7 + 5 = 12

I am fairly certain the majority of athletes can do basic math.  Number of laps, miles run, and rotations per minute, reps, sets, and more are part of our vocabulary.  I’m sure I did the math correct, 7 + 5 = 12 and yet it doesn’t always equal 12.

My plan was to run 12 miles this weekend.  Since there is a chance the Packers (GO PACK!!) will be on TV (vs. the Steelers) tomorrow, my running needed to get done on Saturday.  The sun comes up late and goes down early and we had things going on in the middle of the day, so I came to the conclusion that I needed to split my 12 miles up. 

This morning I got up and ran seven miles on the treadmill.  My computer has been having issues (it’s still working…I’m not sure if it is a blessing or not) so my run seemed to take longer than it should have because there was little to watch for long periods of time.  With seven miles done we got ready for the day, did all I needed to get done early on and we had some family time (a.k.a. soccer).  When Punky went down for nap I headed out on a run to finish my 12.  I ran 5.04 miles at an average pace of 10:03 /mile.  There was quite a bit of traffic, so I did stop five times before I could cross streets.  BTW, it was 22F with a light breeze and cloudy out when I was running.  (And, I’m still trying to warm up as I type this.)

While physically I ran 12 miles, mentally I ran two different runs.  I don’t know if this is going to help or hurt me in ~14 days when I run my next half marathon.  I don’t have any more long runs between now and then, so I’ll have to hope it is going to help me. 

Week:

• 1 core class
• 1 yoga/pilates/tai chi class
• 18 miles

Friday Fanfare

Let's celebrate because it is Friday!  Welcome to the new followers.  I'll stop by your blogs as time allows.  Good luck to everyone running this weekend.  

Sunday Races:

Felice is running the Albany Winter Fest Last Run 5K

Jon is running the Albany Winter Fest Last Run 5K

I have been a little caught up in getting a new dishwasher installed that I haven't had a chance to stop by all the blogs and see what you've got coming up.  Sorry about that.

Good luck to all! I can't wait to read your race reports.  If you want to be part of the Friday Fanfare, just leave a comment.

Not So Random Thoughts

My life as a stay-at-home mom is the most rewarding thing I have ever done.  Yet, it leaves a lot of time to think (did you know you can play Candy Land on autopilot?).  My thoughts take on reoccurring themes after a while.  Here are some thoughts I have almost daily* (some are rhetorical, some not).

• What would happen if I stopped eating my daily cookies and York Peppermint Patties?
• What should the theme of Punky’s birthday party be?
• I really need to buy some jeans that will stay up without a belt.
• What should I read next?
• Does today’s list really need to be done, or can I read instead?
• Will I ever have a flat stomach?
• What could I accomplish if I really put my mind to it?

I have thoughts on some of my thoughts (I’d probably be a bear if I stopped eating York Peppermint Patties, which means I’ll probably never have a flat stomach), but those thoughts are another can of worms.

Perhaps I'll ponder these questions tonight when I go to the gym.  I am planning on trying out two new (at least new to me) classes.  The first is a 30 minute class called Butts & Gutts.  I looked up the description of the class and it says "Need we say more?"  I guess not.  The second class is Body Flow and I have no idea how long it lasts, probably an hour though.  It is a combination of Yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates.  I may not have time to ponder my random thoughts tonight if the second class is too complicated.  If I do not have time for extra thoughts on my thoughts I'll probably end up better off in the end.  :)

*For ease of blogging, I have only written the thoughts about me and skipped those related religion, politics, school, etc.

Love Great Finds

This weekend I took the family shopping (gasp!).  We went to one place:  a sport store.  I was hoping we could find some shoes for ADP, but no luck.  I got a great deal though.

I usually run in Asics GT-21X0 series shoes.  The GT2150’s were recently released (I haven’t seen them, but then I haven’t looked for them either).  The 2140’s were full price at the store this weekend so I walked right past them.  The 2130’s were marked down to $59.95 from $95.  Not bad, especially since we all know how shoes add up!  Most of my running this year was in 2130’s, so I knew they would work well.  The sign above the shoes said “Buy One, Get One Half Price.”  Yay!  They only had two in my size so I grabbed them both.  To make a great deal even better, I had a 20% off coupon.  So, I scored two pair of running shoes for $72.  I stoked.  Of course, Punky didn’t care a bit for the great price I got.  She was just happy they have pink on them.

What good finds have you bought lately?

Here's the state of my kitchen this morning:

Not usable.  The new dishwasher should be installed in 2 1/2 hours!

