Hi All,

It’s 8pm on Thursday evening here in my neck of the woods and i’m tired. I’m always tired at this time of night.

I set my alarm for 5:30am this morning with the big idea that I’d take care of the pup and then getting out the door for a run at 6:30am to beat the heat and give myself enough time to leisurely get ready for my busy day.

So 5:30am the alarm went off and I snoozed it for a solid hour! That’s all it allows, so then I just lay in bed procrastinating the inevitable. Next thing you know it was 7am. I took the dog for a walk and beat myself up for a bit while having my coffee and finally got out the door for my run at 8:30.

Good news is the Garmin resurrected itself and I ran a few seconds faster than snails pace. I’m getting my groove back!

6miles7-10

While running I realized that my “Hours of Operation” these days seems to be 8am to 8pm. I am just so groggy each morning and turn into a pumpkin somewhere between 8pm and 9pm. Is this what being 40 is all about? Or maybe it’s my diet that contains more carbs, sugar and caffeine than it should? Whatever it is I’m kinda bummed that I don’t have the stamina to stay up late like I used to. So I’ll try and keep my daily living wild and crazy between the hours of 8am and 8pm LOL! (well, with the exception of early rise for races and running group runs).

After my run, I showered and had a quick bite and then it was off to our local dog park. I used to take Duncan all the time but after he was attacked by another dog and left with a wound that required a big staple to close it I have frequented much less. But today was an exciting day. The National Geographic Channel had a film crew filming the dogs for a show. (not sure exactly but I think they said for a show called Crowd Control).

photo: Wolfe's Pond Dog Run's Facebook Group page

photo: Wolfe’s Pond Dog Run’s Facebook Group page

I entered the park and went all the way to the fence and plopped down on a bench with the doodle by my side. I was a nervous wreck.

That's me in the far right in the purple shirt. And I'm sure you recognize Duncan =)

photo: Wolfe’s Pond Dog Run’s Facebook Group page

That’s me in the far right in the purple shirt. And I’m sure you recognize Duncan =)

There were SO many dogs and all I could do was remember Duncan’s cries when he was attacked right at my feet. Yep, I think I’ll always have PTSD over that. We stayed out of the way of the main action and eventually Duncan went to the gate and gave me a look. So we left. As soon as we did he found a private area and pooped! How funny! My boy didn’t want to poop on camera. =)

Next up was physical therapy. I was put in a different room today. New posters to look at on the wall.

photo 2 and my favorite heat and electrotherapy combo…

photo 1Turns out I only get one more treatment before I’m on my own. The timing seems right as I really have come a long way. And with $50 copays each visit I’m sort of happy that I’m only going one more time =)

After physical therapy I took Duncan in the woods. This was actually more for me than him. I was off today but bombarded with work emails….each one worse than the next. Errors and unhappy clients and miscommunications and just a bunch of Debbie Downer crap. New rule: NEVER read work emails on days off because it just ruins me. I was so cranky and anxiety was creeping in. I just needed to go somewhere peaceful where the cell reception is spotty so no emails would interrupt me. HA!

photo 4 Duncan appreciated my need for tranquility. He LOVES the woods. He has such a great life. I’m a tad jealous (save for having to poop outdoors).

Then I saw this on the ground….photo 3

Is this a sign that I should be questioning life? liberty? the pursuit of happiness? Or maybe it wasn’t meant for me. I’m not the only one who’s pooped by 8pm…

like mother like furrkid

like mother like furrkid

Well, no fighting it…I’m off to bed…

Do you find yourself more fatigued than you used to be in the evenings? Are you a morning person or a night owl? what are your “hours of operation?” 

 

First I must share this video with you.

I have had some really isolated soreness in my upper calf (same leg that the ankle tendonitis is) Every time I go to physical therapy they massage the area but apparently running and biking cause the knot to return no sooner than it was unkinked. I found this video and have been doing this mayofascial release technique and it’s helping a lot. I spent more time viewing videos on this chick’s channel and found this video to be amazingly helpful as well for hip flexors, glutes and core stability.

