Tomorrow is my follow-up appointment with my doctor. I am hoping he tells me that I have magic bones that heal four times faster than the average human's bones. Seriously I am just hoping he doesn't recommend that I stay on the crutches for 8 weeks instead of 6. Today is Day 8 out of 42 days of crutches. If I have to do many more days than this, I may have a nervous breakdown. I have been letting myself go thirsty rather than expend the energy to get a drink of water as well as eventually have to go to the bathroom as a result of the drink. Seriously, that's how bad I feel. I can hear myself getting fatter as I sit in my chair all day, moving as little as possible.
I have managed to sort of ease the pain in my armpits, upper arms, and shoulders, but for every silver lining there is a cloud...now my hands and wrists hurt. I also pulled something in my upper good leg while trying to scoot up the stairs. Can't win.
I tried to force myself to be in a better mood today and think positively and it sort of worked I guess. Today was the first day I didn't cry out of frustration and depression. I've been trying to make jokes about my situation and laugh about it to pass the time. People at work are being really helpful, offering to do parts of my job that require moving around, refilling my water bottle, offering to help a lot. It's still so freaking hard to do things like open doors and get from my office to the bathroom. I better have some seriously ripped arms by the time this is over.
Now that I've had time to think about my situation and have gotten over the shock of the fracture and crutches, I made a list of questions for my doctor: How do we know if the bone is healing properly? What is physical therapy like? How soon can I start exercising and what exercises does he recommend? Does my (mostly) vegan diet have anything to do with this or do I have naturally bad bones? What exactly caused this fracture? IS THERE ANY ALTERNATIVE TO CRUTCHES???
The question I immediately asked the doctor when I got the stress fracture news was "Does this mean I was not meant to be a runner?" He said no - they could teach me how to run with proper form, fix my shoes, etc. to get me back on track. Initially I was pumped to get back to running ASAP, but after dealing with these godforsaken crutches that are ruining my life, I am not so sure I want to take the risk. I hate to even say this because it just doesn't make sense that there are tons of runners who train properly and escape injury. It's not running's fault that I am hurt, it is something that I did but I can't figure out what exactly happened. I still want the chance to run a half marathon one day and feel that sense of accomplishment that comes from finishing something for which you spent months training and preparing. But I tell you, unless someone can 100% assure me that I would never ever have to be on crutches ever again, I'm not sure I am meant for running. I just cannot bear the thought of going through this again.
I'm trying to think of other goals I can accomplish and low-impact exercises I can practice. Maybe take more yoga and add pilates and maybe become an instructor? Take swimming classes? Take one of these Zumba classes I've been hearing so much about? I guess there are lots of options but still....giving up running makes me feel defeated and sad. I guess I'll see what the doctor says tomorrow. I'm just hoping there is not a stress fracture in my other leg. I'm worried there might be from hopping and jumping and relying on it.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Injured Runner
I haven't posted in awhile for various reasons but something awful happened which is bringing me back to my blog. I'm going to be complaining a lot for the next month-and-a-half and since I can't afford therapy the blog will do. I haven't found a lot of information or blogs that cover this so hopefully someone's misery will love my company.
Over the past few months, I came to love running. It was so much fun to find new places to run, to beat my times, to try and meet my goal time for a 5K for which I had registered. I even experienced my first "runner's high"in September...I was running through a hilly trail and hit 3.1 miles (my goal for that day) and just kept on going. I was used to praying for the end of the run to come because running made me want to die at times, but on that day, I felt so great, like I could have run forever. As the weeks went on, I increased my mileage and frequency and was thinking that a 10-miler or a half-marathon seemed like a great idea for the future. I thought I was being smart about my running plan, increasing mileage by small percentages, stretching before and after my runs, and icing my legs when they ached.
A month or two ago, I was using a rolling pin to massage the front of my leg and I noticed a sharp pain in my shin when I ran the rolling pin over it. I didn't think much of it because nothing hurt when I ran.
Three weeks ago, I happened to run five days in a row (as opposed to my normal schedule of every other day or so). I had my 5K coming up and I wanted to practice as much as I could. At the end of the run on the 5th day, I commented to my friend/running partner that my shins kind of hurt. I thought not too much of it, went to yoga the next day, and took the following day off. The day after that, I went to the gym and noticed a sharp-ish (but not at all unbearable) pain in my shin. I continued my run, went home, and iced my shins. I took the next two days off, then went on a run that Saturday. My shin, particularly my right shin, hurt. I cut my run short and came home. I decided to take the week off until my shins were okay, as my 5K meant a lot to me and I wanted to be properly rested for it.
My shins did not feel much better for the following week. I even brought ice packs to work and was RICE-ing at my desk. Because it had been seven days with not much improvement, I made an appointment with a sports medicine doctor. To be clear, the pain was not awful at all. I thought it was shin splints or a bruise or something. I just wanted the doctor to clear me for running my 5K that weekend.
