick, as it always is with this doctor (this is the one who did my surgery). He liked the look of my knee and the strength in my quads. He doesn't like to listen very well (surgeons don't, in my opinion) but I worked hard to get my voice heard. He said based on what I told him and based on how things looked and felt, I was doing well. He said the lingering pain is probably due to the same cartilage issues I've always had...not a plica or a meniscus problem or anything. He suggested three things that I should do: 1) take glucosamine and chondroitin (I've been thinking about doing that anyway) 2) try a personalized offloading brace that a guy designs based on my particular knee (we'll see if it's covered by insurance) and 3) keep being careful and conservative (I'm trying!) I am hoping that I can continue to work on the things that I know help me and keep things improving. But we'll see--I am trying to be encouraged.
I'm at the Apple Store right now trying to exchange yet another iPod that I've broken because of my sweat. Shh!
Happy weekend to all!
Posted by becky at 7:52 PM | Comments (0)
November 5, 2009
Busy, busy
I just wolfed down my dinner so that I could save time and get a little bit of work done before my eyes start to close. Never a good sign—but it's been that kind of week. (Matt is still at work, so the same goes for him.) So here's what I managed to cram into my day:
--A good spin workout this morning. My legs felt good and I started out wearing extra clothes so that I would warm up quicker as it is cold in the basement in the mornings. I am catching up on "The Office" and am up to date on "The City" and "Mad Men." This week's "Mad Men" episode was really good. The storyline revolved around Kennedy's assassination and it was interesting to see all of the characters' reactions. I was glad to have that workout time to myself because I knew I was in for a hectic day.
--Lots of work.
--My usual gym routine. The gym was super-empty, so if it wasn't for the fact that I got a late start getting to the gym after leaving work, I would have easily gotten through everything I wanted to do.
I even made it to the library before heading home tonight, but it was at the expense of cooking a healthy dinner (I picked up something definitely on the unhealthy side to save time). Looking forward to Friday!
Posted by becky at 10:51 AM | Comments (0)
November 4, 2009
Brr!
Today was the first day in quite a long time when I actually felt cold during almost my whole run. Not like it was that cold or the run was that long…but I could have gotten away with my half-tights today, I bet. I also had some sunny stretches along my route and those felt great.
All in all, things went well otherwise. I took the Capital Crescent Trail to Bethesda and managed to avoid being passed by any other runners and then I looped back through a couple of neighborhoods and ended up in the cherry blossom neighborhood, Kenwood. I thought about my form a lot and didn't have too much discomfort. The run also felt like it went by quickly, which is a good sign.
Another busy day at work and I didn't even leave for lunch (the downside of bringing a sandwich). I was pretty exhausted (mentally, I think) when I left the office and that sense of tiredness and lethargy kept me from having a great gym session. But it wasn't terrible.
Because of my upcoming travel, I'm trying to plan ahead and be able to "save up" my running days for the early part of next week. That means I'll be on the bike tomorrow instead of Thurs. and only run one weekend day. But I learned my lesson in San Francisco and just because I am out of my usual routine and traveling does not mean that I can go nuts.
Our good friends are celebrating the birth of their first baby tonight—we can't wait to meet him (this weekend, maybe)!
Posted by becky at 10:49 AM | Comments (0)
November 3, 2009
Outside again
I never have an easy time waking up two days in a row, so since yesterday wasn't bad, today was a lot harder. And it seemed cold so it was a little harder to get out of bed and out the door. The weather was actually great, though--warm enough in the sun so that got a little warm but chilly again in the shade.
Things went pretty well today--no major complaints. I stretched well before I left and then again for a few seconds once I started to warm up. I am still getting some weird feelings in my knee from time to time (feels like a bit of swelling, but I don't know why it would be intermittent) but that is generally when I am sitting or standing, not when I'm working out.
I saw the AU team on their morning run (the men just came in second at their conference meet and the women last) as usual when I do this particular route. I added a couple of extra out-and-back stretches to add on a little bit of time and avoid waiting for lights. My iPod worked the whole time today, but the one that got messed up when I was running on Sunday still isn't doing well. Might be time for a trip to the Apple Store, I'm afraid.
Work was super busy. It will likely continue to be that way for the next few months, and next week I am spending much of the week in Philadelphia covering a public health meeting, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to work out (in addition to the mornings, which I hope will still be mine, but they will be early). I was a little crunched for time at the gym tonight because I left the office a bit later than I like to, so I did what I could. Luckily it was pretty empty so I was efficient.
I just got really tired. I have work to do tonight, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.
Posted by becky at 9:42 PM | Comments (0)
November 2, 2009
It's Monday, so guess where I was this morning?
That's right, it may be a new month, but I have gotten into a nice routine that has me on the bike a couple of mornings a week and generally Mondays are one of those mornings. I actually woke up with plenty of time today because Matt had to be up for an early flight and somehow that inspired me.
Sometimes the bike bothers my knee more than running does (I just never know) but today was a good day. I felt strong and was able to work hard with only a couple of niggles. I've been hearing that "Grey's" has been really good lately so I've been trying to catch up. I'm still a week behind, but last week's episode was pretty awesome and suspenseful. I also caught last night's "Brothers & Sisters" and was shocked to hear a Chris Pureka song playing in the background. Chris is a folk singer who plays really small venues (I saw her open for someone a couple of years ago) so not too many people know about her. No matter what people say about "B&S"--it may be cheesy, but they have good music. I often hear Ray Lamontagne on that show too.
I brought my lunch today and had nonstop meetings, calls, etc. so I did not get a chance to get outside all day. I hate that. So when I finally called it quits, I couldn't wait to get outside and to the gym! It was super crowded but I tried not to let it get to me. At least I wasn't waiting for a treadmill like the line of girls I saw while I was biking.
Matt is supposed to come back from a day trip to NYC tonight but I haven't heard too much from him today. I hope it's true!
Posted by becky at 9:16 PM | Comments (0)
November 1, 2009
Taking advantage of my extra hour
We ran out of candy last night at about 8pm, perfect timing because we had to leave around then to meet our friends for dinner anyway. I tend to overbuy when it comes to Halloween candy, so I'm shocked that we don't have leftovers. And a little sad, but I had plenty yesterday.
I think we both went to sleep a little later than we should have last night because we knew we'd get the extra hour from changing the clocks. I felt very well-rested when I woke up this morning even despite going to bed late. I was surprised to hear it was raining, though, because I remembered having read that today was going to be sunny.
It actually wasn't raining too hard during my run (when I eventually got out the door) and it was much cooler than it had been the past few days. My knee felt pretty good today but has been a bit sore since. I am glad I limited myself to about an hour. I ended up doing many more hills than I meant to because I got turned around in a neighborhood I was exploring. I ended up finding a connection to the Capital Crescent Trail that I didn't know existed, but it didn't really help me because I had another route in mind.
In any case, I was feeling pretty relaxed and although my legs were tired and a bit sore, I didn't have any knee complaints. Of course my iPod stopped responding when I still had a couple of miles left, but that is pretty common with me and my sweat. When I got home, I put in some time on the bike and caught up on some "Grey's" (although I'm still a couple of weeks behind).
The rest of the day was pretty relaxed except for errands (frustrating because they involved Whole Foods). I was excited to check out results from the NYC Marathon and even more excited about how well the American men did. Great to see, although there's so much hype about Ryan Hall, etc. that someone is bound to be disappointed.
My cough is better today so hopefully I am getting over this strange little cold. Here's to another work week...my first full one in a couple. Eek!
Posted by becky at 6:55 PM | Comments (0)