And She Runs...

Finally...after a month of pissing and moaning about not running, I did a "real" run this morning with the track club. (Real in that it was outdoors, on the road, not indoors on the 'mill). It was a nice morning for a run, foggy, a bit muggy, but relatively cool.

When I got there, I saw Irene, who gave me a big hug and welcomed me back. Then a few minutes later, Alberta showed up telling me how she'd made it from Pacific Beach to Balboa Park in about 15 minutes.

The club route was 8 miles this morning and included a couple miles on some of the trails and paths in Balboa Park. I had pretty much decided that I would either walk the trails or just figure out a way to skip them.

Here's the track club route...

I typically wouldn't publish a track club maps, but I figure since this is also the same route as next week's Balboa 8 miler, it'd be OK. See all those dashed lines? Those are trails.

My route was somewhat different...

(This is a screen shot of my route from Garmin Connect...Oh I love Garmin Connect now...it is so pretty! If you are truly interested in my run, you can check out all the stats here)

Yeah, I took about five steps onto the 2nd trail. It was a pretty steep downhill path. My foot twisted a little bit and I IMMEDIATELY felt it. So I turned around and decided to stay on paved roads and asphalt.

Highlights from the run

• I managed 5.5 miles and averaged about a 12 minute mile pace (which includes a really slow mile when I was on the first trail and walked a bit...and also includes me looking for an unlocked restroom).
• Note to self...public restrooms in Balboa Park are not unlocked until 8am. We started at 6:30am.
• I might have run faster had I not had locate an unlocked restroom.
• Minimal tenderness in the foot while running...mostly toward the end of the run.
• Only noticed the knee when I was running downhill. (Not a good thing really since the first 5 miles of the AFC included some pretty steep descents, but manageable today).
• At 5.5 miles, I stopped running, but I felt like I could have run more.
• So happy that I haven't lost too much in the way of cardio-fitness. I guess all that biking and the little bit of swimming I did paid off!
• Chatting with Alberta about her wolf-man arms. Apparently several weeks in a cast stimulates hair growth, so she now has one hairy arm. (Nair babee, Nair!).
• Edith overslept and missed the run.
• Seeing what must have been some Comic-con goers on their way to/from the festivities, in costume.
• Wondering why that dude was hanging around outside the woman's restroom? Creeped me out!
• I might have run slower if not for that dude.
• I was runnnnnninnnngggg

About that bike ride...

Several of you wondered why I didn't do the trek around Tahoe with Betty and Mik. It's not a particularly interesting story, but I just couldn't swing the trip to Tahoe this summer, with teaching summer school, kids, their vacations, and oh yeah, I left Walter (who is a saint) with the kids for a week already this summer.

Yes, I am bummed that I wasn't there. I hate it when I'm not at the party, no matter what the party is, or where.

Yes, I will go with them next time.

So.... I've got 21 days until AFC...

Hope you're all having a fabulous Saturday!

Foto Friday - The Tour

No...not the one in France pffffft... I'm talkin' 'bout the one that took place yesterday at Lake Tahoe. the one in which fellow heffers, Mik and Betty, rode around the lake. 72 miles. 6 hours 11 minutes riding time. 7 hours 45 minutes total...

Awesome!

Mik and Betty at the end of the ride by the Fanny Bridge. The sign says Tour de Tahoe 2009*. Arrivee!! Look Momma even laminated the sign!**

But of course...post ride Guinness...also provided by Momma who met them with beers at the end. It was the first thing Mik told me about when I talked to her after the ride... priorities, of course, priorities!)

I'm so proud of them both...and can't wait for their return to SoCal so that I can hear all the stories as the various text message updates I received throughout the morning, although entertaining, don't do the ride justice. Of that, I'm sure.

Thanks to Marlene at Mission to a(nother) marathon, for hosting NikeMom's Foto Friday. What a great name for a blog!

Ride on girls! I love ya!

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*Yes, I know there is also an organized event called the Tour de Tahoe in September. We were lookin' at doing that one...we'll see what Betty and Mik say about that now that they've ridden the lake.

**Thanks to Momma for taking and sending the pix.

Heat Training & What'shisname?

This summer hasn't really turned out like I thought it would. In June, I had visions of me running, biking, surfing, nearly every day. You know lots of fun, active, outdoor stuff.

Then I got hurt.

So now, three mornings a week, I go to physical therapy, which I'll admit, is a workout of sorts and while I do like it there, but it's not really what I envisioned I'd be doing with my summer mornings.

((sigh))

That being said, the PT is working on the PF. I can actually walk barefoot or in flipflops without limping or screeching in pain. (Now I ask ya...if I can't wear flipflops in the summer, WTF am I supposed to wear for shoes? I had NO FLIPPIN' IDEA that PF would cause me such footwear issues...GAH!)

And yesterday, I RAN*...yep 35 minutes on the 'mill...I decided to run on the 'mill instead of with the track club because it was hot, and muggy, and the track club was doing a pretty difficult trail/hill run and I just wanted to do an easy run...and the 'mill is in my air-conditioned home, so I thought it would be cooler.

Until the AC went off, and neither DramaGirl or Turbo noticed because they were really heavily involved in some super-important Wii Lego Starwars Video Game, and when I got off the 'mill, I thought, "darn, it's a little warm in the house," and so I checked the thermostat and the house was about 85 effing degrees--indoors...

At least there would have been a breeze at Balboa Park with the track club!

So we'll call that run my heat training effort (which I need to to do for AFC anyway). So, other than the heat, and the fact that I was on the dreadmill, it was a wonderful run. Hardly noticed the PF at all.

Then I stopped running...

And my knee started doing this strange clicking sound, like with every step, and I'm thinkin' OH SHIT...WHAT NOW?!!?

(((super-sigh)))

So, the (sorta) good news is that at PT this morning, Brett, (My PT's name is Brett, not Bryan as I previously thought...how awful is it that I don't ever know people's names...I suck as a teacher, you should see me... I'm always calling students things like "sweetie" or "Jethro" because I just SUCK at learning people's names...it's not a good thing).

