Being Smart

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!  I spent the day at my cousin Angel and Brent's house. Also in attendance were my Aunt and Uncle, my parents and a few "strays" (their word, not mine!)  They always invite a former neighbor.  This year there was also another strange man there.  I still don't know which family member he knew and I don't even remember his name.  Since it was a small crowd this year, it's always nice to have a few more people there.  There was the usual Thanksgiving grub.  I managed to only make one trip to the table.  I thought I did pretty well with the food except an hour later, I felt like I ate 4 lbs of food!  I didn't even eat the pie (I took it home because I can't pass up my Aunt's homemade pumpkin pie and homemade peach pie with peaches she picked herself)!  How does this always happen?

I did have a turkey trot run on Thanksgiving morning.  It was a hilly 4 miles.  I decided that I was going to take it easy.  I wasn't trying to break any records.  So I just jogged along.  I don't even remember my finishing time right now.  I'm sure it's just a click away on the computer but when you know you did crappy time-wise, you really just don't care!  My pace ended up about 10:50's.  Eh...

Friday, I went into work ALL day.  Technically we were closed but my boss was going on vacation the following day and we needed to get stuff finished for a deadline.

Saturday, my friend Brenda invited me over to her house for a late Thanksgiving.  When she asked me on Friday, I really didn't want to go for more turkey!  I was still stuffed from Thursday's meal!  But I couldn't refuse as I don't see her often and I'm godmother to her 8 month old daughter.  It's a good thing I went because her mother cancelled and her brother and his family cancelled!  So it ended up being just Brenda, her husband Anthony and myself!  Oh, and let's not forget the 20 pound turkey!  FOR 3 PEOPLE!

Sunday, I had a baptism to attend for one of my other cousins Tina.  Her baby Nicholas was born a month ago and I hadn't seen him yet.  One word: Adorable!

Also on Sunday, I went to my other cousin (whoa, lots of cousins!) Jessie's house.  We want to start eating healthy again (although she is pregnant and has some leeway here! lol) so we made a vegetable soup and a roasted red pepper hummus.  Two words:  SO GOOD!  The hummus is the best batch we have ever made!

Now for running.  On Saturday, I went for a run in the morning.  I've done 6 miles on Saturday recently so I thought I would keep with the 6 for my long runs for now.  Needless to say, when I started running, the same old issues arose.  The IT band around my knee area was bothering me immediately.  Also, my ankle has never felt better for the older issues I was having.  As I have been doing lately, I thought I would just run through the pain.  It usually goes away or I just run anyway.  I noticed after a mile that I was running slow (about 10:30 min miles).  I thought about shortening up my run, thinking of doing 4 or 5 miles (instead of 6).  Since my knee was continuing to bother me, I decided to just do 4 miles, 2 out and 2 back.  When I got 2 out, I decided to walk for a minute.  While walking, this is what went through my mind:

Why are you running?  Your knee and ankle aren't any better!  If you keep running for the next month, it won't get better and you will not be able to train for the spring marathon like you wanted!  You should just stop right now!  Don't be stupid and injure yourself more! 

So I decided to walk home.  After cutting some corners, it probably ended up being about a 1.5 mile walk.  Needless to say, I was pretty depressed on my walk.  After thinking about not running for a month and possibly seeing a doctor in the meantime, I started to cry.  (Unfortunately, this wasn't going to be the only time that day I cried!). 

Now, I feel like such a big baby when I cry over little things.  But I was frustrated and I have a tendency to cry when I'm frustrated.  And having to walk 1.5 miles home, I was left with my thoughts, which were pretty depressed at that moment!  During the walk, I did stop crying.  But 5 minutes later, I said to myself, "All I want to do is run!" And I started crying again!  Haha!  I can laugh now because it is pretty funny looking back on it. 

So the plan is to be smart.  I'm going to stop running temporarily and contact a doctor.  I asked my marathon pace leader for a recommendation and she mentioned a doctor not far from where I live that she went to before who is also a marathoner.  I might look into that.

By the way, the other time I cried that day?  Let's just say it involved me and my tire.  Again, nothing serious.  Just frustrated!

Today, I'm so sick!  My stomach is so upset.  I've barely eaten anything all day.  I would have stayed in bed but I have to finish up work for a deadline today.  I'll probably skip out a little early.  I'm also contemplating not coming in tomorrow.  I'll see how things go.  All I want to do right now is curl up in a little ball in my bed and not move!  Guess I have to cancel my personal training for tonight.