I went to the doctor and he asked me lots of questions about calcium intake, whether it hurt to jump on my leg (it didn't), and he used this hammer-type thing that vibrated to run over my shins. That bothered my shin a little, but not much - kind of like someone pressing on a black-and-blue mark on your body. He said he wanted to have me x-rayed and get an MRI. I got those taken care of (my first experience with an MRI....if you ever want strangers to ask you a million questions about all the ways that you could possibly be pregnant, I suggest you get an MRI) and my doctor said he would call with the results once he had reviewed them.
On Monday, he called to tell me to stop putting weight on my left shin IMMEDIATELY because I had a severe stress fracture. I was in shock because my shin was feeling better. I seriously thought he was going to tell me I had shin splints. When he told me I had to get crutches, I almost started to cry. I told him I would go get them the following day and he said he strongly suggested that I go that very night and that he wanted to see me first thing in the morning. This freaked me out. It must be pretty bad if he didn't think I could safely walk another day.
I ran to CVS and got a pair of crutches and tried to figure out how to use them. I have never had a broken bone or even a sprain in my life so I'd never had an occasion to learn how to properly use crutches. If you also have not, believe me when I say that these fuckers are a PAIN IN THE ASS. I hate them with every fiber of my being. They are NOT easy to use or navigate and if you have wimpy T-Rex arms like me, you will find that it is a struggle just to travel a distance of 10 feet without wanting to take a break. I'm wishing I had lifted weights to build up my strength because dear lord walking on crutches is HARD. I managed to practice for about an hour before giving up and using one crutch as a cane, sort of dragging my leg. I also attempted to scoot places on my butt, but even that is a killer arm workout.
Anyway, back to myboring story. I show up at the doctor, swinging my bum leg all over the place on my crutches. BTW, if you ever doubt that 90% of the population are assholes, try using crutches while trying to open a door at the same time. The doctor showed me the MRI, which made me want to vom, as you could see a crack in my bone. He said it was a Grade 4 fracture (on a scale of 1-4, 4 being the worst) and that if I had waited much longer, I may have had to have a metal rod placed in my leg. This made me burst into tears and filled me with worry. What if my leg doesn't heal properly? Am I going to have to get a rod in my leg? Will I ever be able to run again? Or speed walk? Or take yoga? Am I going to be faced with stress fractures for the rest of my life?
He told me I am going to be on crutches for 6 weeks. I asked if there was ANY alternative, as in a walking boot or the method I had developed the previous evening (shuffling on my bad leg and using a crutch as a cane). He said absolutely not - no weight-bearing on my leg for 6 weeks and crutches are the only option. Additionally, I am not allowed to exercise at all - not even swimming or pilates. I did the math and realized that I will be on crutches until 2012. So no fun Christmas parties, no walking around the malls and stores to shop for gifts, no gorging on food and then running to burn the calories later. People keep saying "At leas this didn't happen in the summer!" I disagree. In the summer I would not have to worry about ice and snow tripping my already unsteady footing. I would not be forever remembering this year as "The Christmas I Was on Crutches." I know I'd be complaining no matter what time of year this happened, but something about it occurring over Christmas just chaps my hide.
I've now been on crutches for a week and here is what I've discovered: IT SUCKS. I've researched every alternative, from boots to knee walkers, and none of them will work for me as I cannot bear weight at all on the leg. You must take my advice when I say it is imperative to get a tutorial on how to use the crutches properly. They are not meant to go right into your armpits, but rather to the top of your ribcage with a space of two fingers between the top of your ribs and your armpit. When you walk, you should bear the weight on your hands rather than in your armpits. No one told me this until after I spent the day using the crutches improperly. The next morning I had to call out of work because my arms and chest hurt so badly. Just seeing the crutches made me want to cry...the thought of touching them to my chest was unbearable. I also could not scoot on my butt from my bed to the bathroom, as my arms felt like they were on fire. It was so awful. I basically made myself into a ball and rolled to the toilet. Luckily my cousin came to pick me up and I spent 2 days at her house. She and her husband basically did everything for me but go to the bathroom. I just sat on the couch with my leg propped up. They also helped fit my crutches properly and helped me practice going up and down the stairs. I'm not at all confident in my stairs abilities, but at least I am not certain to bust my ass if I have to take stairs anytime soon. Because I did not have to move around for those days, my muscles got a nice break and I was able to start over with the crutches and use them properly. Believe me when I say that my arms still hurt like a beeyotch but they are nowhere close to hurting as badly as they did that second day.
So I am currently on Day 7 of what I hope will be only 42 days of crutches (as my cousin pointed out, that is less time that Kim Kardashian was married!!) and here is what I have discovered so far:
Over the past few months, I came to love running. It was so much fun to find new places to run, to beat my times, to try and meet my goal time for a 5K for which I had registered. I even experienced my first "runner's high"in September...I was running through a hilly trail and hit 3.1 miles (my goal for that day) and just kept on going. I was used to praying for the end of the run to come because running made me want to die at times, but on that day, I felt so great, like I could have run forever. As the weeks went on, I increased my mileage and frequency and was thinking that a 10-miler or a half-marathon seemed like a great idea for the future. I thought I was being smart about my running plan, increasing mileage by small percentages, stretching before and after my runs, and icing my legs when they ached.