Anyway, the sorta good news is that Brett did NOT tell me to stop running. He did tell me to take it easy on the home strength training and that we'd limit that to three days a week (all those lunges and squats seem to be taking their toll on my knees...a part my body BTW that I've NEVER had trouble with before the EVIL PF) and that I should stretch my quads and hammies LOTS.

So, when I teach tonight, we'll take a 10 minute stretch break, and I really will be stretching!

I'll try running again tomorrow...after all, Jethro Brett said it was OK.
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*In other workout news this week. I rode 22.5 miles on Sunday...all by my lonesome and this morning, I swam with the pool/torture devise about 25 minutes of mind-numbing boringness before I stopped.

Desperate

Ahhhhh...home. I love being home.

Oakland was? Well, aside from meeting JoLynn (the highlight of the week, BY A LANDSLIDE), it was Oakland...which is really the armpit of the Bay Area (no offense, but it is... There are some FABULOUS places in the bay area...Marin, SF, Napa, Garin, but Oakland? Not-so-much).

Not sure what that thing is, but doesn't it look like the pool is giving me the finger? Likewise, I'm sure...

For example, the Inn* was near the Oakland Police Headquarters (BTW...a landmark NOT mentioned as a highlight on the Inn website). I would walk right by it on my way to the conference site (about a mile walk). Yesterday morning, apparently, there was a strange suitcase left outside it, so the bomb squad came and blew it (the suitcase, not the Police Headquarters) up.

Some of the conference attendees discovered this as they were walking to the conference and let's just say that my new friends from Mississippi and Michigan were quite surprised by this.

Me? Not so much...

I was, however, somewhat surprised by the shop that was offering a special on "Gold Teeth." $25.00 off!** Yes, you too can get a nice new gold grill at a discount...I think it's a sure sign that the economy is suffering in the East Bay...discounts on Gold Teeth, not something you see everyday.

You know...I was bummed that I didn't take a photo of the place...but it's been reviewed on YELP, so I guess I didn't need to...

I did run about 2.5 miles on Thursday night...sorta around the block and then I discovered a path that ran alongside the bay. It was a pretty nice (if not somewhat deserted) path. Doesn't anyone in Oakland run/walk/ride? Odd...in San Diego, a path like that would be PACKED at 6pm. I tried to abide by my PT's edict to run 1 mile/walk .5/run .5, but I didn't have my Garmin with me, and let's just say that I preferred running through Oakland, so I probably did something more like run 1.5/walk .2/run .8.

Flew home yesterday afternoon. So. Happy. To. Be. Home.

This morning I had some, slight intention of joining the SDTC run, and I thought I'd do some running/walking with the group (or at least run for a little bit, then help man some aid stations), but I was SO EFFING TIRED, I slept in.

Feeling lazy, I decided to swim. Last week I bought a swim belt...the kind that you attach to something, then you can swim without turning laps...more boring than a treadmill I have to say.

Mine's got a blue belt...so it's prettier...but that doesn't make it any less BORRRRRING!

I managed a 25 minute swim before I quit...more from absolute boredom than anything else. That and I'm annoyed that I'm only getting sound from one side of my H20 Audio Headphones (GAH!).

Then, I stretched, did my squats, lunges, crab-crawl w/band across the house a few times... Since my foot was feeling pretty good, I decided to take a short run on the 'mill before my next PT appointment on Monday. I ran 2 miles, walked two minutes, then ran about . half mile. Then, because I'm being a a very good girl, I stopped.

So, that's my day...not much else going on...loads of laundry to do. Walter took the kids camping this weekend (don't cry for me, I'm not much of a camper. I don't even do shabby "Inn" rooms very well, can you imagine me with all those bugs, and dirt, and all...GAH!), so I'm desperately seeking entertainment for the evening, but I think most of the herd is out of town or otherwise engaged, so it may be just me and another load of papers I need to grade before Monday.

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!

Oh...and I got rid of the comment-luv, comment thingy I was trying out...It was way more trouble than it was worth...
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* Oh yes...I'm linking to this place. If any of you ever HAVE to go to Oakland, do yourself a favor and don't stay there. My FB page is full of comments about whoever was staying in the room above me and WTF they were doing up there...GAH!

** I am completely bummed that I didn't stop to take a picture, but again, I didn't stop for much when I was walking...

Oakland

I really don't like business trips, and THIS is a business trip, which means that I get to spend the whole day, from 9am until 4pm in a meeting room. In this case, I am in lovely downtown Oakland, CA, and while I've been in worse places in the world...I've also been in better.

Equally sad, there is nobody at this conference who seems to be willing to giggle like a 12 year old at unintended double entendres like I do...For example, when the presenter, in talking about the sole male conference attendee in the room, mentioned that he likes to be "stimulated," I completely had to stifle a giggle... I looked around to make eye contact with ANYONE else in the room who has a freekin' sense of humor..don't think anyone else even noticed...GAH!

I'm staying at a relatively dumpy little motel near Jack London Square (you know Jack, the one who wrote Call of the Wild, which you read in probably the 8th grade, and which is about a dog that becomes a wolf, or something like that...or the short story "To Build a Fire" which is about some guy who is in the Yukon and who freezes to death because he can't build a fire... The "Inn" looked OK on the website, but hell, I often look OK in the pictures I post on this blog, so I should know how selective website photos can be.

So...here are some highlights from the week thus far. Don't expect to read much having to do with running or working out, because there isn't much to report.

