Less than three days till the Birkie, and I wake up this morning with a horrible sore throat and stuffy nose. Perfect.
I've been chugging Airborne, sucking on Cold-Eeze, hydrating, taking copious amounts of Vitamin C and praying that this cold kicks it. I filled my entire trash can at work today with used Kleenex.
I probably should get some sleep too, right?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Smiles and dream jobs
This video made me smile.
Then it made me wonder.
I mean, that's a lot of places to travel to and a lot of work for approximately five seconds of video per place. And where did he find the people to dance with him?
Luckily, this youtube sensation has a website that explains it all. Stride gum sponsors Matt Harding's trips around the world, where he contacts his e-mail list of fans in every corner to show up and dance with him.
Dream job much?
Friday, February 18, 2011
Weekly workouts update
Let's see how this week in workouts shaped up. First is the plan, followed in bold by what I actually did...
Monday: 1 mile run (test the knee) + 30-45 minutes strength. 30 minutes strength at home.
Tuesday: Ski 9 miles. Ran 3.5, walked .5, 30 minutes core and hip strength.
Wednesday: Body Pump. Rest.
Thursday: Bikram Yoga. 1 hour strength at home - lots of core and pushups.
Friday: Bikram Yoga. Finally made it to Body Pump!
Saturday: Strength. Planning on running 3 miles outside too.
Sunday: Ski 3 black loops. Plan to make good on this if there is snow on the trails.
This wasn't exactly the week of workouts I envisioned (because I am a bear in the morning) but it actually had its strong points - like lots of awesome core work and a RUN! Hadn't gone on one of those in weeks.
Tonight I'm also meeting Elizabeth to ski 9 miles after work. I'm nervous about the trail conditions, but we'll see what shapes up.
Monday: 1 mile run (test the knee) + 30-45 minutes strength. 30 minutes strength at home.
Tuesday: Ski 9 miles. Ran 3.5, walked .5, 30 minutes core and hip strength.
Wednesday: Body Pump. Rest.
Thursday: Bikram Yoga. 1 hour strength at home - lots of core and pushups.
Friday: Bikram Yoga. Finally made it to Body Pump!
Saturday: Strength. Planning on running 3 miles outside too.
Sunday: Ski 3 black loops. Plan to make good on this if there is snow on the trails.
This wasn't exactly the week of workouts I envisioned (because I am a bear in the morning) but it actually had its strong points - like lots of awesome core work and a RUN! Hadn't gone on one of those in weeks.
Tonight I'm also meeting Elizabeth to ski 9 miles after work. I'm nervous about the trail conditions, but we'll see what shapes up.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Changing it up
It's back. The pain. The right leg. My IT Band!
That 20-mile ski did me in. I rested on Saturday, then skied about 6 miles slow with Peter on Sunday (and had an emotional breakdown on the trail for no apparent reason) and my leg has been in discomfort the entire time.
I tried to foam roll it out, but it didn't seem to make a difference.
So now I curse myself for not doing all the strengthening exercises I learned in physical therapy all this time. And I hope hope hope and pray that my leg feels better by the end of this week, because we've got less than two weeks till B-Day (Birkie Day).
So here's the plan for working out this week:
Monday: 1 mile run (test the knee) + 30-45 minutes strength
Tuesday: Ski 9 miles
Wednesday: Body Pump
Thursday: Bikram Yoga
Friday: Bikram Yoga
Saturday: Strength
Sunday: Ski 3 black loops
Changing it up big time to aid recovery, hopefully. :-\
That 20-mile ski did me in. I rested on Saturday, then skied about 6 miles slow with Peter on Sunday (and had an emotional breakdown on the trail for no apparent reason) and my leg has been in discomfort the entire time.
I tried to foam roll it out, but it didn't seem to make a difference.
So now I curse myself for not doing all the strengthening exercises I learned in physical therapy all this time. And I hope hope hope and pray that my leg feels better by the end of this week, because we've got less than two weeks till B-Day (Birkie Day).
So here's the plan for working out this week:
Monday: 1 mile run (test the knee) + 30-45 minutes strength
Tuesday: Ski 9 miles
Wednesday: Body Pump
Thursday: Bikram Yoga
Friday: Bikram Yoga
Saturday: Strength
Sunday: Ski 3 black loops
Changing it up big time to aid recovery, hopefully. :-\
Saturday, February 12, 2011
20 miles on skis
20.13 miles. 4:15:55.
Longest ski ever! Second longest workout ever! (Longest was 16 seconds longer - Chicago Marathon '09.)
I was solo and (relatively) speedy for this 20-miler at Lapham Peak. Glee/Michael Buble/Across the Universe Pandora station kept me motivated to do two black loops including the Stairway to Heaven (which doubles back on 1/3 of the course, making it almost exactly 10 miles).
It was tiring. It was brutal at times. But when my body wanted to give up, my mind took over and pushed me through to finish strong.
Celebrated with a fish fry and two beers at Red Mill with P and friend Luke. :)
Longest ski ever! Second longest workout ever! (Longest was 16 seconds longer - Chicago Marathon '09.)
