Happy Weekend!

How exciting that’s it’s already the weekend again!

Thursday I worked from home and managed to get in 4 miles around lunchtime. It was hot and humid but I survived.

I overdid it on the patterns. but somehow I think I made it work =)

I overdid it on the patterns. but somehow I think I made it work =)

RANDOM: The other night there was a thunderstorm just before sunset that left this beautiful rainbow.

Sunset Rainbow!

Sunset Rainbow!

Yesterday I ran another 3 miles. It was still hot but less humid. I’m feeling so slow with my running but happy nonetheless. I love runs that are only 35-45 minutes. Just enough to sweat out the small stuff but not too much that I have no time for other things.

friday-time

warm weather running means visor time!

warm weather running means visor time!

Duncan hates the heat and humidity. He prefers to chill out inside where the air conditioning is…

how many days until Fall?

how many days until Fall?

You go for a walk. I'll stay here. mmmkay?

You go for a walk. I’ll stay here. mmmkay?

This pillow isn't fluffy enough.

This pillow isn’t fluffy enough.

And to help keep him cool (and spot ticks easier) he got a haircut yesterday. So handsome!

I smell delicious!

I smell delicious!

Today I’m headed to a first birthday party. Tomorrow I have the day all to myself with nothing on the agenda which is such a rare thing these days. I’m giddy! I can’t wait to sleep in and take the day as it comes.

Warm weather running requires a few adjustments to make it through without melting. These are the things that I do to cope:

1. Protect the peepers: I always wear sunglasses to keep the sun (and little bugs like gnats and mosquitos) out of my eyes.
2. Wear a visor or light hat: I sweat a TON and the visor or hat help keep the sweat from getting in my eyes. It also helps keep the sun out of my face which is super important because I’m petrified of the damage the sun does to my face.
3. Wear sunscreen: This is a no-brainer. I wear SPF 60 on my face 365 days a year but once the warmer weather is here and my arms and neck are exposed i slather on the stuff.
4. Wear light, loose, sweat wicking running gear: While I am not a fan of wearing shorts I’ve discovered that compression shorts (alone or with a running skirt over top) plus my new Lululemon shorts make a huge difference at keeping me cooler than my capri or leggings. Just think about how the backs of your knees sweat. Isn’t it nice to let them be free? =)
5. Hydrate! I bought these nifty ice cube trays that make long sticks that fit into a water bottle and carry my amphipod with cold water. I also tend to run routes where I know there will be water fountains. And in the city I’ll take cash with me to stop into a deli to buy water if I need.
6. Slow down: I run a whole lot slower on a hot humid day and take frequent walk breaks when I need as well. If I need to do a speed or tempo workout I’ll hit the treadmill at the gym.

What are your warm weather running tips? Or do you live in Antarctica? 

Do you know that expression?

If we all tossed our troubles in a bowl we’d probably take our own troubles back. My troubles are nothing compared to so many others (both friends and strangers).

I went for a run this morning and that’s what popped into my head.

rainy run

rainy run

I woke up this morning and just felt crappy…AGAIN. I’ve been feeling crappy for a few days now. There’s the rotator cuff tendonitis that’s just been so painful lately even causing me to wake in the middle of the night. And then my entire right quad/groin/knee area that’s sore and bruised from the latest treatment I had from Doctor Wonderful Williams this past Tuesday. Add on Spring seasonal allergies that have been giving me dizzy spells, headaches and nausea (TMI: thanks to the nasal drip!) And yes, I’m sure this post is sponsored partially by P.M.S. too (more TMI). My lower back has been hurting which is often that telltale sign. I don’t really get bitchy at least.

I’ve been trying to get extra rest and just cuddle with the doodle hoping this will all pass since i have a busy weekend including a half marathon on Sunday. Luckily I’ve been working from home the last couple of days since our office is in the process of moving and we won’t be settled in the new space for a few more days.

bye bye cubicle....

bye bye cubicle…gonna miss this actually. Our new space is “open concept”. No more partitions…

But I’ve been curious to see how the knee is doing and even though I felt so crappy and it was raining I got myself together and headed out for 4 miles on my lunch break. Good news is the knee is doing SO MUCH BETTER! I felt the usual twinges in the first 1/2 mile but then it felt so good I actually forgot about it for a bit. And no pain at all upon stopping. Woo Hoo! Dr. W. said on Tuesday he felt I only needed another 1 or 2 more sessions. So while all my other maladies made me grumpy and cranky this morning I’m so grateful that the knee is progressing and rather quickly in the grand scheme of things. I’m hoping once I give my shoulder the proper attention it’ll get better as well.

I know you all don’t come here to read about my illnesses and injuries but more for the cute dog pics…so here….Duncan in every angle imaginable.

staring down my peanut butter toast

staring down my peanut butter toast

and stretching his hip flexors

and stretching his hip flexors

Working on tight quads

Working on tight quads

Get off Facebook please

Get off Facebook please

I’m excited to head into Sunday’s race feeling a little more confident in my knee. While I won’t have a repeat of last year’s PR at the Philly Love Run, it’ll give me a good idea of how I’m doing and what my plan will be for the following weekend. The NJ Marathon offers an on-course training run on April 5th. There’s a 10 miler and a 20 miler. While I’m pretty sure I’m going to drop back to the 1/2 and only need to run the 10 miler, I am still contemplating starting out with the 20 miler group and trying for at least 15-17 miles. I know, I know. probably not the smartest. I’ll see. One day at a time.