Wind Down Week

My four weeks of crazy-busy are finished!  With them behind me, I started my wind-down week Sunday after the race.  I usually don’t have a wind down week until the semester is finished, but class on Wednesday night consists of getting our project grades, watching a 25 minute video, and filling out course evaluations so the class is as good as finished.  (Side note:  I had a dream I got an 89.5 on my paper – I don’t remember ever having dreams about grades before.)

Sunday I didn’t do a good job of winding down; probably because my Christmas shopping wasn’t finished (I finished in Sunday afternoon).  I took yesterday to wrap and package gifts to be sent to family.  By last night I was finally able to settle in with a book and actually focus on what I was reading (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Larsson). 

Since it is wind down week, I didn’t schedule a lot of exercising.  I did get in a 6 miler this morning on the treadmill making it the only day this week I am waking up before 6 a.m.  See, winding down also has to do with catching up on much needed sleep.  The rest of the week will consist of trying out a class at the gym Thursday night and a 10-12 miler on Saturday.  That is it.  No daily exercising.  No getting up early.  No pushing myself too hard.  I’m planning a relaxing week because (as far as I’m concerned) I deserve one. 

No week is completely relaxing.  This afternoon I am taking apart some of the kitchen and raising the countertop so the new dishwasher can be installed tomorrow morning and I’ll be putting in a new kitchen faucet after the dishwasher is in.  No kitchen sink means we’ll just have to go out to dinner tonight.  I like going out to dinner as much as the next person, but we’ve been without a dishwasher since before Thanksgiving and I just want the thing in and working.  I’d rather take a home cooked meal and a dishwasher to wash the dishes over going out.

I’d like to say wind down week is a week in progress.  I just re-read this post and I’m not in a Zen place yet because it reads disjointed and closer to stream-of-conscious than organized blog.  Oh well, just bear with me this week.

Stay tuned:  I’m working on a giveaway for my 150^th blog post.

Looking for a Site

I am looking for a website where I can easily enter my mileage and it will keep track of month and year totals for me. I also want to keep track of the mileage on different shoes and have access to a widget so I can easily have the information on this blog. I don’t need a lot of other bells and whistles. How do you keep track of your mileage? Do you have any website suggestions?

Nice and Cozy RR

One of the local road running clubs has a winter race series and the first was today. It was nice and cozy – relaxed (no timing chips or directions to do this or that), a small group (maybe 150-200), a warm building to wait in, and someone to run with. Good thing there was a warming building too because when the race started at 10 it was a cool 26F with light winds from the SW. I don’t have running clothes suitable for this kind of weather so I dressed myself the best I could:

 

 

Nike Therma-Fit Headband, Sunglasses, L.L. Bean vest, fleece, base layer compression top, ADP's circa 1993 running pants topped with my circa 1998 exercise shorts to keep my bum warm

 

Before the race Manderz and I found each other and chatted it up. I also got to meet her darling daughter (they had crafts for kids to do). We both ran the Marine Corps Half-Marathon, but this was the first time we actually met. We stayed together through the race and let me tell you, it was fun to have someone to run with! I feel like I was a chatterbox through lots of the race (sorry if I was).

 

Here are the splits:

• Mile 1: 9:27
• Mile 2: 9:41
• Mile 3: 9:50
• .05 mile: 0:15 (5:28?)
• Clock time:  29:21
• Watch time:  29:15

It was supposed to be a 3 mile race, but my Garmin came in at 3:05…so close to a 5K and yet so far. Either way, I’ll take it!

No Running Today

I'm in for another fun and exciting morning sitting for an exam.  Today's test is even longer than the last one coming in at 4 hours.  The test starts at 8 a.m. and I'll have 4 hours to complete 80 multiple choice questions and write one essay.  Since I'll be gone all morning the afternoon is for the family.  Good thing the HMRRC Winter Series starts tomorrow morning; I have a run to look forward to!

A Visit with Santa and Friday Fanfare

Let's celebrate because it is Friday!  Welcome to the new followers.  I'll stop by your blogs as time allows.  Good luck to everyone running this weekend. 

Sunday Races:

Jill is running the Tucson Marathon

Robin is running the Somerville Jingle Bell Run 5K and celebrating her birthday on the same day

And, good luck to those who I'll see at the HMRRC Winter Series Race #1.

Manderz, 3 miles

Me, 3 miles

Good luck to all! I can't wait to read your race reports.  If you want to be part of the Friday Fanfare, just leave a comment.