Oakland - Day 1 - Monday

• Had to get up waaaaaaay too early to catch a plane to get up here. I usually only wake up at 4:30 am if I'm running a race...
• Who knew that Monday at 6 am is one of the freekin' busiest times at the airport...I almost didn't make it through the security checkpoint in time as the line was a freekin' mile long!
• As one of the last people to board the flight, I had to sit next to two men who both insisted on using BOTH arm rests...which left me with nada. Assholes.
• Conference is one long-ass boring day.
• A colleague (I'll call her M) and I decided to walk back to hotel from conference site at the end of the day. Now a taxi had dropped me off at the Inn before the conference, then drove me over to the conference site, so I didn't really know how to get back, but she had a map that said it should have been about a mile.
• So....you know how I'm a little bit of a control freak (thus, I'm always driving, and making all these race plans) For once, I didn't plan, I followed M who had a map. In fact, I followed her the wrong FREEKIN' WAY, FOR 2 FREEKIN' MILES, THROUGH FREEKIN' OAKLAND...GAH! (Yes, this is why I always drive...this one time, I follow, and look at what happens).
• I finally notice that the street numbers are going up, and they should be going down as the Oakland hills are getting nearer...and I know that we should be getting closer to the FREEKIN' BAY!.
• A nice stranger stops to ask us if we're lost (because of course we are now looking at a map, which is a sure-fire way to announce to the world that "we are not local, please rob us." When we tell him where Jack London Square is, he tells us that we should take the bus back to Jack London Square.
• So, we get on a city bus.
• The bus driver tells us that bus drops off at Jack London Square, which is at the end of the street we are on!
• I notice that city bus makes left turn, and I inform M that we need to get off the bus because we don't want to go to Alameda.
• M and I get off the bus, walk to Inn, and decide we need wine.
• Send emails and text messages to JoLynn and RBR. JoLynn and I made plans to meet up on Wednesday (today!). Unfortunately, RBR is out of town...one more time we are ships that pass in the night.
• JoLynn informed me via text that I shouldn't be walking through Oakland.
• M and I drank too much wine. I drunk text-message friends about walking through Oakland.
• Stumble back to Inn and sleep.
• Light in bathroom won't turn off, so I close door.
• No workouts to report...but I did walk almost 2.5 miles through Oakland while carrying a laptop bag. Does that count?

Oakland - Day 2 - Tuesday

• Dumpy motel vending machines were out of bottled water...and I don't drink tap water, so I downed a diet Coke before 9am...don't think I've done THAT since my single days.
• Attended conference with slight hangover.
• Which made it another long-ass conference day.
• Walked back to dumpy motel room after conference. M and I went the correct way this time.
• Changed into workout clothes.
• Never went to workout. Went bed early after playing on FB for most of the night (too tired to write blog though).

Oakland - Day 3 - Wednesday

• Woke up feeling much better.
• Needed to iron pants. Ironing board is missing one leg, so I leaned it against the dresser.
• Did PT strength training and stretching exercises in corner of postage-stamp size room.

This is where I'm doing squats and lunges

• Another long-ass conference day, which ends 15 minutes later than it's supposed to.
• Best part of week so far...I got to have a fabulous dinner with JoLynn! Who is as wonderful and fabulous in person as she is on her blog.
• Did JoLynn ever mention that she enjoys dessert?

Me and JoLynn

• I'm currently stuffed due to fabulous dinner and dessert.
• I will wake up early to workout in postage stamp size fitness room.
• That is, if I ever get to sleep tonight. Someone upstairs seems to be running laps from one end of their room to the other.
• I haven't run since Saturday. Both knee and PF are being kinda tweeky...I think it's all the walking while carrying my computer bag on my shoulder.

OK...If you've read this far, you deserve a medal because this is the most boring post I've ever done.

It's Not Always About Me

It's been one of those weeks, and as you might guess...I've been in a funk about this no-running thing...

I do have to report that Mik and Betty rode almost 70 miles this morning. They took the train from downtown San Diego to San Juan Capistrano and rode back...it's really freekin' far! I'm so proud of them both. I got texts from them along the way. They are gonna rock Tahoe next month! I'm going out with Betty later tonight, so I'm sure I'll get some good stories...the best one I've heard thus far is that they stopped along the way and had a Guinness...

I guess that's sorta like carb loading.

So...the remainder of my week went sorta like this...

I went to a really nice wine and cheese event at my brother-in-law's house for a local organization called Sports for Exceptional Athletes (S4EA). It's an organization that organizes sporting events for the mentally and physically disabled, kinda like Special Olympics...and to be honest, most of the people who run the organization used to organize locally for Special Olympics, but for various reasons which I won't go into here, S4EA run their own events now. If you really want to know more about why, you can go here for the whole story.

At the event, I got to meet Monique Henderson, who is the S4EA's goodwill ambassador, and who has won two gold olympic gold medals, and she had her gold medals with her, AND I got to actually hold one (which is the closest I'll ever come to one of those babies). She was really nice and let me take her picture...and of course all I had was my iPhone camera, so the picture looks like this...

I swear...it's Monique and her gold medal...GAH!!!!

Anyway, it was a nice event....actually it was pre-event event (since my bro-in-law is on the board of directors for the organization, I got to go...especially since it was at his house). The actual fundraising event, called "A Taste for Sports" is in a couple of weeks. If you're local and would like to go, you can still get tickets here...it's a good cause. Also, Monique will be there...and from what I hear, so will Steve Scott. At last year's event, Coach Paul (from SDTC) was there. 

Friday morning, I went back to PT again and the PT told me that (are you ready for this)...I CAN START RUNNING AGAIN. (cue celebratory music...)

He said I could run 2 miles, rather I should run one mile, then walk a 1/2 mile, then run the last 1/2 mile. He told me that if my foot started to hurt, I should stop running and just walk.

He also told me to wait until Wednesday.

So of course, I ran today. I'm doing my post-run frozen-water-bottle-ice-massage as I type.

And...I went three miles...Actually, I walked a 1/2 mile (uphill 6-8% incline on the mill), stretched, did my strength exercises...lots of lunges and squats), got back on the mill, walked a 1/2 mile, ran a mile, walked a 1/2 mile, ran a 1/2 mile.

So...I didn't run any more than he said I should...I just walked more. That's OK, right?

OK...it was probably more than I was supposed to do...but I won't lie.

It felt GREAT!

I almost cried when I was running because a) it didn't hurt and b) I was running!

So, now I'm gonna wait until Wednesday, and I'll try it again. 

I'll be in fabulous Oakland all week at a conference. I'm dearly hoping that there'll be wireless Internet access in the meeting room, but I'm not holding my breath. I do know that there will be wireless access in the hotel room, so I'll be catching up with everyone then...and of course, there's always Twitter.

