Advil PM Rocks!

I have taken it before, but I just had to say that yet again. It helps you sleep, you wake up rested (not feeling like you were drugged like somet things can make you), I know I won't have a problem with an addiction to it as it only works for a couple of nights befoer I'm immune and need to not take it for a time again, and it just feels so nice to sleep that good sometimes. Long ago, before Advil PM there was Tylenol PM and both are good, I just now prefer Advil because Ibuprophen works so much better for me than acetaminophen…not that I take it for the pain, but for the sleep part of it anyway. After my bad nights sleep on Tuesday though, I really felt like I needed a good one last night, and while I was feeling tired, I wanted that guarantee…so I took 1 Advil PM just before 8 (dosage is 2) and laid in bed watching TV for a bit, but then turned off the TV to go to sleep around 8:15 (8:30 on my clock, went from 10 minutes fast to 15 minutes fast for some reason, not sure why I did that, but it was intentional) and was out within 15-20 minutes (I’m NOT one of the supposed average that falls asleep in 7 minutes) and slept solid till 2, woke up just briefly and was back to sleep shortly after that and didn’t wake up till 5:30…problem was, I was going to get up at 5 and go to the gym…then I remembered when I set my alarm I set it for 5:57, not 4:57…and while I could’ve rushed and gotten there, I decided to just rest a bit more and go after work instead. I can’t do much of a run tonight anyway since I already have 10 miles in on the week and I want to run today and tomorrow and a run on the weekend of 10 miles and should NOT go much over 25 miles…kind of difficult since typically I run at least 4 miles in a run…Anyway, I was wide awake, but laid in bed for another hour, just relaxing, then, of course, was running a bit late cause I was distracted trying to find some documents to send to my financial planner (was supposed to send them Monday and still haven’t managed to get them together and sent) but didn’t quite find everything I need anyway…so need to do that tonight after my workout!!

I did manage a workout last night, even though I was tired and so ready to bag it and/or at least cut it short. I didn’t strength train, but I biked for 45 minutes and that was good. I still need to get an appointment made and get back to my chiro. Things have been feeling good for the most part on runs, not the tightness that I have had, but I still am concerned and really do want to be sure to keep things good. If I’m on the road to recovery, I don’t want a set back by NOT having an adjustment when I should…even if a friend is trying to tell me that chiros are bad…I had to explain to him well, a doctor was unable to help, PT was unable, so what, I just deal with it?? When your sacrum is out of alignment and causing issues, who else do you see? I certainly don’t need surgery or something for it if someone can adjust and get it back in place…particularly someone who is herself a runner!!

Hmm…I so want some chocolate right now…

Weights, Chiro and a Gym?

Well, I managed 18 miles last week and most of it feeling fairly good. The glute hasn’t been complaining too much, I ran 4 days including back to back on Saturday and Sunday. 6 on Saturday and only 3 on Sunday as I didn’t want to push more than 18 miles. The 6 went fine and this weekend I’m hoping to get 7 or 8 for a longer run, just slowly building back up. I’ve been the chiropractor 3 times now and bought a package (my insurance doesn’t cover it cause they are out of network doesn’t health care stuff suck?) to make things a big cheaper so I’m set for going at least another 10 times and will evaluate after that what I might do. I had my evaluation to go over my x-rays and such as well yesterday and was given got exercises along with a breakdown of all that is out of wack. Apparently I've done something to get my low back on the left side out of form...the muscles are tight and pulling on things, getting my hip out of alignment and shortening my left leg, all this led to my glute tightening up and pulling wrong and hence the tight hurt feeling in my glute. The right side is down and out of wack a bit due to overcompensation (love all my technical terms?) :) of course. All pretty much what L had suggested might be wrong. So now I have the area for him to work on and get loosened up and between that and the adjustments things should be back to normal soon I hope. Actually I had a pulling sensation on my IT band, and when I saw the chiro last night my back had something that was twisted weird...so we are working on that and my upper back where I have tightness as well (where all my stress goes) so all this should help...I’ve done 4 miles on Tuesday with a friend, no time yesterday for yoga due to meeting friends after the chiro appointment so hopefully I can get that in tonight after a quick run (might do a short one at lunch and again after work, once inside and once out more on that in a second).