A month or two ago, I was using a rolling pin to massage the front of my leg and I noticed a sharp pain in my shin when I ran the rolling pin over it. I didn't think much of it because nothing hurt when I ran.
Three weeks ago, I happened to run five days in a row (as opposed to my normal schedule of every other day or so). I had my 5K coming up and I wanted to practice as much as I could. At the end of the run on the 5th day, I commented to my friend/running partner that my shins kind of hurt. I thought not too much of it, went to yoga the next day, and took the following day off. The day after that, I went to the gym and noticed a sharp-ish (but not at all unbearable) pain in my shin. I continued my run, went home, and iced my shins. I took the next two days off, then went on a run that Saturday. My shin, particularly my right shin, hurt. I cut my run short and came home. I decided to take the week off until my shins were okay, as my 5K meant a lot to me and I wanted to be properly rested for it.
My shins did not feel much better for the following week. I even brought ice packs to work and was RICE-ing at my desk. Because it had been seven days with not much improvement, I made an appointment with a sports medicine doctor. To be clear, the pain was not awful at all. I thought it was shin splints or a bruise or something. I just wanted the doctor to clear me for running my 5K that weekend.
I went to the doctor and he asked me lots of questions about calcium intake, whether it hurt to jump on my leg (it didn't), and he used this hammer-type thing that vibrated to run over my shins. That bothered my shin a little, but not much - kind of like someone pressing on a black-and-blue mark on your body. He said he wanted to have me x-rayed and get an MRI. I got those taken care of (my first experience with an MRI....if you ever want strangers to ask you a million questions about all the ways that you could possibly be pregnant, I suggest you get an MRI) and my doctor said he would call with the results once he had reviewed them.
On Monday, he called to tell me to stop putting weight on my left shin IMMEDIATELY because I had a severe stress fracture. I was in shock because my shin was feeling better. I seriously thought he was going to tell me I had shin splints. When he told me I had to get crutches, I almost started to cry. I told him I would go get them the following day and he said he strongly suggested that I go that very night and that he wanted to see me first thing in the morning. This freaked me out. It must be pretty bad if he didn't think I could safely walk another day.
I ran to CVS and got a pair of crutches and tried to figure out how to use them. I have never had a broken bone or even a sprain in my life so I'd never had an occasion to learn how to properly use crutches. If you also have not, believe me when I say that these fuckers are a PAIN IN THE ASS. I hate them with every fiber of my being. They are NOT easy to use or navigate and if you have wimpy T-Rex arms like me, you will find that it is a struggle just to travel a distance of 10 feet without wanting to take a break. I'm wishing I had lifted weights to build up my strength because dear lord walking on crutches is HARD. I managed to practice for about an hour before giving up and using one crutch as a cane, sort of dragging my leg. I also attempted to scoot places on my butt, but even that is a killer arm workout.
Anyway, back to my
He told me I am going to be on crutches for 6 weeks. I asked if there was ANY alternative, as in a walking boot or the method I had developed the previous evening (shuffling on my bad leg and using a crutch as a cane). He said absolutely not - no weight-bearing on my leg for 6 weeks and crutches are the only option. Additionally, I am not allowed to exercise at all - not even swimming or pilates. I did the math and realized that I will be on crutches until 2012. So no fun Christmas parties, no walking around the malls and stores to shop for gifts, no gorging on food and then running to burn the calories later. People keep saying "At leas this didn't happen in the summer!" I disagree. In the summer I would not have to worry about ice and snow tripping my already unsteady footing. I would not be forever remembering this year as "The Christmas I Was on Crutches." I know I'd be complaining no matter what time of year this happened, but something about it occurring over Christmas just chaps my hide.
I've now been on crutches for a week and here is what I've discovered: IT SUCKS. I've researched every alternative, from boots to knee walkers, and none of them will work for me as I cannot bear weight at all on the leg. You must take my advice when I say it is imperative to get a tutorial on how to use the crutches properly. They are not meant to go right into your armpits, but rather to the top of your ribcage with a space of two fingers between the top of your ribs and your armpit. When you walk, you should bear the weight on your hands rather than in your armpits. No one told me this until after I spent the day using the crutches improperly. The next morning I had to call out of work because my arms and chest hurt so badly. Just seeing the crutches made me want to cry...the thought of touching them to my chest was unbearable. I also could not scoot on my butt from my bed to the bathroom, as my arms felt like they were on fire. It was so awful. I basically made myself into a ball and rolled to the toilet. Luckily my cousin came to pick me up and I spent 2 days at her house. She and her husband basically did everything for me but go to the bathroom. I just sat on the couch with my leg propped up. They also helped fit my crutches properly and helped me practice going up and down the stairs. I'm not at all confident in my stairs abilities, but at least I am not certain to bust my ass if I have to take stairs anytime soon. Because I did not have to move around for those days, my muscles got a nice break and I was able to start over with the crutches and use them properly. Believe me when I say that my arms still hurt like a beeyotch but they are nowhere close to hurting as badly as they did that second day.