Hope everyone's having a wonderful weekend, and woot woot woot to everyone who is racing. I know Teacherwoman is doing her first outdoor tri...you go girl!

Another Random Bullet Point Post

I think at least 36 hours went by at the beginning of this week without a single update from me on either this blog, or FB, or twitter...I must be busy, so busy that I started this entry yesterday morning (Tuesday) and now it's Wednesday...so I'll just add on a bullet or two before I get to work on planning for my class tonight. ((sigh))

So...here's the week in bullet points...

• Had a nice 4th. Went to at a couple of barbecues - ate my body weight in crappy, not good for me, fatty, yummy foods. (I'll just say that the artichoke-jallepeno dip from Costco should be illegal!)
• Text messages to Clarence, Betty, and Mik began at about 7pm...morning ride needed to compensate for aforementioned overindulgence STAT!
• Rode about 18 miles on Sunday at 6:30 am! (Did I mention this was on July 5...and did I mention the overindulgence included wine?)
• I'm gonna call Sunday's 18 miler the three cities tour - La Mesa, El Cajon, San Diego with one trip around Lake BP - 17.9 miles - 1:28 - Ave 12 mph

It's a new game...find the boy part!

• Mik is getting a new rack.
• Had to teach Monday night so I didn't get to meet Elsie's new RB, but I did get text messages while I was teaching from Betty which said that the RB seems to be a nice guy and that she (Betty) was on her best behavior.
• Went to the PT Monday and Wednesday mornings. This PT is a freekin' WORK-OUT. The kind where I must ask for a towel or I drip and spray sweat all over the place.
• PT said to hold off on the running for awhile longer...I cannot begin to articulate the depth of my disappointment. I need to continue working on strengthening my hip and loosening my calf muscles so that my foot moves how it should when I'm running. Apparently, the completely inflexible calf muscle doesn't allow my foot to flex properly, which is what is creating the PF issue.
• Did the 18 mile Three Cities tour again yesterday with Clarence and Betty. At about mile 7.5, the Garmin stopped tracking mileage. It just stopped. I was at Lake BP when I finally noticed that the Garmin was asking me if I'd gone inside (Answer = no), so I suspect it somehow lost the satelite link. Has this ever happened to anyone else? I could understand if I were in a secluded area, but this was pretty much out in the open, in the middle of town, no trees...and on Sunday I did the same route with no problem.
• I haven't run in 18 days (not that I'm counting). The AFC 1/2 is 39 days away (again...not that I'm counting!). I'm getting worried. AFC has that nasty HILL on 6th Avenue which I have done absolutely no training for (I mean, how could I without running and all?).

Yeah...you're gonna see lots of this again...those three downhill miles from 2 to 5, lots of flat around the airport and downtown, then that nasty uphill at Mile 11.5...brutal.

• I will say, I am going to have kick-ass glutes and quads when this PT stuff is done. I've done more squats and lunges in the last few weeks than I've done in maybe my whole life! I'm hoping that extra strength will come in handy in running both up 6th Avenue...I hope.
• I know this not-running-thing is the right thing to do, but the not-running-thing is sooooooooooo hard. I wanna run, just a mile, even on the 'mill, just to make sure I remember how.

Not much else to report - no running, more biking, no new bike yet. Got lots of blog reading to catch up on, but that'll probably have to wait until tomorrow...gotta prep for class now!

And since today is Wordless Wednesday, and I have way too many words, I'll leave you with this...

What a good uncle...

Foto Friday - My Bush

Some confessions...

• Alice is not my real name (AkaAlice - get it?)
• Alice is a pseudonym that was given to me by my husband, Walter (also not his real name). He started calling me this when we were driving through Texas and Mississippi the summer before we got married, and shall we say that I was NOT a happy camper in all that heat and humidity. Thus, "Alice" (like Ralph Kramden, "to the moon Alice") was born.
• I'm not sure how I came up with Walter. It just seemed to go with Alice.
• Alice is also my heffer name. We all have pseudonyms...This all happened before I started blogging.
• My real name is Cindi (many of you already know this because I befriended you on Facebook and had to explain who I was).
• When you gotta pee, you gotta pee...

So now there's this...

Betty made this sign to identify the "bush" that I had to use as a potty stop a few weeks back before a long bike ride (probably the last flat tire incident ride). It's located next to the freeway and is also a great place to park, so Mik started calling it Cindi's bush...

As in..

• We'll meet at Cindi's bush
• We'll start the ride from Cindi's bush

Nice...

So now it has a sign. If you're in San Diego, you can find it on Santa Fe street, behind the In-and-Out Burger (and for those who are not from SoCal or the West, yes that is the real name of the burger place and it has NOTHING to do with the bush).

Oh yeah...Clarence and I rode 25 miles this morning, including up Torrey Pines! Betty and Mik rode a bit farther 45 miles - up to Carlsbad and back!! We came back and had mimosas, so all is good with the world.

I promise to stop whining about my injuries...and thanks to everyone who has been so kind and supportive and completely wonderful in their comments. Running bloggers are the best (or blogging runners I suppose!)

Happy 4th everyone!
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Some unattributed footnotes (for Glavin)

* There's a great giveaway today on Tall Mom on the Run's Blog. Check it out!!!!

** I'm also linking back to NikeMom's Foto Friday, which is being hosted this week by Michelle at Running Down a Dream (great blog name BTW)!

*** This is probably the last time you'll see me reference my real name on this blog, unless of course something else gets named after me.

Extremities

Just a quick post (yeah...we'll see about that) just to update on some things that I've been twittering (tweeting?) and posting about on Facebook.

One...The Bike

I found a fabulous bike that I want. WANT. WAAAAAAANT. And heck. It only costs $1200 (on sale).

Isn't she purdy? It's a Trek 2.1 Triple WSD. Does anyone have an opinion? You can also check it out here.

So, I've been doing a fair amount of riding this week on my old-trusty-transformed-used-to-be-a-mountain-bike-that-now-has-road-bike-tires bike and my HANDS are freekin' killing me! WTF is that about?

Hands? Feet? Next it'll be my hair follicles and then all my extremities will be injuried. GAH! Seriously bike folks, what is up with the hands?