Punky, Santa, Bugs, ADP and Suzy

December 2009

Enough is Enough

Dr. Punky, age 4, dressed in princess shoes and purple jeweled gloves recently gave me a thorough examination. It included things like listening to my breathing and looking in my ears. She gave me four shots and announced "You have an itis." I asked if the shots would help. All she said was "You need to see a second doctor."  Never question the doctor.

I like to keep people up to date on what is going on with me. Growing up, my family always knew if something hurt, whether I had a hangnail, or how I was healing from a past incident. Well, it appears I’m doing it again.

My ITB is tight. My toe hurts. My ankle… My back… Ya-da, ya-da. Enough is enough. I am going to make a concerted effort to keep the pain updates to a minimum. Let me just say this: something will hurt.  Perhaps I should listen to Dr. Punky and go to a second doctor.

Disclaimer: I am making no promises that I will be able to keep my fingers from typing “woe is me” updates.

Play Time

I skipped my run this morning because I was just too tired to get out of bed.  I don't even remember turning my alarm clock off.  Good thing I got an extra two hours of sleep because the kids and I spent the morning playing. 

We're having a SNOW DAY!!  You have no idea how much I love the snow.  I took the kids outside right after breakfast and I used the snowblower to clear the driveway.  When I was done we came and and the kids watched a short movie while I tackled the snow the plow left at the end of the driveway.  Then, it was time to go back outside!!  This time I shoveled the driveway and got the snowblower back out to help a neighbor.  By noon I'd been outside three times and the only thing I wished was that I hadn't gone inside at all. 

I LOVE WINTER!!!

I have no pictures from this morning..but look at the picture to the right and add 9" of fresh, very heavy snow and you'll get the idea.

ADP Poses

ADP is such a great sport.  Here he is trying out my foam roller with a very cheesy pose and smile.

Two Runners

We still have visitors so we took advantage of the free sitting and went out running. ADP went out first and stretched his legs (3.35 mi, 20:24, average 6:05/mi). He wanted to try out my Garmin, so he wore the Garmin on one wrist and his Polar HRM on his other wrist. I think he liked knowing how far and fast he ran.

Once lunch was finished and Punky down for her afternoon nap I went out for a run. It was a cool 34F outside and overcast. Next time I go and it is this cool I think I’ll need to add another layer over my arms to keep warmer. My run was slightly shorter than ADP’s, but then I have shorter legs. My first mile came in at 8:58! Apparently I was cooler than I thought.

Here's the view running back to my house (taken yesterday, today the roads were just wet):

Today: 3.06 mi, 28:18, ave 9:15/mi

6.5 miles to Walking

There was no Friday Fanfare because no one (that I know of) is running a race this weekend. If you want to be included in the future, just leave a comment. Also, welcome to the new followers!

I am in the middle of having company visit. My mom and her significant other Bob flew in on Thursday night. They’ll be here until early Tuesday morning when ADP will drop them off at the airport on the way to work. It is wonderful to have the kids so occupied, even if they are on overdrive.

I got up early this morning (before the company was up) and planned on running 12 miles on the treadmill. All started well this morning. I was going along at ~9:40 min/mile and then my knee gave way at 6.4 miles. I stopped, stretched, and tried to run again. It was a no go. So, I walked 0.5 mile, stretched more and slowed way down. I let go of my goal to run 12 miles and just focused on running. Slowly (12 min/mile) I finished my run with minimal pain. I wasn’t too far off my 12 mile goal because I did manage to get 10 in this morning.
When time allows, I’ll download the pictures off the camera and try to get one or two up here. I hope you are having a great weekend!

Week in review:  21 miles and 75 push-ups (most of them girlie-style)

Dinner versus Lifting

Here it is: I skipped the gym last night and we went to Moe’s Southwest Grill as a family instead. So, instead of lifting and getting fit, I consumed more calories than I did for Thanksgiving dinner. Let me tell you, it tasted great and was exactly what the day needed…although I did eat a few too many chips.

I tried to redeem myself this morning by running 5 miles. I made it through all 5 miles pain free! No tightness from my ITB, no ankle discomfort, no pain in my right toe. I loved it!! Buying a foam roller is one of the best purchases I’ve made recently because it is really helping loosen up my ITB.