So I am currently on Day 7 of what I hope will be only 42 days of crutches (as my cousin pointed out, that is less time that Kim Kardashian was married!!) and here is what I have discovered so far:
- Wear a hoodie with a kangaroo pocket (or at least something with pockets) everywhere. Your hands are going to be occupied with operating your
shit stickscrutches so you cannot carry anything anywhere. I personally like to carry my phone EVERYWHERE (safety first). If you wear a hoodie, you can use the pocket as well as your hood for a bonus pocket! - Do you live on two floors? Move everything possible to one of the floors to try to minimize necessary trips up and down the stairs. Even if you are a stair-climbing champ, you still want to save your strength for absolutely necessary movements, like going to the bathroom or preparing food.
- Do you have a chair or stool on wheels? I started using my desk chair at home to get from point to point. It is not smooth sailing, as I have carpet in my apartment and the wheels drag, but this chair has been a saving grace for my exhausted arms. Also, it is imperative to have one for something as simple as getting a drink of water or your dinner. You can move your cup and plate from one room to another because your hands are free!
- You have to get a backpack. There are just no two ways around it.
- The only thing I can think of that I absolutely cannot do alone and on crutches is grocery shop. You can't push that cart when you're on crutches. I have had several friends offer to grocery shop for me but I feel bad having others do my chores. I am going to rely on family members to help me out with this task.
- People are going to stare at you when they see you hobbling toward them on crutches. Some people will be nice and help you out by opening doors. You should memorize these people's faces so you can thank them at a later date.
- If people offer to help you, let them. This is difficult for me. I hate to have people do things for me when I could just do them myself, but now that I am unable to do simple tasks that involve walking and using my arms, I have had to quickly learn to take people up on offers. If people did not want to help, they would not offer.
- Wear layers over short sleeves. A 2-minute excursion from your office to the bathroom will have you sweating like a pig.
- Ice your chest and arms at night to help make the next day of crutching a little more bearable.
- Well-meaning people will try to make you see the bright side of your situation. "At least it's not your right leg, because then you couldn't drive!" "At least this didn't happen in the summer!" "Six weeks isn't that long in the scheme of things!" Sure sure these are all true, but it's not fun to look on the bright side when all you can think about is the end of your short-lived running career, a stinky Christmas season, and the fact that you'd rather go thirsty than drink a glass of water so that you don't have to use your crutches to make another trip to the bathroom. I know that this is not even close to being the worst situation possible, but I am a complainer by nature. This totally sucks and you can let yourself be upset about it. Six weeks IS a long time to just sit on your ass, unable to exist without help from others.
Tomorrow: Things that worry me about this injury and debating whether or not to continue running.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Creepers Need Not Apply
First things first. Tonight I ran 2.79 miles, which meant I achieved my goal of running 31 miles for the month of August! GO ME. I am really something.
Next goal is to be able to run a true 5K without stopping and without counting my 0.2-mile warmup and 0.2-mile cool-down in that mileage. I'm trying to figure out what my mileage goal should be for September. This is going to require a calculator. Didn't you know that girls can't do math (or homework, apparently)?
So after referring to my runner's book and checking around the 'net, I see that it is best to follow The 10-Percent Rule and increase my weekly mileage by 10%. Right now I'm running about 8.4 miles a week. 10% of 8.4 = 0.84. Add 0.84 to 8.4 and you get 9.24. That means for the first week of September, I should aim to have my 3x/week runs be about 3.1 miles apiece. I'm going to be conservative in the amount of mileage that I add for the remainder of the month and aim for 40 miles for the month of September. No wait. Let's make that 39. Don't want to overexert myself.
Thanks for walking me through the process. Perfect! Not only do I have a super new mileage goal, but by the end of the month I should definitely achieve my main goal of running a full 5K without stopping. Two, two, two goals in one. Maybe I will refer to September's goals as the Dynamic Duo?
I assure you that I am a completely normal-looking, average weight/height, normal job, etc. I don't have 7 heads or green skin and I don't need a crane to get me out of bed. Perhaps some day when I have a zillion followers who demand to know my true identity, I will reveal myself like Ironman. But until then, you'll just have to enjoy my illustrations via my favorite TV shows and movies. Thanks for your patience in this matter.
"Kinda Sorta Vegan Runner, you rock!"
Next goal is to be able to run a true 5K without stopping and without counting my 0.2-mile warmup and 0.2-mile cool-down in that mileage. I'm trying to figure out what my mileage goal should be for September. This is going to require a calculator. Didn't you know that girls can't do math (or homework, apparently)?