I was solo and (relatively) speedy for this 20-miler at Lapham Peak. Glee/Michael Buble/Across the Universe Pandora station kept me motivated to do two black loops including the Stairway to Heaven (which doubles back on 1/3 of the course, making it almost exactly 10 miles).
It was tiring. It was brutal at times. But when my body wanted to give up, my mind took over and pushed me through to finish strong.
Celebrated with a fish fry and two beers at Red Mill with P and friend Luke. :)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Cold snow = slow snow
I got 10 of my 15 intended miles in today at Minooka Park. I would have done 15, but I ran out of time! That has happened every time I've gone out for a long ski -- I've either been chasing daylight or having to be somewhere.
And every time I intend to go earlier in the day. This morning I was supposed be out there by 10, then by 11, then by 12... eventually I got to the park at 1 and started skiing at 1:15. Sheesh.
The single-digit weather didn't phase me until 1) I realized it was making the snow really slow on my waxless skis and 2) My fingers got really, really cold.
Despite the slow snow, I kept a decent pace (averaging somewhere in the mid-14s per mile). My form got quite sloppy by the end and I literally face-planted into the snow twice.
My body may or may not be yearning for rest. I'm on my sixth consecutive day of working out - 4 days of skiing, 1 day of Body Pump, then today's ski. That's unheard of for me. And yet I'm still planning on going to Body Pump tomorrow.
Stupid? Maybe. We'll see what happens.
Anyway, let's just hope it's 30 degrees and sunny on B-Day (Birkie Day).
And every time I intend to go earlier in the day. This morning I was supposed be out there by 10, then by 11, then by 12... eventually I got to the park at 1 and started skiing at 1:15. Sheesh.
The single-digit weather didn't phase me until 1) I realized it was making the snow really slow on my waxless skis and 2) My fingers got really, really cold.
Despite the slow snow, I kept a decent pace (averaging somewhere in the mid-14s per mile). My form got quite sloppy by the end and I literally face-planted into the snow twice.
My body may or may not be yearning for rest. I'm on my sixth consecutive day of working out - 4 days of skiing, 1 day of Body Pump, then today's ski. That's unheard of for me. And yet I'm still planning on going to Body Pump tomorrow.
Stupid? Maybe. We'll see what happens.
Anyway, let's just hope it's 30 degrees and sunny on B-Day (Birkie Day).
Birkie time
I'm back.
Back to blogging (although I have been all along here).
Back to running (although I have been doing a lot more skiing recently).
I guess that's it. ;)
What started as a tipsy admission ("I want to ski the Birkie someday!") ended up intriguing my friend Elizabeth, and somehow we decided to register for the ultimate ski ultramarathon. 54 kilometers. 33.55 miles. 17 days from today. YIKES.
Here has been my training plan thus far. I've followed it less than religiously, and we've had our share of challenges already, but I'm motivated to keep pressing on.
Race day should be magical, as long as we don't kill ourselves. It could take us quite a long time to finish, but I'm okay with that as long as we're having a blast (and there's a burger and a beer waiting for us at the end).
I'll fill you in as my training continues to progress.
Back to blogging (although I have been all along here).
Back to running (although I have been doing a lot more skiing recently).
I guess that's it. ;)
What started as a tipsy admission ("I want to ski the Birkie someday!") ended up intriguing my friend Elizabeth, and somehow we decided to register for the ultimate ski ultramarathon. 54 kilometers. 33.55 miles. 17 days from today. YIKES.
Here has been my training plan thus far. I've followed it less than religiously, and we've had our share of challenges already, but I'm motivated to keep pressing on.
Race day should be magical, as long as we don't kill ourselves. It could take us quite a long time to finish, but I'm okay with that as long as we're having a blast (and there's a burger and a beer waiting for us at the end).
I'll fill you in as my training continues to progress.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
It's been a long time...
...since I've run 2 miles.
Yes, me, the one who ran a marathon and then wanted to run a million marathons every day, ran 2 miles today, and was OVERJOYED that I could run that far.
It wasn't by choice that I stopped running. I even wrote about my injury here. Little did I know at that time that it would be six months, thousands of dollars and a whole lotta patience later that I would be able to run two consecutive miles without pain.
Over the course of these six months I've wavered between feeling insanely jealous of every person I see running on the side of the road and feeling insanely blessed to have a healthy body that can walk and lift and do every other exercise known to man (except run). I'm reminded how blessed I am every day when I see my coworkers (there are several of them) who have permanent limps. Walking to the cafeteria looks like a struggle for them (I have no idea if it actually is a struggle, but it looks like it is).
I can walk. I can jump, dance, kick, squat, twirl, skip, ski and swim. And I try not to let a day go by that I don't thank God for that.
I do miss my weekend double-digit runs though. I feel weird calling myself a runner these days. I want to register for a race. I want to run with all these new friends I've met on Daily Mile and Twitter. I finally have friends here to run with! But I can't run :(
Well, I couldn't run. Now I can. A little.
I just hope someday I will look back on this as a small blip in a long running career.
Yes, me, the one who ran a marathon and then wanted to run a million marathons every day, ran 2 miles today, and was OVERJOYED that I could run that far.