OK, now on to this morning’s run. I had originally planned a 4 miler on the dreadmill at the gym during my lunch break but as I was packing my gym bag I kept thinking about how difficult it would be to slip out of work for more than an hour. (p.s. I never even took a lunch today because we were so busy and just ate at my desk so my intuition was on the money #winning). I’m slower these days so I would have needed close to 50 minutes for the workout, plus 5 minutes walking to and from the gym and another 15-20 minutes to shower and change.

Bottom line: I grabbed the bull by it’s ass and just decided to bang out my run outside by my house at 6:30am. I went to grab my Garmin and it was D.E.A.D.

dead Garmin

dead Garmin

Not sure why but since I was pressed for time I just grabbed my iPhone and started my RunKeeper app. 4 miles became 3 miles mainly because I am not feeling well.

78run

I’ve been super fatigued lately and I think I’m fighting something. Anyhoo, I kept a slow and steady pace and was happy to know my “good faith” run was done. The ankle was literally feeling 100 percent Friday and Saturday. Then I ran 8 miles Saturday and walked on the sand at the beach and by Sunday my ankle was feeling achy. I need to not freak out as this is just a sign I might have done a little too much too soon.

A different kind of sweat band

A different kind of sweat band

So while I was running I thought about all the rituals and superstitions we, as runners have. You see I opted to wear my Brooks Ghosts today.

Brooks Ghost

Brooks Ghost

The last time I wore them was on 4/27 when I ran the NJ Marathon and crossed the finish line with what eventually got diagnosed as ankle tendonitis. So in my mind, I’m working on forgiving those kicks. I’m pretty darn sure it was the 4 hours and 38 minutes of continual running that caused the injury and not the sneakers themselves. Especially because they never gave me any issues during training. And the dead Garmin….yeah, i made a plan B really quick but for a few minutes after stepping out the front door i just felt that OCD feeling of “my watch? where’s my watch? oh right it’s dead. I’m using RunKeeper. All is good. cCarry on now and run girl.

I have rituals with the way the wire of my ear buds have to be. I have rituals with my pre-run routine including coffee and potty (as i’m sure most of us do). I have superstitions with running gear….I have my favorite running capris only for marathon distances but I’ll wear just about any type of workout gear for shorter distance. I run the same routes for my midweek runs. Hmmm…maybe these aren’t rituals, maybe it’s just a case of Runner’s Rut. Or Runner’s Routine.

So what type of rituals and/or superstitions do you have when it comes to running (training and races)?

Howdy people,

Hope you’ve had a great weekend. I’ve had a 4-day weekend and it STILL flew by. Friday was July 4th and I was looking forward to just laying low but soon low turned to lonely…then I got a text from my friend Z that she was having a BBQ and Duncan and I should come by. Perfect timing.

Duncan had prepared all morning:

preparingforday

Good thing the doodle rested up because his pal Chance was waiting patiently for his arrival. These dogs are buddies that go way back…They met in 2010.

duncan-chance

They kept an eye on the grill. I kept an eye indulged on the canolis.

bbq cannoli

It rained for a bit so we stayed indoors but as soon as the rain passed we sprawled out on the deck.

bbq lounge

just chillin on auntie Z’s lap

chance-face

you gonna share that burger?

IMG_0004

no worries! i’ve got the grill under control!

IMG_0006

i can’t believe nobody dropped a single crumb!

Duncan and I headed home before sunset because he isn’t a fan of the fireworks. I’m grateful he isn’t a total disaster but the noise keeps him alert and unsure. His tail goes down and his ears go up and he can’t relax.  So we blasted the television and shut the lights and by 10:30pm he finally fell asleep.