"How do I do the arithmetic again?"
So after referring to my runner's book and checking around the 'net, I see that it is best to follow The 10-Percent Rule and increase my weekly mileage by 10%. Right now I'm running about 8.4 miles a week. 10% of 8.4 = 0.84. Add 0.84 to 8.4 and you get 9.24. That means for the first week of September, I should aim to have my 3x/week runs be about 3.1 miles apiece. I'm going to be conservative in the amount of mileage that I add for the remainder of the month and aim for 40 miles for the month of September. No wait. Let's make that 39. Don't want to overexert myself.
"You sure about that?"
Thanks for walking me through the process. Perfect! Not only do I have a super new mileage goal, but by the end of the month I should definitely achieve my main goal of running a full 5K without stopping. Two, two, two goals in one. Maybe I will refer to September's goals as the Dynamic Duo?
"Or perhaps, The Gruesome Twosome?"
Also, a housekeeping note. I follow a few blogs and really admire the courage that the writers have in posting personal photos, full names, hometowns, and info about jobs. It is great to put yourself out there to make your story more personal/relatable/interesting. However, I am highly paranoid and cannot escape the fact that a colleague/ex-boyfriend/person I generally dislike/totally insane creeper will come across my blog. I don't want colleagues knowing about my personal thoughts/ex-boyfriends to know what I'm up to/creepers to stalk me down and wear me like last season's Versace.
"Creepers, please stay away."
"This is considered 'normal,' right?"
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Off Night
Tonight should have been a good run. Because of weather hazards, I haven't run since last Wednesday, and if I was going to meet my August goal of 30+ miles, I had to run tonight and tomorrow. Because I need goals to force myself to run and I love accomplishing stuff, I was super pumped to get this run in - want to earn my Lulu shirt. Additionally, my music list randomly played 5 Britney songs during my run and it was a perfect 78 degrees with almost no humidity when I left for my run. All of these factors should have equaled an awesome run, but it was just one of the worst ones I've had in quite awhile.
I totally deserved it. My sister asked me to babysit for my niece today and I took that opportunity to obey her instructions to help myself to anything in the cabinets and refrigerator. Why is it always so much easier to binge eat when raiding someone else's food? I guess this is because other people buy stuff that I would never trust myself to possess. Case in point: My sister had an unopened bag of Trader Joe's corn chips (aka Fritos) and I housed approximately 1/3 of them. Additionally, she had a block of organic cheese that looked way too delicious to go untouched. (Before you judge this kinda sorta vegan, just know that the vegan gods punished me later during my run.) Finally, I didn't consume even half of the amount of water that I normally would.
By the time I got home and prepped for my run, I figured I didn't need much stretching since I had been in a pretty intense yoga class the night before. "Big mistake. Huge." (- Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman) Got less than halfway through my run and my leg muscles felt so tight I thought they were going to snap.
Then my ponytail started to come loose, which makes me insane. I normally wrap it tighter than my Christmas presents because I absolutely cannot run with my hair down. I'm not Kim Karsashian, I don't try to look pretty when I exercise - I run because I'm trying to get fit, not because I'm trying to get the paparazzi to take my picture in spandex. Anyway, I had to stop to fix my hair, which totally destroyed my groove and put me in a bad mood.
Then I stopped to take my one-minute stretch break and realized it had turned into two minutes and that I had neglected to properly stop my C25K app timer, so it was still running and I now had 2 extra minutes of running to make up. I can't be bothered to keep track of timers on my own like some kind of commoner, I need an app to ding in my ear and tell me when my run is finished. Again, you might say ain't no big thang, but it was just another inconvenience that put me in a bad mood.
At least as I ran past two pedestrians on the side of the road, they saw me coming and moved over to get out of my way. Thank you, lovely pedestrians, for being considerate. See, you never know when your small acts of kindness will make a bit of a difference to a stranger.
"Let's go for a run, y'all!"
I totally deserved it. My sister asked me to babysit for my niece today and I took that opportunity to obey her instructions to help myself to anything in the cabinets and refrigerator. Why is it always so much easier to binge eat when raiding someone else's food? I guess this is because other people buy stuff that I would never trust myself to possess. Case in point: My sister had an unopened bag of Trader Joe's corn chips (aka Fritos) and I housed approximately 1/3 of them. Additionally, she had a block of organic cheese that looked way too delicious to go untouched. (Before you judge this kinda sorta vegan, just know that the vegan gods punished me later during my run.) Finally, I didn't consume even half of the amount of water that I normally would.
"This counts as a pre-run carbo-load, right y'all?"
By the time I got home and prepped for my run, I figured I didn't need much stretching since I had been in a pretty intense yoga class the night before. "Big mistake. Huge." (- Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman) Got less than halfway through my run and my leg muscles felt so tight I thought they were going to snap.
"Why didn't you stretch, y'all? Oh, snap!"