New Goal Changes

The title of my blog has really been bothering me.  When I started the blog, the title meant "getting to my weight goal" since I had been struggling with losing the same 10 lbs for a year!  It worked!  I made my goal!

So after that...my new goal was the marathon!  For about 10 months, the title of my blog was "Get to Goal - 2011 Chicago Marathon".  Well, that's over.  I finished.  By the way, look what I got in my email!

That's right!  It's really official now!

What I want to do is get some sort of frame and put my bib, medal, picture and possible this certificate (although that might just go in a scrap book of some kind).  But I'm not a crafty person so I hope to get on this soon!

Back to the title of my post.  I could continue to try to get back down to my weight goal, since I put on a few pounds.  I could count down to my next marathon, but I haven't made that official yet so I don't want to do that. 

I don't know what goal I'm trying to get to now! 

I know some people completely change their entire blog and restart completely over.  I don't want to do that either!  I guess I just have to get my mindset right. I need to figure out the next important step in my life!  Maybe "Get to Goal - finding the perfect husband!"  lol! 

I am also rethinking doing a Triathlon this coming year.  It's something I really want to do but the other thing I really want to do is two marathons. I think with the training for the marathons, I won't be properly trained for a triathlon.  But I'll continue to think about it.  If I don't do the triathlon in 2012, maybe 2013.

Switching gears.  My new trainer, Jordan, is not a runner.  In fact, on the last training day with Mike, she was observing and said "I don't like to run."  Yesterday, after mentioning my hilly 6 miles last weekend and my upcoming hilly 4 mile turkey trot, she said she wanted to do a 5k but has never done one and is a little nervous (she then said she did run a little but not since starting at this gym).  She said she didn't want to do a 5k alone.  I told her I would do one with her.  She seemed excited and actually wanted to know about the upcoming 5k I was thinking about doing on December 18th.  I told her I would give her the info.  My only issue is that I was thinking of trying to PR.  But if she signed up, I would be running with her.  So I might not be going for a PR then.  Although, she might actually be a fast runner and I could still PR!

I just thought it was ironic and kind of nice to be helping my trainer with something instead of the other way around!  We will see if she actually signs up for her very first 5k!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

**Don't forget to check out my friend Kelly's new running blog!  Click here!

Back!

Hi my fellow blogger friends?  Did you miss me?  No need to answer, I know you did!!

First, let me share a new running blog with you.  My friend Kelly started a new running blog!  Check it out here and show her some support!  You may remember Kelly from this post.  Hope she didn't mind me posting that!  Too late now!  I met Kelly at the start of my marathon training group.  We were both first time marathon runners.  She's definitely not new to running.  And it's been great getting to know and run with her.  I've said it before, running friends are awesome!

Now for vacation talk.  Have you ever been on a cruise?  This was my first time being on a cruise.  It's a strange feeling not having anywhere to go. You are stuck!  It was fun though.  It went out of Long Beach, CA and we sailed to Catalina and Ensenada.  We didn't have my time on Catalina.  My friend Wayne and I decided to spend it zip lining!  I've always wanted to do this and now was the opportunity!

Wayne and I

Me zip lining!!

We had a great time!  We were nervous at first.  Wayne was nervous because he was afraid of heights.  I was nervous because there is actually SO MUCH you have to know in order to go zip lining!  Things to do and not to do!  But I didn't mess up and we lived to write about it! And we got to bring our cameras which is how we got these wonderful pictures!

Ensenada could have been better.  There wasn't much to do.  We did a little sightseeing and more drinking (lol). 

I did manage to work out twice on the ship.  Yes, I'm one of those crazy workout freaks dedicated workout people that works out on vacation.  One day I ran 3 miles on the track at the top of the ship.  I hate running in circles but with the gorgeous day and the fantastic view, there was no way I was heading to the gym!

The running track (around a mini golf course)

The view I had while running!!

I mean seriously!  Could the view be any better?

On Thursday I did manage to go to the gym.  This is a picture of the view that you get on the treadmills.

Also not a bad view!

Here are a few more random vacation pictures.

The cruise ship

The entire group.  We went for a wedding of my friends cousin.

So, that's the vacation in a very small nutshell!  Eating, drinking...more eating...more drinking.  Do you see a theme?