Two - The PT Appointment

I finally got in to see a physical therapist yesterday at Rehab United (RU). I was supposed to see someone on Tuesday, but I made the appointment when I was at the beach with Betty last week, and somehow I entered the wrong time on my iPhone, so I missed the appointment. GAH!!!!!

The good news is that I rescheduled the appointment (after apologizing profusely, even though I still don't know how I could have entered the wrong time...3pm instead of 9am...which is crazy. I would have had a whole different thought process about how to manage a 9am appointment than a 3pm one...and I was completely thinking about afternoon the whole time...but whatever) for the next day (after extreme whining about not wanting to wait until next Tuesday!).

Anyway, for the 3pm/9am appointment, I was going to work with a newer PT. Yesterday's appointment I got to work with one of their senior PTs and he was completely awesome! (There. I got to that point).

He had to do a quick screening (a little frustrating since I'd already done a screening appointment, but whatever), watching me walk, do squats, balance on one foot, then the other... He came up with pretty much the same diagnosis as the screening PT, that my PF issues (and my IT issues back in January) stem from the fact that my left side is really weak.

We did one exercise where, lying on my side, I did a leg lift, tried to push up as Brian (the PT), pushed down. On my right side, no problem. On my left side...I could barely even hold up my leg, let alone against Brian's pushing down.

I was pretty surprised by how weak my left side is, but it certainly explains all the problems I've been having.

So, I'm going to start seeing Brian three mornings a week for the next few weeks to see if we can strengthen the left side AND to get rid of the PF. (Yeah!)

The best part about going to this place (which both Irene and Edith completely recommended to me...so thank you Irene and Edith), is that Brian completely got it...the whole thing about running and me. He was talking to an intern that it was great to work with people like me who were highly motivated to get better (yes, I'm rolling my foot over the frozen ice bottle as I write this). He didn't laugh or even bat an eye when I said my goal was to run the AFC 1/2 marathon in 6 weeks. He just said, "OK then, that's the goal. You can do it!"

He did say that I probably should stay away from running for a bit longer (since it still hurts to walk since the surfing incident, I wasn't surprised and was ready for this), but then he acknowledged that I have to do something to keep getting the endorphin high that I'm used to getting from running.

Now, this is the part where I almost cried, because he understood.

We talked about how not running has been like coming off a drug and that I need to find something to get that high...we talked about biking and swimming (which I've been doing) and maybe water jogging (which sounds dreadfully boring, but I could do it).

But we also talked about how probably, for me, those things wouldn't give me quite the same emotional, physical, and social satisfaction that running has giving me.

And, he's right. And that's when I could feel myself choking back the tears, because I physically and emotionally miss running.

Not to mention socially...I miss running with my friends.

He explained to the intern that running probably changed my life.

It did. In more ways than I can even articulate.

I haven't run for 12 days now (yes, I'm counting). I've been cranky and sullen. I'm eating waaaaaaaaaaay too many comfort foods (for me...that would be chocolate and anything that's bread). It's probably a good thing I was sick last week or lord knows how much wine I would be consuming.

I fret about going back to being a non-runner, about being non-active...pretty much like I was before four years ago when I was fat and lazy and really out of shape.

Evidence - Ignore the fabulous overalls...it was a popular look then...really!

Yeah...that's me... DramaGirl and her uncle are in the water in front of me. Walter and Turbo are in the background. I'm sure he's thinkin' "who's that fat chick?" (Just kidding...he'd NEVER say or think that. Actually when we were looking at these photos, he blamed the photographer for making me look so bad, and trust me I look this bad in ALL of them)

This was taken about 9 years ago, Turbo was about 18 months old. We were at a rock-slide park near Sedona, Arizona on a family vacation. Everyone was having a really good time sliding down these really slippery moss covered rocks into this larger pond, but not me. I wouldn't have dared. Not only because I would have NEVER been seen in public in a bathing suit, I was completely afraid of anything that required physical effort, mostly because I was weak. I'm struck by how, in this photo, I'm not even paying attention to the people around me. I was completely focused on how freekin' difficult it was to walk around, and in truth how miserable I was because everyone else was having fun in the water and I was on the sidelines, watching.

I remember this vacation quite well...one of the things I remember (besides being absolutely fabulous in the denim overalls) was how many active things I wouldn't do. Just doing this hike was a complete effort. I'm sure I got back to the hotel and ate a mountain of food, justified because I'd just gone on a hike...

This is my fear. That I won't be able to run...and I'll become THAT person again.

There's still this little voice inside me that says that all of these injuries are a sign that I really should be THAT person. I mean, who am I kidding with all this running, active lifestyle stuff anyway.

I'm pretty sure I'm not THAT person any longer. But it is part of the reason I almost cried yesterday when Brian was, oh so accurately, telling the new intern how important running had become to me...and I thought, "oh, if he only knew...if he only knew."

Yeah...even with the quirky foot, this is ME!

_____________________________

OK...Gotta go now, but stay tuned on Twitter. I'm taking Turbo and friends bowling this morning. I'm sure it'll be a fun-filled morning for me!

Wordless Wednesday - DramaGirl Surfs Edition

17 Years

First things first...I promised that there'd be a drawing on Saturday for a fabulous set of Exercise Anywhere cards...and since there were several of you who said you didn't want to be included in the drawing, I thought that I'd use a random sequence generator and the first number that came up that also belonged to someone who said he/she wanted the cards, would get them...

So...here's the sequence list

And the first number is 10.

And the 10th comment was from Lisa Slow & Steady from Chasin' Bunnies...so CONGRATS Lisa, you win the cards! Send me an email with your mailing address and I'll send 'em out to you.

So...onto other stuff.

This weekend was pretty busy (which is why I didn't get to the drawing until Sunday night). Saturday was my and Walter's 17th wedding anniversary.

First, a few words about my Walter, who puts up with me and my kind of crazy. He has been my rock and support system for almost 20 years now, including the 17 that we've been married. Whenever I get some nutty idea about what I want to do next, he's supportive and almost never looks at me like I'm insane (he might be thinking it, but he has enough sense to wait and roll his eyes when I'm NOT looking).