Then my ponytail started to come loose, which makes me insane. I normally wrap it tighter than my Christmas presents because I absolutely cannot run with my hair down. I'm not Kim Karsashian, I don't try to look pretty when I exercise - I run because I'm trying to get fit, not because I'm trying to get the paparazzi to take my picture in spandex. Anyway, I had to stop to fix my hair, which totally destroyed my groove and put me in a bad mood.
B. Spears displaying appropriate workout hair. Who cares what you look like?
You're working out!
Then I stopped to take my one-minute stretch break and realized it had turned into two minutes and that I had neglected to properly stop my C25K app timer, so it was still running and I now had 2 extra minutes of running to make up. I can't be bothered to keep track of timers on my own like some kind of commoner, I need an app to ding in my ear and tell me when my run is finished. Again, you might say ain't no big thang, but it was just another inconvenience that put me in a bad mood.
"Worst run EVER, y'all!"
At least as I ran past two pedestrians on the side of the road, they saw me coming and moved over to get out of my way. Thank you, lovely pedestrians, for being considerate. See, you never know when your small acts of kindness will make a bit of a difference to a stranger.
"And we're supposed to marry strangers, right y'all?"
Monday, August 29, 2011
Rock Who Like a Hurricane?
Freaking Irene. What a mess, what a tragedy, what a disaster. In my part of the country, it turned out to not be super problematic...just a little scary and I lost power for a day. The most damage I saw was when I walked home from yoga and noticed a big tree that had fallen directly onto a neighbor's Jeep. That sucks Mr. Jeep. Talk about bad luck.
In other parts of the country, people lost much more than cars. Homes, businesses, even lives were lost. This makes me so depressed. My Facebook feed was loaded with complaints about power being out, vacations being delayed, and having to take longer routes to work. I admit I was temporarily annoyed when I missed the VMA's (really wanted to see the tribute to Britney - which turned out to be pretty crappy anyway) until I realized what might have been. Seriously, sometimes I like to step back and put things into perspective. Couldn't things have been much, much worse? Believe me, no one complains more than me, but I can't even bitch about petty things when other people are actually suffering true loss.
Sorry to anyone reading this who suffered more than a minor inconvenience due to Hurricane Irene.
In other parts of the country, people lost much more than cars. Homes, businesses, even lives were lost. This makes me so depressed. My Facebook feed was loaded with complaints about power being out, vacations being delayed, and having to take longer routes to work. I admit I was temporarily annoyed when I missed the VMA's (really wanted to see the tribute to Britney - which turned out to be pretty crappy anyway) until I realized what might have been. Seriously, sometimes I like to step back and put things into perspective. Couldn't things have been much, much worse? Believe me, no one complains more than me, but I can't even bitch about petty things when other people are actually suffering true loss.
Sorry to anyone reading this who suffered more than a minor inconvenience due to Hurricane Irene.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Rules of the Road
Tied last night's PR of 2.82 miles tonight. I repeated Week 7, Day 3 (25 minutes of running) because I did not think I could handle Week 8, Day 1 (28 minutes of running) tonight. I did the "stop halfway through, stretch for a minute" deal again. It really works.
I noticed that I have a lot of tricks that I use on myself to force out a run if I'm just not feeling it. One is to bargain with myself to run just one mile, see how I feel, and walk the rest of the way if I have to. I don't think I've ever stopped for that walk because once I get to the halfway point, I find it's easier to just keep going with the run. Bonus points if another runner is close by...I don't want to stop for a walk and have him think I'm a pansy.
When I feel like I'm going to die, I pick an object in the distance and think "I'll just run to that stop sign, then take a walk break." By the time I get to the stop sign, I think "I'm at the top of a hill now, I'll just run until I reach the bottom." By the time I get to the bottom of the hill, I think "I'll run for another minute and see how I feel." And so on and so on. Usually this bag of tricks gets me through almost the entire run.
It's also helpful to my dorky self to use the Runkeeper app on my iPhone and check it every so often to see how far I've gone for inspiration. I'm all about charting and graphing my results so I like to figure out how far I've run. Sometimes I surprise myself by running much farther than I had estimated.
I've been running around town for months now and I noticed that too many people don't follow the rules, and I'd be remiss to not correct all of you. I don't want your potential injuries on my conscience.
Runners - stay to the left of the road (facing traffic). This is so you can see crazy drivers coming at you, as opposed to sneaking up out of nowhere from behind if you were to run on the right side of the road. No one wants to get hit by a car.
Bikers - stay to the right of the road (riding with traffic). Isn't this like Driver's Ed 101?