On a really happy note too, I got home and my Bowflex weights had arrived yesterday. Remember they were supposed to be filled in 3-5 days and shipped 7-9 days after that? I ordered them either Thursday or Friday last week from buy.com. Had notification on Saturday that they had shipped, I tracked on Monday and saw nothing, but on Wednesday they were there…talk about an awesome day!! They are very cool too. They adjust super easy and have a nice comfy grip. Not having worked out with them, but for anyone not wanting to buy a ton of weights, I’d highly recommend them. I’m also probably going to be joining Bally's. Not the greatest gym around my area, but I'm getting a pretty good deal that figures to about $17 a month andit has a pool and indoor track (11 laps to a mile) along with equipment and a few classes that might work in my schedule (not as many as another gym in the area, but again for the price and I don't use classes that much anyway)...It will be a nice alternative in the winter and not overly expensive, convenient to work and a nationwide membership so if I’m traveling and can find one I have other options too. I’m checking it out at lunch today and most likely will sign on. Can’t beat the price vs other options in my area for $60-70 a month…

Also looks like I now have a pace bunny for Twin Cities next year. A friend has kindly offered to pace me to my time goal (to be announced after training has commenced and is going well)…that makes me happy too. Between one on the course and L on the sidelines to carry water and such for me, I should really be able to pull the run provided I get the training in!!

Chiro and Other Things

Last night was my first appointment with my new chiropractic place. I signed up for an initial assessment, x-rays etc while at Twin Cities Marathon Expo with a place that has people that are runners, in fact the doctor I saw is herself a runner and has the marathon bug…she has run 6, including Boston, so that tells me I’m with the right person! I told her my goal was to run next year to get that qualifier and that I need to get everything worked out and will be running a hard half or two early next year to get the preferred start coral for Twin Cities next year. Getting to the office, they have massage chairs to sit in while waiting, nice, then I went into the room, had x-rays (of which I’ll get copies next appointment), and a muscle scan that shows where you are most tense, gee, surprise, I was tight on low back and upper back (I always run tight). After that they used the muscle stimulator thing to loosen me up, along with a heating pad, then while waiting for a massage table I was laying on a water massage bed (or I could’ve sat back in the massage chair), I had the first adjustment, which my sacrum cracked so well on each side, then upper back and one other area in my neck that I hadn’t known was tight but she found and adjusted on one side, hopefully next time I’m relaxed enough to let it happen on the other side too…Anyway, overall a good visit and I’m going back on Monday to get the x-rays, all assessments and results along with exercises to do that will help get everything back in place. L is back next week too to work on me with massage so that should help everything get back to normal I hope…

Also, new excitement…I’m pretty sure I’m going to get those Bowflex weights I posted a couple messages back…they are $150 on Bowflex’s site, plus $50 shipping…I found them on eBay for a bit cheaper and then Amazon for even cheaper and free shipping, then on another place or two for even better than the others…In fact I think I might get them shipped for $60-80…can’t pass that up. They are nice in that they adjust from 2.5 up to 20 pounds in 2.5 pound increments, at most I’d maybe eventually want a couple of 25s, but in lots of working out, I never have used more than 20s really for most things…so I think this will be good for me. Cheaper than the 50 pound ones by a lot and I think much more useable for me. Plus they take up very little space…nothing like eight sets of weights in one set that can hold at 20 pounds…I’ll slowly build up my little home gym…just need the space to have it all out and set up on a regular basis.

I wanted to run after my appointment last night, but have adjusted my schedule because it was fairly late when I got home and I thought maybe I should hold off one more day. Tonight I’m going to go for 4-5 miles, then I’ll run both Saturday and Sunday and then not again till Tuesday. I got my yoga flexibility DVD out on Tuesday and did it, 25 minute workout and I felt things stretching. I’ll eventually add more poses on my own, but it felt pretty good, except the relaxing pose at the end, my back was tight and couldn’t relax, was feeling a little uncomfortable so I cut that part short, but the rest went well.

Current focus:

• Running back up to 20 miles over the next 2-3 weeks
• Yoga for more flexibility and strength back to 2 times a week at least
• At least during the week keeping track of food in Fitday.com for the next two weeks to get a base on where to start moving forward on my eating