Seriously, with no conversation, or no plan, or  forewarning, one day about 8 years ago, I came home from work one day and announced that I'd applied to a doctoral program..."Guess what honey, I'm going back to school! You don't mind taking care of lots of extra stuff where childcare and running the household is concerned while I earn this degree, do you?"

My decision to start running wasn't made so suddenly. It was more of a gradual lifestyle change, but similarly, one day I came home and announced that I was going to start training to run a marathon. "Hey honey, you don't mind if I take off for a few hours every Saturday morning to run for a few hours do you?"

Now I'm thinking triathlon. He never bats an eye, or complains (really...not much) about when I take off to do my long runs, or rides, or weekend trips to races with the herd.

In fact, he loves my friends. They entertain him as much as they do me.

I'm just plain lucky to have married such a patient, loving guy*. Since I've been biatching and moaning for the last couple of weeks about my various aches and pains, I thought I'd stop for a moment and remark on the remarkable guy I married 17 years ago, and the blessed life I get to live with the person who is, in fact, my very best friend.

So, on Saturday, Walter and I "did the town" and by that I mean that we went to several places to eat and drink.

First, we went to the Hotel Del Coronado, and had some Mojitos on an outdoor deck and listened to a Jimmy Buffett cover band. I was one of the only people on the deck yelling "Salt! Salt! Salt!" (all of the Parrotheads know what I'm talking about, the rest of you are probably going "huh?")

Then we went for a walk on the beach

Next we went to have Sushi (which again, is just a gift to me because Walter doesn't really like Sushi all that much, so he endures it for my sake because I LOVE it!)

He does look pretty thrilled about the sushi, doesn't he?

They also had a Happy Hour special on Sake...which we had to have (buy one, get one for $1.00? how can you go wrong?...geez, I'm a cheap date.

Then, we went to a place called Extraordinary Desserts...(seriously, if you want a cheap thrill...follow the link...I'll wait).

Yeah...extraordinary. We had some kind of fresh fruit tart with peach custard in a meringue bowl. YUM!

Finally, we went to Hospitality Point (where I've spent a considerable amount of time in the early morning because this is where the track club tends to meet for the Rock and Roll Training) to watch the sun set.

Awesome...

17 years...Wow. Just. Wow!

Then we went home...and that's all I'll say about that...

Except for Happy Anniversary Sweetie. I love you!
_________________________
* To illustrate the saintliness of Walter...On Sunday morning, I got up at the butt-crack of dawn to go for a bike ride... Yep, that's love. But I'll write more about that later.

Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before...

Isn't everyone getting just a little bit tired of me bitching and moaning about being hurt and not running?

Stay tuned...cuz there's more comin' your way...

After doing just a kick-ass job of doing SQUAT this week, no running, no biking, no anything (yes, this was due to having a cold, but still), I went and hurt myself again today doing, of all things...

Surfing.

Yes, you read right.

Surfing.

And no, I don't surf. An no...there are no pictures of Betty or I surfing.

I took Turbo and a nephew to the beach this morning and met up with Betty. The high school where Betty works (and where I used to teach) started an after school surf club this year, and through some grant money, put together a week long surf camp. Very cool. Take some kids from east county San Diego (which may as well be Nebraska for all some east county kids actually see the ocean, even though it's only 10 miles away...geez), and teach 'em how to surf.

So of course I had to try.

In all honesty, I've pretended to surf before (it's much more difficult than it looks), but the last time was probably about four or five years ago...well before I started running. I felt pretty confident that I was stronger and would do better than my last outing...

And for the most part, that would be true, but on the third wave I tried to catch, I was too far forward on the board, didn't get to my knees fast enough, and went over the front end...which again, isn't such a bad thing. That happens all the time when you're in the surf. Unfortunately, this time we were in some pretty shallow water, so when my left foot hit the ocean floor.

TWANG

I felt the tendon in the bottom of my foot just pop (like three times).

As the surf receded, I tried to put weight on my left foot and almost fell over.

I think I scared Betty to death. She took one look at me and said, "We are soooo done now."

She may have been wondering how she was going to carry me back to my beach chair, but I managed to walk back up, even though I was swearing like a sailor, and almost in tears the whole way.

So...the foot? It hurts like a mother. When I got home, I stuck it in a bucket of ice water for about 20 minutes. Swam 30 minutes in the home pool (which is a lot of effing laps by the way in a 40 ft pool), iced it again. Now it's taped and I think I'll ice it before I go to bed, but it hurts to stand on it.

Damn, I'm tired of being hurt.

With that...I'll leave you with some lovely beach photos...other than maiming my sorry foot, it really was a fun day.

Betty knitting at the beach...

Turbo, on the surf board. We saw loads of dolphins today.

Turbo and my nephew, who decided that boogie boarding was waaaaaaaay easier than surfing and switched

Scary beach-dude, who was playing horseshoes and had a totem pole with him.

One Way to Rest - Do Product Reviews and Giveaways Instead...

Well...all of the running books, magazines, websites, doctors, physical therapists have been suggesting insisting that the best way to fix the plantar fasciitis issue in my left foot is to REST.

But have I listened to any of THAT?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I've continued to run, bike, swim, exercise (am LOVING the Wii Personal Trainer BTW), and the heel has not healed. Not really. Not one bit.

Saturday's run with the track club was a testament to that. I ran 5 miles. At 4 miles I had to stop and walk my heel hurt so bad (thanks to Irene for hangin' in there with me and my super-slow pace for the first 4 miles).

So, what's finally gotten me to not run, bike, swim, lift, or do any other effing thing for the last two days?

A nasty cold.

Or at least I hope it's a cold, and not the swine flu (although, unlike Diana, I don't work in a place that'll hose me down at the first sign of illness). Symptoms include: stuffy nose, tired, congestion, no fever...all in all, good signs that's it's not the flu, but I still feel like crap.

And, since I have no running, biking, tire changing, bike-store-dude conversation stories to share with ya'all today, I thought I'd do my FIRST PRODUCT REVIEW!

Yes, the Hefferblog does it's first product review! I like to try out free stuff as much as the next blogger does!