I have class tonight and I have a draft of my paper printed and ready to hand in. It should be roughly 20 pages and I have 24 pages. Admittedly, three of the pages are pictures tacked on at the end, but that still leaves 21 pages of words. I’ll hand my paper in tonight (along with the rest of the class) and my professor is going to have them all proofed with his ideas by noon on Friday. So, I’ll be heading back down to school sometime this weekend so I can pick my paper up. The final version is due next Wednesday, so between running, eating M&M’s, and company I’ll be tippy-typing away in hopes I get a good grade.

Whirlwind Weeks Ahead

I’m in the middle of a few busy weeks. I have to honestly say that those of you who work, have families, and run are amazing because I can’t imagine doing it all. I have a hard enough time keeping life straight without working.

This morning I was up early and did 6 on the treadmill. My weeks always go better when I start Monday morning running. My ITB was tight so I took short breaks at 2 and 4 miles to stretch it out. I’ll add some ice and more stretching throughout today and it should be fine. I also wore my new shoes and I have two nice blisters to show for it. Ah, the joys of running. :D

I went back and read what I had written about my toe pain and realized I haven’t written much lately. My right toe is great. Well, I don't' think it will ever be great, but it isn’t hurting at all these days! The specialist I went to spent time talking with me, looking at my x-rays, and feeling/manipulating my toe and foot (thank goodness his hands were warm). The good news: he felt and saw no indicators of arthritis. The not as good news: he felt and saw the starts of a bone spur on the top of one of the bones and that is probably causing the pain when I hyper-extend my toes. The foot plates I have are working well for my toe because I can’t hyper-extend my toes at all with them in my shoes. The downfall is that the balls of my feet are getting beat up because the footplate seems to be negating the cushioning under my foot. I’ll see if I get used to it, but I may have to get some cushioned insoles for my shoes.

This week’s plan:
Monday: 6 miles (done)
Tuesday: weight train at the gym
Wednesday: 5 miles in the morning, 20 page paper due at night
Thursday: off (instead go to airport to pick up my mom and SO)
Friday/Saturday: 10 - 12 miles
Sunday: off

Have a great week everyone!

Thoughts on 2010

I’ve been putting a lot of thought into my 2010 running goals. I am very goal oriented, but I generally don’t do yearly goals so I am not sure how to go about this. There are two parts to my problem:  the time frame combined with the word goal.  One year is such a short amount of time to complete a goal, at least the goals I am used to setting. According to Webster:

 

goal
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English gol boundary, limit
Date: 1531
1 a : the terminal point of a race b : an area to be reached safely in children's games
2 : the end toward which effort is directed : AIM
3 a : an area or object toward which players in various games attempt to advance a ball or puck and usually through or into which it must go to score points b : the act or action of causing a ball or puck to go through or into such a goal c : the score resulting from such an act

 

I think what I have is a strong aspiration to do some running next year. I don't think it is splitting hairs to use the word aspire; I just don’t wan to use the word goal because I feel like a failure when I don’t reach my goals. And, according to Webster:

 

as•pire
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form(s): as•pired; as•pir•ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French aspirer, from Latin aspirare, literally, to breathe upon, from ad- + spirare to breathe
Date: 14th century
1 : to seek to attain or accomplish a particular goal <aspired to a career in medicine>

 

Here I go. I have an aspiration to run four longer races in 2010. Possible races include:

• 1/1, Hangover Half Marathon
• 6/5, Freihofer’s Run for Women 5K
• Sept, Lake Placid Fall Half
• 10/10, Marine Corps Half Marathon
• 11/14, Stockade-athon 15K
• Plus, hopefully another half or full marathon to round out the year

Whipping Wind

Last night I was a little on edge with the family so I went to bed and curled up with a feel good book and read until I was ready to fall asleep.  I could still feel the aggravation in my shoulders this morning when I woke up this morning so I knew I needed to go on a run.  Not only would  a run help me figure out why I was on edge, but it would also help me work out any extra tension in my shoulders.

What I didn't count on was the weather.  This is my first "winter" running outside.  It isn't winter yet, but it should be a lot colder than it is.  When I set out at 10am it was a sunny 44F outside.  The challenge was the wind, it was whipping around.  Since moving to NY we have missed the constant air movement that we had in Iowa.  So, for it to be windy was a pleasant surprise because I love the air movement.  It wasn't so pleasant when I was running into the 45 mph gusts.  I don't know if it was my imagination or if it really happened this way - but why was the wind always gusting when I was trying to go up hills? 

The wind (sustained ~25 mph) made me rethink my running route.  I primarily stayed in the subdivision so I wouldn't be on any long straightaways.  There were times I was dressed properly and the times when the wind was blocked by trees I thought I was going to roast.  Over all, I was warm but I am fine with it because it kept the wind from going right through me.