With that said, I really need to get back to the healthier eating!  I've definitely gained some weight and I feel it!  I can't use the marathon excuse anymore!  So I've got to hit the bricks!  It's just so hard to get back into it when you have fallen so far off the deep end!  lol

I also ran a couple of runs since you saw me last.  The first was the hot chocolate 5k.  Due to an incident, the course was rerouted at the last minute.  The results came in and my time was 29:49. I was NOT too thrilled but chalked it up to a few factors:  it was very crowded and I hadn't run much since the marathon due to my ankle.  Later, I came to find out the course turned out to be 3.25 miles instead of 3.1.  So they estimated our 5k results and my estimated 5k time turned out to be 28:26.  Better but not a PR.

Then I ran a 5k in my neighborhood.  The Tinley Park 5k.  This was a run that I PR'd in last year (which is my current PR of 27:55).  I had my heart all set on earning a new PR!  Well, they changed the course, it was super windy, etc.  Needless to say, I did NOT PR.  I was extremely upset.  I gave that run all I had but only mustered a 28:19.  Sigh! 

So, my new goal is to PR at a 5k!  lol.  I'm going to sign up for a run in December although I'm unsure which one. 

Hope you all have been having a fantastic November.  I can't believe it's almost over and Thanksgiving is next week already!

On the Horizon

I hope you all had a nice Halloween yesterday!  Can you believe it's already November 1st!  Where did this year go?

First of all, I'm giving a shout out to my poor friends in the East who had SNOW!  Ahhhhh!!!!!   That word should never come in October!  Ever!  I'm just glad it didn't come here!  I'm not ready for it. 

Well, I'm going to be a busy girl!  All fun stuff, of course! I have scheduled 3 short runs this month and I'm going on vacation next week (much needed!!).

First, let me tell you on the happenings with my ankle.  I cut it off.  Yup.  That solved the problem.  No really, I went to a free screening with a physical therapist that I have access to through my run group.  After several exercises, she told me that I have incredibly flexible ankles and feet.  I do remember my podiatrist telling me once that I have really flexible toes (the best he's ever seen!  Whatever that means) and asked if I was a dancer.  Uh, can I get a "hell no!"  Definitely not a dancer!

So I have really flexible ankles.  She said it almost appears that I have absolutely no ligaments in my ankle with how far they bend, but of course, I do have ligaments.  Well, as much as you think flexibility is a good thing, apparently too much flexibility in your ankles in a bad thing.  You are more prone to injuries because your ankles are weaker.  And actually, the ankle that hurts was one that I injured at college dancing drunk on tables in a parking garage due to uneven pavement. 

But I've laid off of running for 2 weeks hoping to see an improvement.  I think it did help but I still feel the injury.  The therapist said as long as the pain stays low (level 3 or less out of 10), she said I should be fine to run.  I did a short 2 mile treadmill run after my personal training yesterday. 

I'm almost a little afraid to run though.  I was really nervous the first mile of my run yesterday.  I think I just need to get back on that horse.  After all, I signed up for a 5k this weekend.

After much peer pressure from a friend and my old trainer, I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 5k in Chicago this Saturday.  I mean, the name says it all!  Chocolate!  A girls best friend!  That and diamonds.  lol

I did the Hot Chocolate last year but it was the 15k that they have.  I did not sign up for the 15k this year.  Too much for me right now.  Needless to say, you get chocolate in your goodie bag, chocolate after the run (fondue) and hot chocolate.  It was so cold last year that I actually ended up getting sick from the run!  I think it's going to be about 20 degrees warmer this year.

Next week, I'm going on vacation!  A cruise!  I've never been on a cruise and I'm super excited!  It's out of Long Beach and goes to Catalina and Ensenada.  A friend invited me.  They are going because of a family wedding and he has to pay for 2 tickets regardless of whether he brings someone or not, so I was the lucky invitee!  I know him and his sister (I've been friends with them since I was in 6th or 7th grade) so at least I know a few people there.  I will definitely post on how the cruise goes!

So I have the hot chocolate run before I leave, and I have a turkey trot run, the Sunday after I get back!  No room for the lazy!  Actually, the cruise ship has a gym and I'm crazy enough to use it.  I do work out on vacation! 

Then I have another turkey trot (4 miles) on Thanksgiving morning.  Is it just me or is the best time for a run Thanksgiving morning!  You know you will eat a lot of food that day no matter how hard you try not to.  I love running on Thanksgiving morning!

So, that's my November happenings in a nutshell!  Let's just hope the weather stays decent and that horrible 4 letter S word stays away until at least December!