Here goes...about three months ago, nuruplanet.com contacted me and asked me if I'd review their Exercise Anywhere cards.

"Why the heck not?" I thought.

They arrived in the mail about mid April or so (yes, I've had them that long...I've been REAAAAAALLLLLYYYYY BUSY!) and they've pretty much been sitting in the mail pile since then.

Knowing that I had little else to write about, and that I hadn't even had the courtesy of writing anything over the weekend, I located them this morning and took a look. Basically, Exercise Anywhere is a deck of cards; each card describes a single strength exercise. The cards are organized into sections. Each section targets a major muscle group including: the chest, back, lower body, shoulders, arms, abs. There is also a section of cards that describes exercises called the "cardio lab."

The cards are advertised as a way to get a full body workout when you cant (or don't want to) go to a gym. Here's a sample (from their website)...I suspect they won't mind since I've linked it again here.

I'll be honest, I took one look at these cards and at first thought, can't I get the same thing from Self magazine every month? And in color...with a real (skinny...OK...that's depressing) model? But I'm open minded, and gave them a closer look...So here's my opinion...

Good things about the cards:

• They are compact. I could keep them in my pocket, and anyone who has ridden or run with me knows that I have some storage issues, and I tend to carry way too much stuff with me.
• The directions for each exercise are well written and simple to follow. If I didn't know how to do a plank (or if I'd been doing it wrong) the card explains it pretty darn well...

Get in pushup position, but rest your weight on your forearms. Keep your face looking toward the floor (my comment: this is a good point as I've seen plenty of people doing planks on Tuesday nights looking up and around and not at the grass...maybe they're looking strength, or for inspiration, or to see if someone else (Stoney for example) has given up on his plank, but in all cases, looking up and around while doing a plank is bad form...so is sticking your butt in the air, but that's another rant...anyway the card continues) Stay firm: no drooping or bending. Hold for 15 seconds. Work your way up to 30, 60, and 120 seconds.

• The cards seem comprehensive and seem to target all the muscle groups as advertised.
• The cards give a sample weekly routine to follow (I would need this. I tend to do all major body groups all at once, on one day, then get sore, and stop...which is probably why I've never gotten into strength training.)
• There are modifications for typical weight training exercises that you can do if you don't have hand weights...that is, you can use "cans" instead of "weights" for the arm exercises.
  
• It has a glossary. For the uninitiated, it tells what a "set" is or what a "superset" is. In all honesty, I know at one point of my life, I didn't know these things.
• It includes random bits of information about the muscle groups that made me giggle...for example did you know that "the word "triceps" comes from the Latin tri (three) = capit (head) which literally means "three-headed" (for the three muscles that compose it)." So you can get your anatomy lesson in as well as some exercise. Or you can giggle whenever you see the word "head" like I do.
  

Some criticisms

• The type is really small. When I exercise I wear contact lenses and to see these, I'd need to put on some reading glasses to read the small print. So these are best for people who don't need reading glasses.
• Basically, each card has the same layout and the same color scheme, and even though each muscle group has a tab, the tabs aren't really offset all that much AND they're all the same color, so the tabs are not particularly useful in quickly finding exercises. (If that were a goal). I think it'd be easier to find the "chest" exercises if they were color-coded in a different color than the "arm" exercises.

This would be sooooo much better if the tabs, or even the card headings were color coded

• The black and white drawings, which illustrate each exercise, while straightforward, are a bit boring...On the other hand, maybe that's a good thing. I always wonder whether or not those models in Self magazine actually DO the exercises they're modeling, or if they're just standing lying there faking it....

As luck would have it, my Self magazine arrived yesterday (why do I even get this magazine...I think I got three free issues from Active.com when I signed up for a race one time and never cancelled...GAH!). Anyway, here's one of this month's tear out exercise cards

A similar exercise featured on the Exercise Anywhere card...why does this card not make me feel like someone should at least be buyin' me dinner?

So, the final review? Exercise Anywhere cards...they aren't sexy, but they're functional, and for $9.95 with free shipping, relatively affordable. They're probably best for the beginner who wants to start a strength program exercise, but doesn't really know where to start, or for those who've been at it awhile and who need a tangible reminder of what to do next.

And, also for someone who doesn't need glasses :-).

The Giveaway!

Just leave me comment that says you'd like to be included in a drawing for a free set of Exercise Anywhere cards before this Saturday, June 27. If you don't have a blog you should also email me at hefferblog [at] gmail [dot] com, to let me know you'd like to be in the drawing, so that I know how to get a hold of you. This is a really important thing to do if you don't have a blog. If you do have a blog, I can track you down.

OK...that was exhausting. I need a nap now. (evidence of how sick I am? I started this blog at about 9:00 this morning and it's almost 3:00 now...a full days work for me).

Really? It's Friday? Are you sure?

Some weeks I wonder how it got to be Friday and WTF did this week even GO????

This was one of those weeks. Next week looks to be about the same.

Some highlights...

• Started teaching summer school this week...Monday and Wednesday nights are now booked for the next 7 weeks.
• Turbo's final little league game was Tuesday night. They lost, which while being a little sad, just meant that I wouldn't be missing the final game of the season, which if they'd won, they'd have played on Wednesday night (see first bullet point).
• DramaGirl started Junior Lifeguard Camp on Wednesday morning, which means I'm driving to the beach every morning at 7:00 am.
• Turbo "promoted" from elementary school Thursday morning. I am now the mother of two middle school students. Lord help me.
• Bought a new camera to replace the one that inexplicably died during the last Flat Tire Incident.
• Took bike to bike store. Bike dude tells me that the flat tires are probably due to under-inflation and not the bike.
• After looking at the tire-valve hole, bike-store dude also tells me "your hole is pretty big." To which I respond "yeah, that was part of the problem on Sunday, but my friends and I learned that if you hold the shaft at the base and pump carefully, it helps."
• Bike store dude just looks at me and says, "uh, yeah."
• Went to the Alex Smith Foundation Fundraiser Thursday night (nice event). Watched Wilma win a ski vacation in Utah and am soooooooo jealous.
• Have two "Thank God The School Year is Over" parties to attend this afternoon-evening. One with parents of Turbo's friends, the second with The Herd. I imagine I'll laugh more at the second one (yes, I'm going to try to get to both).