Today:  7.12 miles in 1:09:17 (9:44 ave pace)

Week totals:
18.51 miles outdoors + 1 treadmill mile!  9:37 ave pace
1 weight training session

Not Much Today

Today is one of those days, I have done no exercising, I've been over indulging in M&M's, and I haven't eaten all my daily fruits and vegetables.  I figure I can have a day once in a while.  There is always tomorrow, right?

On the plus side we are almost finished decorating for Christmas.  This year, like every year, we let the kids help decorate.  This year the kids are noticeably taller because there are no ornaments on the bottom foot of the tree!  I like the tree decorated just so, but I can't bring myself to move any decorations to the bottom foot of the tree because it is the kids' work. 

A Thanksgiving Recap

Today was wonderful, busy, and full of good food.  There were a few things that we needed to schedule around.  Punky spent all day Wednesday talking about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and how she was going to watch it in her pajamas.  Well, there is no disappointing my four year old girl, so we planned on a TV morning.  Then, the Packers played the Lions starting right around lunch.  Thanksgiving is not the same without football, so when the parade finished we were planning on watching the game.  Then, there is the food preparation that I hadn't started at all.  And, I signed up for a Virtual Turkey Trot at Ambitious Aspirations.  The question was how to fit it all in.

I did it all.  I was up early to get the pie crust and the bread started.  Then, when the rest of the family watched the parade I went for my Turkey Trot 10K.  I'm not sure how the rest got done, but it did.  I couldn't have done it without my partner in crime, ADP.  It seems he spent the day washing all the dishes I made while preparing our Thanksgiving Feast. 

I've never run a 10K and while this wasn't a sanctioned event, I will definitely count it toward my goal for this decade.  I ended up running 6.29 miles this morning in 59:24!  I am very happy with my run.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Wednesday Fanfare!

I'm starting a Friday Fanfare for all those who are running races.  But, with Thanksgiving tomorrow I want to send out a good luck to everyone a day early, especially those who are getting up on Thanksgiving day and running a race before enjoying a Thanksgiving Day feast!

11/26, Tina is running Turkey Trot 10K
11/26, Sami is running a Turkey Dash
11/28, Jon is running a Run Off That Turkey Trot 5K

Good luck!  I can't wait to read your race reports.  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone else!

If you want to be part of the Friday Fanfare, just leave a comment.

Relief

Thanks for all the well wishes a few weeks ago when I was taking my comprehensive examination for my master's degree.  I just got a letter in the mail and I PASSED!!!

Will there be a marathon in my future?

I know I will run a marathon. The question is when?? I have been looking at 2010 races and trying to figure out if I should attempt a marathon next year.
There are a lot of things going for a spring/early summer marathon.

• I have no spring plans
• I am taking the spring off of graduate school
• It is cool in the spring
• The marathon I’d most likely do is over a long weekend (Key Bank Vermont City Marathon in Burlington)

The downfalls aren’t as numerous, but they are still in my mind: 

• I don’t think I could train for a marathon alone
• I would probably join Team in Training [http://www.teamintraining.org/] for the marathon (raising money is a daunting task) or find a group to run with (how does one find a group like that?)
• I’ll be an assistant coach for Punky’s soccer team on Saturday mornings

Really, it is just raising the money and the soccer conflict that are the only big downfalls. Punky has already told all her friends I’ll be her coach. I have a huge soft spot for my kids and if she wants me to coach, then I will. I believe the Team in Training long runs are on the same morning as soccer, but I’m not sure. I have plans to go to an info session in January to learn more about Team in Training.

Is there ever a good time train for a marathon?

In and Out of School

Today has been a day of school.  I spent the morning working on my research project for graduate school by observing  4 and 5 year old kids at preschool.  It was a blast and I'm writing up my findings now.  Observing was fun, but I feel like I'm trying to "find x" in writing up what I observed. 

If spending the morning in preschool wasn't enough, today was take your parent to school day for my older child.  I had enough time between preschool and kindergarten to eat lunch, put the preschooler down for a nap and say a quick "Hi" to ADP (who came home so I could go to kindergarten).  We had a great time doing music & movement and putting his clay beads on a string.  I think I'm ready to graduate from both preschool and kindergarten after today's excursions.

I loved visiting both schools.  But, if it happens again I'm not going to both schools on the same day.  I'm exhausted.