Pedestrians - Not necessary to take up the entirety of a road/walkway with your group. Feel free to leave about 6 inches or so for other people to squeeze by and pass you. This is especially pertinent when you hear someone's footsteps approaching from behind in what sounds like a run. So sorry to interrupt your leisurely stroll, but I'm trying to get this run finished, and if I stop at a point that has not been preplanned, it is very possible that I won't be able to start back up because my legs already feel like they weigh 80 pounds apiece, I'm relying on sheer momentum to keep them moving forward, and I don't need some ignorant group of looky-loos busting up my groove. You should be able to surmise this because I do not run by gliding through the air like a graceful gazelle, but rather like a wheezing, huffing, puffing tugboat that's quickly running out of fuel. Sometimes it takes all of the effort I have to choke out a bitchy "TO YOUR LEFT!" So please, be kind and get the eff out of the way.
Drivers- we've got several issues that we need to discuss. First and foremost, your turn signals are not fun blinky Christmas light decorations for your car. You use them to indicate that you are turning so pedestrians and other cars who cannot read your mind know where you're going.
Additionally, those white stripes in the road are called "pedestrian walkways" and are the equivalent of a red light in terms of requiring a full stop if there is a pedestrian trying to cross. This may delay you from reaching your super important place that you need to be by about 3 seconds, but I assure you, I'm crossing as fast as I can, and oh yeah, I have the right of way, jerk. I like my life, please don't run me over.
Finally, did you know that concrete sidewalks are something like 20% harder on your joints than asphalt roads? Plus there are generally fewer cracks and holes to trip over in the road than on the sidewalk. Therefore, knee injuries and busting your ass from tripping are two problems that can theoretically be avoided by running on the road instead of the sidewalk. Now that you understand why I'm running on the road, would you mind moving over just 4 inches, just enough so you don't get so flipping close that you practically swipe me with your mirror? In return, I promise to hug the curb as close as is humanly possible and/or jump on the sidewalk if I see that you have nowhere to go due to oncoming traffic.
Let's just share the road. It belongs to neither you nor me, but everyone. Thanks sweeties.
"Say it. OUT LOUD."
"Stretch break!"
I noticed that I have a lot of tricks that I use on myself to force out a run if I'm just not feeling it. One is to bargain with myself to run just one mile, see how I feel, and walk the rest of the way if I have to. I don't think I've ever stopped for that walk because once I get to the halfway point, I find it's easier to just keep going with the run. Bonus points if another runner is close by...I don't want to stop for a walk and have him think I'm a pansy.
"I didn't get this body from taking walk breaks."
When I feel like I'm going to die, I pick an object in the distance and think "I'll just run to that stop sign, then take a walk break." By the time I get to the stop sign, I think "I'm at the top of a hill now, I'll just run until I reach the bottom." By the time I get to the bottom of the hill, I think "I'll run for another minute and see how I feel." And so on and so on. Usually this bag of tricks gets me through almost the entire run.
"If you run another half mile, I'll carry you the rest of the way."
It's also helpful to my dorky self to use the Runkeeper app on my iPhone and check it every so often to see how far I've gone for inspiration. I'm all about charting and graphing my results so I like to figure out how far I've run. Sometimes I surprise myself by running much farther than I had estimated.
"Let me go! If I can make it .25 miles in 3 minutes, I'll beat my PR!"
I've been running around town for months now and I noticed that too many people don't follow the rules, and I'd be remiss to not correct all of you. I don't want your potential injuries on my conscience.
Runners - stay to the left of the road (facing traffic). This is so you can see crazy drivers coming at you, as opposed to sneaking up out of nowhere from behind if you were to run on the right side of the road. No one wants to get hit by a car.
"To the left, to the left!"
Bikers - stay to the right of the road (riding with traffic). Isn't this like Driver's Ed 101?
"This bike rides with traffic."
Pedestrians - Not necessary to take up the entirety of a road/walkway with your group. Feel free to leave about 6 inches or so for other people to squeeze by and pass you. This is especially pertinent when you hear someone's footsteps approaching from behind in what sounds like a run. So sorry to interrupt your leisurely stroll, but I'm trying to get this run finished, and if I stop at a point that has not been preplanned, it is very possible that I won't be able to start back up because my legs already feel like they weigh 80 pounds apiece, I'm relying on sheer momentum to keep them moving forward, and I don't need some ignorant group of looky-loos busting up my groove. You should be able to surmise this because I do not run by gliding through the air like a graceful gazelle, but rather like a wheezing, huffing, puffing tugboat that's quickly running out of fuel. Sometimes it takes all of the effort I have to choke out a bitchy "TO YOUR LEFT!" So please, be kind and get the eff out of the way.
"Let's go single file so out-of-shape kinda sorta runners can easily pass us."
Drivers- we've got several issues that we need to discuss. First and foremost, your turn signals are not fun blinky Christmas light decorations for your car. You use them to indicate that you are turning so pedestrians and other cars who cannot read your mind know where you're going.
"I can read your mind, but you can't read mine. Better use the turn signal."
Additionally, those white stripes in the road are called "pedestrian walkways" and are the equivalent of a red light in terms of requiring a full stop if there is a pedestrian trying to cross. This may delay you from reaching your super important place that you need to be by about 3 seconds, but I assure you, I'm crossing as fast as I can, and oh yeah, I have the right of way, jerk. I like my life, please don't run me over.