Workout highlights for the week (yes, I did get some workouts in):

• Monday - Started new Wii Active Personal Trainer - Quite the workout! Swam 30 minutes (This was at the pool in my backyard, which isn't a lap pool, so I try to log time rather than laps...)
• Tuesday - Wii Personal Trainer - 35 minutes
• Wednesday - Ran 4 miles
• Thursday - Swam 45 minutes
• Friday - Bike - 12 miles (50 minutes...fast for me!)

OK...that's it, just thought I'd let ya'all know that I'm not lost to the universe or anything...just amazingly busy for a summer month in which I thought I'd have PLENTY of time on my hands...my life just doesn't seem to work out that way. I do have photos to accompany many of these bullet points, but they'll just have to wait. I gotta go get ready for PARTIES!!!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and good luck to all the racers....and especially to RBR who is doing the Ironman Coeur d'Alene this weekend. You go girl!

It Takes Two People to Hold the Shaft...

Things I learned while changing yet ANOTHER EFFING TIRE today.

1. You can successfully remove a tire tube, and replace it, and have it almost fully blown up, and still fail at changing a tire.
2. This can happen twice.
3. It takes two people to change a tire. One person to hold the shaft (at the base works best) and one person to carefully pump, making sure that the head doesn't fall off.
4. Two people can fail at doing this...TWICE.
5. Patches can work, but only for so long.
6. If you're going to have to wait for a friend to pick you up, you may as well be here...

So...the day started off quite well. Clarence, Mik, and I met at Betty's at 6:45, loaded bikes and gear and headed toward Pacific Beach. Our goal was to start at the Rose Creek Canyon trail, ride up into UCSD, then head toward Torrey Pines State Beach, onto Del Mar, Solana Beach and back. We'd hoped to get in about 30 miles and some hill work since Betty and Mik are going to bike around Tahoe this summer.*

Betty and Mik got there first - Clarence and I wondered why Betty was dressed as a homeless person.

We stopped to stretch when we got to UCSD - about 5 miles into the ride and after going up one hill.

The roads on the UCSD campus, especially on the back side are a mess. They're pretty torn up, patched, and filled with divots. After the tire-changing episode two weekends ago, I've been pretty careful riding my bike on bad roads, but 2ithin two miles of our stretch stop, I hit a divot in the street pretty hard, and just like the last time I could feel the back tire, and then I could hear the air...hsssssssssssss.

Clarence was behind me (again...thanks so much). So we stopped, swore, and got to changing the tire.

This time, I had all the tools and two (not one...but TWO...spare tubes).

Back tire, off. Yellow tube-removing tool-thingies - check

The dude at the bike store suggested that I store the tubes in a plastic bag in talc, so I've got baby powder effing EVERYWHERE now.

We had some troubles pumping the tire at first, but that's probably because I don't really understand how these newfangled tire-valve thingy's work. But we start pumping...

Then the valve breaks..

It's a really blurry picture...but there's a broken valve here...

Clarence and I swear a few more times, then decided to use the SECOND TUBE and to be careful this time.

So I remove the broken-valve tube (in record time, I might add)...and by this time, Betty and Mik return to the scene to help with the pumping...because they're really good at that...and by now my hand was tired.

Mik helps out by holding the base of the shaft and Betty pumps...

Sometimes it helps to change position...

Mik said this position was really uncomfortable

So as we almost have the second tire pumped up...what happens?

If you are a non-biker, this means nothing to you, but bikers might recognize this as a bike valve without the little screw-on/off top thingy...which means that any air pumped in comes right the EFF out after the pump is removed...WTF?

So, undaunted by two broken valves, we opt to patch the blown out tube.

I use this (which I don't recommend BTW)

VERY CAREFULLY... We pumped the tire full of air. Managed to do this without breaking off a third valve, and SUCCESS!

Hooray for us.

At this point, we'd been riding about 7 and a half miles (that's all), so we decided to rid up onto Torrey Pines to see how the tire holds. And it seems to for about another 2 miles or so.

Then as we descend down toward the state beach, I start to really feel the road. About 3/4 of the way down the hill, I look down. Tire. is. totally. flat. GAH!

One flat tire

I love Clarence for many reasons. She is a great friend, but this morning, I loved her because she then tried to put enough air in my tire to get me the rest of the way down the hill to the state beach (which is where we were meeting Betty and Mik) and when that didn't work, she walked her bike down the hill with with me (about 1/4 mile), and reminded me to walk with my bike toward the road and to not get hit by one of the cars racing up PCH at about 65 mph.

Mik and Betty - Getting ready for the ride back UP Torrey Pines

Clarence...giving Betty and Mik plenty of encouragement

Finally...got to pee

Elsie to the rescue - she came to pick up Clarence and I - I guess it's a good thing she DIDN'T ride with us this morning.

So...Clarence and I got a lift from Elsie, and met Betty and Mik at the high dive for some breakfast (by then lunch)

Guinness and Pancakes... (That was for you Al)

Mik does a celebration drink from the champagne bottle...reward for riding back up North Torrey Pines.

Clarence and the bikes on the ride home - yes, I need a bike rack

So...lessons learned.

1. I need a bike rack
2. I now know how to change a tire
3. WTF is up with the tire valves that I was using? Am I an idiot and don't know how to pump up a tire? or was it faulty valves?
4. WTF is up with me and the flat tires? I'm thinking it's time to get a real road bike. Maybe the road tires on a mountain bike is just not such a good idea... some how the weight or the ratios of weight to tire load capacity is off.
5. Or maybe I just have really bad luck (I also broke my camera today...completely random...can't figure out how. We just looked at it and the lens was stuck and it's broken now).

GAH!

My stats for the weekend

Friday - Ride 12 miles

Saturday - Run 4.5 miles

Sunday - Ride 9.7 miles

*I'll write later about why I'm not going, but I'm expecting guest blogs about their adventures from both of them.