Yesterday morning was perfection! The temps dropped after the rain and I woke up to 63 degrees and really low humidity. And it was nice a breezy too. It almost felt like October. I headed out to the beach with a smile on my face and set out for my first post-injury long run. After being silly for the camera phone I eventually cranked out 8 miles!

so happy I could fly

so happy I could fly

foot is strong and balance is coming back

foot is strong and balance is coming back

beachpath

there’s something so awesome about this view.

feet in the sand

loving my Asics Cumulus 16s!

gateway

8miles

still slow but i’m totally ok with that!

I managed to be a couch potato for most of the afternoon and then in the evening Duncan and I met a friend and his dog Chester for a walk on the beach. I have no pictures and trust me I’m saving you! Let’s just say dead fish and ticks were involved as were dog baths later on. EEEWWWW!

This morning I did some more couch potato channel surfing (ooh sorta sounds like cross training!) and then cleaned out my garage. Caught up on the ole telephone with a few friends and then I made a last minute decision to squeeze in a bike ride before heading to the grocery store.

the Norwegian Breakaway cruiseship settin' sail

the Norwegian Breakaway cruiseship settin’ sail under the Verrazano Bridge

Ride Sally Ride!

Ride Sally Ride!

sun shining thru the boardwalk

sun shining thru the boardwalk

why not take a selfie under the boardwalk

why not take a selfie under the boardwalk

under the boardwalk

notice the plastic tie straps holding the water bottle holder in place? That’s what we call “MacGuyvering”

sundaybikeI also took the doodle for a last quick walk in the woods to close out the weekend.

photo 4And appropriately we saw this:

Happy Birthday America

Happy Birthday America

So now it’s time to prepare for the week ahead. I leave you with this video of the doodle just chillin’ shot gun…

How was your weekend? 

 

 

 

Hi peeps,

Yesterday before leaving work I wiped away June on my dry-erase calendar started to set it up for July.

dry erase calendar

Clean slate!

And of course I filled in only the truly pertinent dates….

San Francisco Marathon

 “Out of Office” for San Francisco baby!

While out running this morning i started thinking about what I call the Runner’s Holy Trinity—1. Distance 2. Weather/conditions 3. Elevation/terrain and about how important it is to respect these 3 things when running.

Runner's Holy Trinity

Runner’s Holy Trinity

All too often we find ourselves saying things like “well it’s only 3 miles, so I don’t need water” or, on a hot humid day we beat ourselves up over running at a snail’s pace. Maybe we’re supposed to run 4 miles on a specific day but we’ve hit our runner’s high and end up running 8.

Today the dew point was 72 (81 degrees and 76% humidity). I knew this before heading out the door and thought of carrying a water bottle but then I said “Well it’s just 5 miles. I’ll be back in an hour.”

photo 1-1

I did not respect the weather. And I felt that decision for sure. My fingers swelled like sausages and I had to walk up some of the hills. I still enjoyed my run but I could have enjoyed it more with a sip or two of water at every mile.

photo 5-1

5 miles in 80 degree weather with 76 percent humidity took me from fresh…to super sweaty with sausage fingers

So let this be the reminder that we all need.

Respect the distance:

• Don’t run extra miles that could potentially cause unnecessary injury or fatigue
• Do keep a nice and easy conversational pace on those long runs
• Don’t minimize a run that is just a few miles. Treat every distance with the respect it deserves.

Respect the weather conditions:

• Don’t plan on keeping your speedy pace when the temperature is extremely hot or cold.
• Do prepare for weather conditions before you head out. sunscreen, visor, body glide, water and salt tabs are important for running in extreme heat. Gloves and hat are important for extreme cold.
• Don’t forget that wind can zap your energy. Don’t waste that precious energy trying to keep your pace through it.

Respect the elevation and terrain:

• Trail running? Be careful of slippery leaves and tree roots. Your ankles will thank you.
• Uneven terrain and elevation climbs (aka HILLS) require more energy. Try to keep your effort level even meaning you’ll need to slow it down.
• Pounding the pavement can be hard on the body. Think about where you’ll be doing long runs and maybe try to switch it up a bit where you can to grass or dirt.

Can you add to this list? Share your tips in the comments.

photo 4

shameless selfie