Flabbergasted

I went out on my much anticipated run today. I’m glad I planned on only five miles instead of my originally planned 10 miles. Regardless of the distance, I’m still flabbergasted when I plug my Garmin into the computer and it comes up with times in the 9:xx range. I’m simply flabbergasted.

The run went well and I started too fast (9:01!). My ankle felt good (no brace today). My ITB felt good for the first four miles and then got tight so I took a quick break to stretch it out and finished my run home. It doesn’t hurt now, but I’ll continue to stretch it and add some ice in soon too.

My slowest mile was when I stopped a couple times to fidget with my mp3 player/radio. I was desperate to hear the score of the Packer and 49ers game so I was searching around for a station with NFL scores. Even ESPN radio was failing me today; it was very sad. So, I gave up my quest after a few feeble searches and turned my music back on. I was happy to see a nice Packer lead when I got home from my run (unfortunately for me they are not on TV today, hence the Sunday afternoon run).

I have to shout out a big “Thank You” to ADP because when I walked in the house after my run he was making cookies and let me eat some of the cookie dough! ADP making cookies is something that happens every weekend. This weekend his timing was spectacular!

It Took 4 Hours

Since I decided to cut my 10 miler today (still hopeful I’ll get 5 in tomorrow) I went shopping. I won’t say it was complete torture, but I was walking around for four hours trying to find the perfect Christmas gifts for everyone. I think running 10 miles would have been easier. However, I’m happy to say I am finished with my Christmas shopping minus a book for my niece and a gift for ADP! It may be easier to run 10, but it feels darn good to be just about done gift shopping for the year.

Ahhh…

Today is a new day. Yesterday was…well it’s in the past and I’m not going to dwell on it. Thanks for your comments yesterday – they really made my morning when I got them this morning.

My cold seems to be winning because I’m still blowing green gunk out of my nose (4 days running). Colds not only make me tired but also keep me up at night. Not a good situation. I still plan on beating this cold, but at this rate it may take until Christmas.

I was up early this morning for a run on the treadmill. It wasn’t my best run, but I ran! I am still cautious about my IT-band. I walked .5 mile and then did lots of stretching. When I was done stretching my computer finally agreed with me (update troubles) so I could turn on a movie. I ran three miles and it felt good. Just before the three mile mark my IT band was getting tights so I walked the last 1.25 miles. When I finished I did more stretching and some push-ups and wha-la, I was ready for my day.

I have to toss out my plans for a 10 miler tomorrow. I plan on going out for a 5-miler instead. Five is better than today’s three!

Happy weekend everyone!

Today

Today I've had an overwhelming feeling of being deflated.

*

Tomorrow will be better.

Photography by Mark Power

Out of the Mouth of ADP

ADP (a.k.a. husband extraordinaire, excellent chemist, king of vacuuming) stops at the gym three times a week to exercise. His knees aren’t great, but that doesn’t stop him from running three miles once a week. For Father’s Day he decided to find out how he’d do at a 5K and he finished in 19:19. No training. No speed work. Just plain talent…or maybe it’s his 36” inseam. Either way, the guy is fit and can run.

What does this have to do with me? It is something he said over the weekend. I was trying to catch up on my blog reading (Google reader is a life-saver in this arena) and I was reading Running off at the Mouth post “Some Weekend This and That”. She just had her 11th anniversary (Happy Anniversary!!!) and how did she celebrate? She went on an 11 mile run. I had to share with ADP because it is a great idea.

Then it happened, he said he’d run 10 miles with me next year to celebrate our tenth anniversary. I had to up the ante a little and said 10 would be great, but the Marine Corp Half-Marathon (the race I just ran in Oct) is usually two weeks before our anniversary and THAT would be really cool. We talked a little about it (details like how he’d have to train some, we’d need a sitter, if we’d run together or would he finish and have to wait (forever) for me). Details we’ll iron out later. For now, I have a date for my 10th anniversary!!

Ice On My Knee

I’m sitting here typing with my leg propped up so the ice pack will stay on my knee. It isn’t an easy position to hold, but the ice helps so I’ll keep doing it. Yesterday I didn’t exercise and I didn’t have any pain in my knee. Since yesterday went well, I got on the treadmill this morning to see how my IT band was doing. All was well for two miles. At almost exactly the 2 mile mark I felt a little pain so I stopped running and walked for another mile. Since I had originally planned on an hour of running today I spent the extra time stretching and catching up my running journal. Now I sit and ice my knee because while yesterday was basically pain free, today certainly is not. I guess my plan has been changed to ice-elevate-stretch, repeat as often as possible.