9.24.2007

I'm back!

There have been happening here that have made me stay away, the least of all was my lack of running due to over training.

We were at my Grandma's birthday last weekend and that's when I stopped running due to pain. The pain is pretty much gone and I'm back to my 4 miles, or my trying to run 4 miles.

Oh and there was Ash getting her scab removed. As soon as I get pictures I'll post the whole saga in all it's boring details.

Well today is my DOR. I will be getting out and walking the dogs, because they deserve it!

9.17.2007

On the DL

So I was off visiting family this weekend, it was my Grandmother's 80th birthday so we threw a bash. I was determined to stick to my running schedule, even if it was a bit modified as I missed my Friday run getting everything ready for our trip.

Well, either it was running on the dreadmill, after which my knees felt funny, or running in too small shoes, I'm trying to figure out if the fit is incorrect in my Mizunos, or I could be pushing myself to hard by increasing my distance too quickly.

Either way I think I'm experiencing ITBS, but I'm not completely sure. I may see if I can get an appointment with a medical professional that confirms my diagnosis. I don't want to do permanent damage to the tendon or my liver (with all the anti-inflammatory pills I've been popping).

I'm hoping to run 2 miles tomorrow, and I may need to dial back my plan to run that 10K in November.

Grr....

9.12.2007

Yas Versus the Dreadmill

I ran on a treadmill today. It wasn't the most pleasant time spent running but I ran my complete four miles. Of course, the moment I'd stop for a breather, I'd face plant into the treadmill belt. (Do you call it a conveyor belt if it isn't on a conveyor?) Kinda motivates you not to keep going and not look like a dumb ass.

So the score is Yas 1, Dreadmill 0.

Not that poor DM ever had a chance, but I did do some trash talking between the 3 and 4 mile marks. I owned that treadmill. I owned it so hard I pwned it. (if you don't understand pwned, rest assured you don't play enough video games)

The reasons it was unpleasant:

Poor treadmill picking. I didn't get one right in front of a TV so I was constantly craning my head to see/read the TV to my right.

Yas was unprepared. I left the house without a towel, for sweat wiping off the treadmill and without lil (Red). So I was completely dependant on the music at the gym, which I could barely hear, or trying to read the captions on the tvs set to CNN. Don't attempt to read the captions of what the anchor is saying and the news ticker on the bottom of a news channel at the same time. It'll give you a headache.

My knees felt odd after the run. I can't say they hurt afterwards, but they felt different than they usually do after a street run. I feel like my knees took all the impact of the run, not my thighs. In fact my thighs didn't seem to hurt at all.

Afterwards I attempted an Abs Pilates DVD. Hmm, that score was Yas 0, DVD 1. Didn't even get through it all. I am weak sauce.

9.07.2007

My First Weekday Morning Run!

I finally got up and went running first thing in the morning. Before you start applauding, I'll let you in on a secret, I didn't go into work today. I woke up an hour later than I usually do so it was easy to get out and run when the sun is already up. I did feel really great after the run.

I kept on pace with my 12 min/mile. Well 12:06, to be exact. Hopefully I'll be able increase my mileage so I can run that 10K in November. Just think of the pie I can have if I run a 10K on Thanksgiving morning!

Oh, and I ran with my new buddy, Lil' (Red). Here's a picture of her.


But don't worry, Go is getting out too. I still listen to books when I walk the dogs. Her mug is below.




Oh, and since I can here are pictures of my dogs:



And the cats:



Don't you love it when someone learns how to do something new and chooses to over use it!

9.05.2007

4 Miles and a Gel Taste Testing

I ran 4 miles today. That's the longest I've run to date. It felt really great to complete it, but it felt even better to be running at 5:30pm with a temp closer to 79 degrees than one that was 95.

I plan to keep running these 4 milers for about 2 weeks or so, then increase my mileage to 5, and repeat the process until I can run the 10K. If everything goes well, I'll be running the 10K Run for Hunger on Thanksgiving day, instead of the 5K. But if the body says no, I'll listen. I don't want injuries, especially with my injury prone right ankle.

Another good thing about the break in our heat wave, I walk the dogs again. It was took hot for my hairy friends, even shaved down, to walk their ~2 miles at 8pm. And then there is always the issue of them being snacks for the wild life. We have had coyote and mountain lion sightings, by neighbors not us personally. At about 10lbs my dogs are snack size treats!

On to the tasting. Yesterday I bought 7 gels of 5 different flavors from 2 different companies. I chose Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Outrage, TriBerry, Lemon Sublime from Gu. From Hammer Gels I chose Vanilla, Chocolate, and Cinnamon Apple.

They all tasted pretty good to me. Both vanilla flavors reminded me of frosting. The chocolate is chocolate, although they both were more of a pudding consistency than the rest. The TriBerry reminded me of a berry jam, in flavor and consistency.

My least favorite was the Lemon Sublime, mostly because it was the tartest of the bunch. If I had it on it's own or with a lemon-lime energy drink I may have liked it better.

My favorite was the Cinnamon Apple. It reminded me of fast food apple pie filling. I say reminded, not tasted like, as it's still an energy gel. I'm not sure that I'd use this one on a run though, it's a dessert!

I'll try these on runs soon. I'm running a little over 45 minutes, so it may be on the borderline of actually needing them, but since I have them opened and in my fridge, I'll go for it.

9.03.2007

Running in Skirts

I have a new product I love, running skirts/skorts. Skorts have shorts, skirts have panties, although both can be referred to as skirts.

I own 2 that I've run in, the Brooks running skort and the Running Skirts Athletic skirt. Both have two pockets and can eliminate the need for a waist pack, depending on how much stuff you carry with you.

I like the skirts because they give me all the benefits of shorts (meaning less clothes when it's freaking hot) without worrying about what the people behind me are seeing. I don't usually go crazy over something this fast, but I love it. I'll have to take a picture of me in one and post it.

Oh and I ran hills today. Really just 2 hills, they're reverse hills really. I run down, run flat for a bit, then run back up, repeat. It wasn't fun, but I was able to get up both of them. I'll try it again tomorrow!

9.02.2007

Game Day - Disneyland 5K

Here are three reasons why the Disneyland 5K wasn't the best race evah:
1. It's a run/walk that didn't separate runners from walkers at the start
2. It's a Family Fun Run so it wasn't chipped.
3. It's full of funnels

Honorable Mention:
1. It was hot (high 70's, low 80's hot) and humid at 7am.
2. I had to pay the full $11 for parking.

I'm not an uber fast runner, but I'm even slower when I have to dodge walkers. I'm not discriminating against walkers, I just know that when I've walked, races the runners line up first and the walkers second. However, the stroller police were out in force, pulling people with strollers out of line. I didn't see a single stroller on the run.

It wasn't chipped, 'nough said.

There were many places along the race route where we narrowed and widened. I hated when I was finally getting into a rhythm and it was ruined by a narrowing of the route.

Things that went right:
I ran in my Brooks skirt with compression shorts and it was wonderful. I think I might have died if I wore pants. I got to run through Cinderella's Castle. My uncle cooked me yummy pancakes afterwards. And I beat my last time, if only by ~40 sec. I did have to use my rescue inhaler, but I didn't let myself stop running.

I think I would do this event again, but walk it. Or try to get there much earlier. I arrived at 6:15, but didn't get into line until 6:30. In talking to people there who were doing the 1/2 marathon the next day, I was encouraged to train for it. Apparently you get to run the through Angel's Stadium. When will I ever be get the opportunity to run on a MLB field and not get arrested?