 

So what are your weekend plans?

Are you excited that April is almost here?

Do you ever prank people on April Fool’s Day?

My weekend has been a roller coaster of ups and downs and I only have my love of running to thank for getting me through it. OK well maybe some emails with Mr. SOTSS (a.k.a. Mr. Calm and Smart and Practical and Helpful….I love him!). Oh and of course good times with old friends and a whole lotta sangria helped me too. #keepinitreal

So let’s backtrack. Friday morning I trekked into the city for my 6th visit with Dr. Williams. We worked on my upper quad/groin area and he helped separate a muscle that was “sticky”. I already have appointment #7 set up. So much for “we can fix you in 3-4 visits”. My friend Lisa who also went to Dr. Williams said he said the same thing to her. LOL! But she was fixed eventually. And I will be too! I met the boy for a quick lunch before heading back home. Mind you it was the first official day of Spring and we got hit with about 4 inches of snow!

Very pretty but I had already packed up my shovel and ice scraper for the season.

Very pretty but I had already packed up my shovel and ice scraper for the season.

Hello Spring!

Hello Spring!

I laid low for the rest of the night knowing I had a 5 am wake up call so I could get myself out to Queens to work at the Queens 13.1 race Saturday morning.

I think he wanted me to turn off the lights

I think he wanted me to turn off the lights

Just relaxing

Just relaxing

Saturday morning i sprung up and went outside to warm up the car and clean the snow off of it. I didn’t have a chance to eat breakfast but did bring a travel mug of coffee for the hour long ride to Queens. I arrived to a winter wonderland around the World’s Fair Grounds and reported to duty.

My favorite bridge

My favorite bridge

View of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Queens Expressway

View of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Queens Expressway

More »

Hi there. It’s Friday the 13th. Are you superstitious? I’m not. And frankly yesterday everything was weird and messy so I’m hoping to be in the clear today.

I’m headed to Dr. Williams in a few minutes for my 4th ART and Graston. I’m excited to tell him I made it to 4 miles yesterday.

4 mile run

4 miles

The only issue happened about 1/4 mile before I stopped running my knee gave out and I felt the limp come on but within a minute it worked itself out and I was ok so I ran the rest of the way. Bottom line is that the knee is improving but I still have more work to be done before I am “healed”. At least I didn’t feel so sluggish and sore like I did on Wednesday’s run. I actually felt sick all day Wednesday and came home and got under the covers so I’m wondering if I might have just been fighting something.

fighting something

fighting something

And before I got under the covers I checked my mailbox and low and behold I got 2 running catalogs….SHOCKER! =)

Running catalogs

Running catalogs

Thank god I feel better now. My 4 miles was still slow but I didn’t feel slow. Funny how the same pace can feel so hard one day and so easy the next.

Oh and I’m headed to the NYC Half Marathon Expo this afternoon after my Chiropractor appointment. I’m going to tell Dr. Williams my plan although now I think I’ve adjusted it again. I’m going to walk 9 miles and run the last 4.

So that brings me to my post title. I was listinening to my music yesterday while running and this one lyric stuck in my head:

Giving up is not an option.

Sometimes it’s easy to want to give up. It seems easier to deal with it if you just give up. Right? Imagine if I gave up on life after my husband died? I would’t have discovered running. I wouldn’t have Duncan. I wouldn’t have had the most amazing life experiences that paralleled my journey through my grief. I wouldn’t have met Mr. SOTSS. The list goes on and on.

So back to running…so many things might get you down…an injury, not attaining a race PR, not seeing progress. But the key is not to give up. Just make accommodations for where you are right now. If you’re injured (like me) be proud of the minor signs of healing like making it 4 miles instead of 3. If you didn’t reach that PR maybe you should choose another race and train to have fun rather than shoot for a time goal. If you’re not seeing progress shift your focus to something else like focusing on your running form or trying out new gear. But don’t ever just say “that’s it I’m done”. And don’t let discouragement knock you down. (Yes, I sort of wrote this for my own ears here!) Accept and accommodate the roadblocks and figure out a way to navigate through in a way that will keep you fulfilled and with a smile on your face. On that note I’m thinking I might have to evaluate my normal fueling needs for a half. I’ll be out on the course for 3 hours which is at least 45 minutes longer than I normally would be so I might need a little more fuel.

Speaking of fuel…Duncan was a little overzealous this morning with his breakfast. Um, that’s the container I store an entire bag of food in…

breakfast of champions

breakfast of champions

He’s really been cute in the mornings lately too.

pillows are the best invention

pillows are the best invention

Ok before I go all doodle picture crazy I better sign off.

 

So what words do you find powerful or inspirational?

Do you ever find yourself wanting to give up on something hard? How do you handle it?