"Stopping for pedestrians is the law!"
Finally, did you know that concrete sidewalks are something like 20% harder on your joints than asphalt roads? Plus there are generally fewer cracks and holes to trip over in the road than on the sidewalk. Therefore, knee injuries and busting your ass from tripping are two problems that can theoretically be avoided by running on the road instead of the sidewalk. Now that you understand why I'm running on the road, would you mind moving over just 4 inches, just enough so you don't get so flipping close that you practically swipe me with your mirror? In return, I promise to hug the curb as close as is humanly possible and/or jump on the sidewalk if I see that you have nowhere to go due to oncoming traffic.
"Eyes on the road, Eddie. Watch for pedestrians."
Let's just share the road. It belongs to neither you nor me, but everyone. Thanks sweeties.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Lulu Love
A few months ago, my friend Kara told me about a little store called Lululemon (or "Lulu" if you want to be cute about it), a store than makes gear for yoga, running, and other activities. I had heard of the place, but when I saw the prices on the website I decided to stick to the more budget-friendly Champion by Tar-zhay line. Kara kept talking about how great the Lulu clothes were, so I later decided to visit a store and try some stuff on. Instantly hooked.
The prices may seem outrageous, but believe me, this is a case of "you get what you pay for." Totally worth it, and I believe that the company guarantees the clothes for something like five years, so it's a decent investment.
So far I have this top, this tank, and a few headbands. This place is worse than potato chips. You can't get just one. Luckily these are multi-purpose tops - I can wear them running, to yoga, and perhaps out and about.
Tonight I FINALLY got out of my running slump. I am on week 7 of C25K (running 25 minutes) and for the past week I kept getting stuck at 2.74 miles. No matter what I did, that GPS and my butt would not go past 2.74. Tonight I made it 2.82. I know it doesn't sound like much but I nearly cried tears of pure pride when I saw that I snapped my streak.
The only thing I did differently was stop for two 1-minute breaks to stretch my legs. I recently read that you are not supposed to stretch before your run, as your muscles are tight and stretching risks injury. You're supposed to do a bit of a warmup, then stop to stretch, then run, and do most of the stretching after your workout. So that's what I did. I guess it worked.
I also took the stretch breaks right before I came to some steep hills. It was nice to catch my breath and prepare myself for the uphill climb.
My goal for the month of August was to run over 31 miles. I am definitely going to hit that goal, so I ordered a new CRB to reward myself (to be opened once said goal is officially hit). My next goal is to run a full 5K without stopping and without including the warmup/cool-down distances (as I have been doing). Reward for that is this long-sleeved tee.
"Check out the 'We Made Too Much' section for the sale items, bitches. -A."
The prices may seem outrageous, but believe me, this is a case of "you get what you pay for." Totally worth it, and I believe that the company guarantees the clothes for something like five years, so it's a decent investment.
"Please tell me they will cover any acts of damage to my sweet knit beret."
So far I have this top, this tank, and a few headbands. This place is worse than potato chips. You can't get just one. Luckily these are multi-purpose tops - I can wear them running, to yoga, and perhaps out and about.
"Like my new Vinyasa scarf?"
Tonight I FINALLY got out of my running slump. I am on week 7 of C25K (running 25 minutes) and for the past week I kept getting stuck at 2.74 miles. No matter what I did, that GPS and my butt would not go past 2.74. Tonight I made it 2.82. I know it doesn't sound like much but I nearly cried tears of pure pride when I saw that I snapped my streak.
"Hurts....so....good!"
The only thing I did differently was stop for two 1-minute breaks to stretch my legs. I recently read that you are not supposed to stretch before your run, as your muscles are tight and stretching risks injury. You're supposed to do a bit of a warmup, then stop to stretch, then run, and do most of the stretching after your workout. So that's what I did. I guess it worked.
"When your legs are this long, you have to stretch twice as much."
I also took the stretch breaks right before I came to some steep hills. It was nice to catch my breath and prepare myself for the uphill climb.
"Ain't about how fast you get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side. It's the climb, bitches. -A"
My goal for the month of August was to run over 31 miles. I am definitely going to hit that goal, so I ordered a new CRB to reward myself (to be opened once said goal is officially hit). My next goal is to run a full 5K without stopping and without including the warmup/cool-down distances (as I have been doing). Reward for that is this long-sleeved tee.
"Does this come in a wicking material?"
I won't be rewarding myself with such lavish (for my budget) gifts all of the time. I'm just trying to invest in quality clothes that I know I will use practically year-round and that will motivate me to get my butt off of the couch and achieve the goals that I've set for myself. I've lived with myself for quite some time now...I know how I operate. I come up with excuses far too easily. Until running becomes second nature and I can make myself feel guilty for skipping a run, a little Lulu present to me from me isn't going to hurt a thing.
"Poor thing is all tuckered out from her super-long run!"
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