It wasn't by choice that I stopped running. I even wrote about my injury here. Little did I know at that time that it would be six months, thousands of dollars and a whole lotta patience later that I would be able to run two consecutive miles without pain.
Over the course of these six months I've wavered between feeling insanely jealous of every person I see running on the side of the road and feeling insanely blessed to have a healthy body that can walk and lift and do every other exercise known to man (except run). I'm reminded how blessed I am every day when I see my coworkers (there are several of them) who have permanent limps. Walking to the cafeteria looks like a struggle for them (I have no idea if it actually is a struggle, but it looks like it is).
I can walk. I can jump, dance, kick, squat, twirl, skip, ski and swim. And I try not to let a day go by that I don't thank God for that.
I do miss my weekend double-digit runs though. I feel weird calling myself a runner these days. I want to register for a race. I want to run with all these new friends I've met on Daily Mile and Twitter. I finally have friends here to run with! But I can't run :(
Well, I couldn't run. Now I can. A little.
I just hope someday I will look back on this as a small blip in a long running career.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Thank you, metabolism
I know there will come a time in my life, some years down the road hopefully, when I will not be able to eat a bazillion handfuls of chocolate chips (and white chocolate chips) a day and still wear a size 4 - 6. So for now, I will be thankful for the metabolism I currently possess and enjoy those handfuls of chocolate.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
The long distance bug
It seems like everyone runs marathons these days - or at least half marathons. The truth is that 13.1 miles is an attainable distance for almost any runner. You just have to love running, train properly and dedicate yourself to the distance.
I remember the first time the idea of running any more than 5 miles popped into my mind. I was on the ski lift at Wilmot one day in December 2005 with Bill and Laura. Bill told me he ran the St. Louis half marathon that past April and suggested I do it with him the coming year.
That's crazy, I told him. Humans aren't supposed to run that far, I said, echoing a line my dad always used to say in regards to marathons (I think he's changed his mind a bit since then).
No, Bill assured me, it's not that hard. He told me about the Hal Higdon training plan he used and said it was actually really easy to follow.
I was definitely intrigued. I tried to picture myself running 13 miles. It still seemed so, so far, but over the next few days as I thought more about it the distance became more attainable in my head.
Within a week I was hooked on the idea. I printed out Hal Higdon's novice plan and started training right when I got back to school. I even convinced one of my roommates to train with me.
Up until that point I was a casual runner. I ran cross country in high school. I wasn't particularly fast. I think my fastest mile was around 7 minutes, in a 3-mile race. That's nowhere near varsity level.
It took the idea of that half marathon to make me a real runner. I stuck to that plan, pounding out laps on the track at Stankowski Field, right behind the Zeta house. I got up to 7 miles - around a track, nonetheless, and then injury struck.
So the 2006 St. Louis half marathon wasn't my race. But I had been bitten by the long distance bug, and I knew someday I would do it.
And two years later, I did. Except it was the Madison Half Marathon. Then in 2009 it was the Sheboygan Full Moon Half Marathon. And the Chicago Marathon. And I've discovered all these people in my life who have been bitten by the same bug. Everyone, it seems, is a runner these days.
It's great. I wonder if everyone was a runner 4 years ago when Bill first mentioned the idea of a half marathon to me. Is this a club you only know about when you're in it? Maybe. And if so, I think that makes it even cooler.
I remember the first time the idea of running any more than 5 miles popped into my mind. I was on the ski lift at Wilmot one day in December 2005 with Bill and Laura. Bill told me he ran the St. Louis half marathon that past April and suggested I do it with him the coming year.
That's crazy, I told him. Humans aren't supposed to run that far, I said, echoing a line my dad always used to say in regards to marathons (I think he's changed his mind a bit since then).
No, Bill assured me, it's not that hard. He told me about the Hal Higdon training plan he used and said it was actually really easy to follow.
I was definitely intrigued. I tried to picture myself running 13 miles. It still seemed so, so far, but over the next few days as I thought more about it the distance became more attainable in my head.
Within a week I was hooked on the idea. I printed out Hal Higdon's novice plan and started training right when I got back to school. I even convinced one of my roommates to train with me.
Up until that point I was a casual runner. I ran cross country in high school. I wasn't particularly fast. I think my fastest mile was around 7 minutes, in a 3-mile race. That's nowhere near varsity level.
It took the idea of that half marathon to make me a real runner. I stuck to that plan, pounding out laps on the track at Stankowski Field, right behind the Zeta house. I got up to 7 miles - around a track, nonetheless, and then injury struck.
So the 2006 St. Louis half marathon wasn't my race. But I had been bitten by the long distance bug, and I knew someday I would do it.
And two years later, I did. Except it was the Madison Half Marathon. Then in 2009 it was the Sheboygan Full Moon Half Marathon. And the Chicago Marathon. And I've discovered all these people in my life who have been bitten by the same bug. Everyone, it seems, is a runner these days.
It's great. I wonder if everyone was a runner 4 years ago when Bill first mentioned the idea of a half marathon to me. Is this a club you only know about when you're in it? Maybe. And if so, I think that makes it even cooler.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)