November??

Well, been trying to get an update up for the last week and what do you know, it still hasn’t happened. Anyway, I’m still feeling upset, which should not be unusual considering it all, but I’ve also come to a realization that I don’t want to do it anymore. Now I’m not going to be stupid and say I’m never dating again and have to eat my words 2 years down the road, but honestly, I don’t want to do it anymore. I was with someone that I cared deeply for. I let down a lot of walls and protections that I had had in place, and I let myself open up and trust the things he was saying and telling me…including the talk about the future, which when it came up, seemed to be way too much for the period of time we had been together. But for whatever reason, I let him convince me this was the way it was and was going to continue. He seemed to think he had found everything he wanted…we had just had a discussion about it before his last trip in fact. How I needed to realize he was doing some of the things he was doing because it was going to be great for the future…it was for us. There were still things I wasn’t sure on, but I had a lot of what I would want in someone and I was sure that what was missing would come. If he loved me as much as he said, there was no way it wouldn’t come right? But guess I was wrong about it, and all I know is that I have no interest in pursuing something new down the road. Let’s face it, first dates, really not a lot of fun. In fact dating in general I have been known to deem similar to the waterboarding being discussed right now…in fact I think I’d rather go through waterboarding than dating…think about it, you are out with someone that you are trying to impress while at the same time trying to figure out if you want to see again, it’s a situation of judgment on both parts, who knows what will come of it and all the games that go with it. Can’t call right after the date, that seems desperate right? Have to wait x days to go out again as you don’t want to give the wrong impression…it’s what I liked about L…what drew me in…there were no games. He said he was going to call, he called. He liked me and was quite vocal about it. When he told me he loved me, it freaked me out, but I got over that and realized I felt the same…it was just something that happened, and it was good and that just doesn’t happen for me…it’s the first time in 9 years that something happened that easily…anyway, enough on that…

Last week was an OK workout week. I weight trained for 25 minutes 3 days, I made my goal run 5 days and I hit 26 miles. Another couple of weeks and I’ll be back to the 6 days or so a week running and 30-40 miles that I was enjoying. Only problem is, even seeing the chiro like I have been, and doing the exercises that I need to, I’m still not having the results I wanted/hoped for…and I’m getting so down and frustrated about that…lost my boyfriend and running still isn’t what it should be. Seems very unfair.

Gorgeous Day

Today the weather report was saying a chance for thunderstorms. Mostly tapering off by noon...so far we haven't had any rain. Hopefully the chance has passed too becaue it is absolutely gorgeous out. Sunny, no clouds, very light to no breeze and upper 70s...it's one of those days that comes along in mid-spring to early fall, before summer's humidity hits and when the sun is fantastic feeling, even if it is upper temps to some people...yep, today is one of those days. I was out at lunch. I almost didn't come back. I just hope that it stays till the end of the work day. Another 2 hours and I'm out of here and heading home for a run. In fact, I have everything with me...it's almost tempting to make a jaunt through Highland Park on my way home instead of running at home...hmm...I think I have my garmin, at the very least I have a watch of some sort, if I head out and back for 20 minutes each way I can know it was a little over 4 miles...heck, 18 minutes each way would give me about that, even on the hills...what a nice thought. Outside, on trails, softer turf...I think it's just what I need.

Yesterday was nice too, but it was windy. I had to take yesterday off, still being good like I have been. Saw L last night and he massaged some stuff into my leg to try to loosen it up more. It's medicated lotion, along the lines of IcyHot but much higher end. Anyway, when he worked on things most tight pain areas were only about a 3 or 4 at most (he asks what it is painwise on a scale of 1-10), one spot (and what I think is causing my tight hamstring) was a 7 or so, but the rest felt fine, even areas I thought might be bad weren't as tight as I thought...so I'm excited. Progress might be still going on. Now I need to work on the weights, that's for Monday (or maybe this weekend), losing the weight I have gained and focusing on getting a nice base to build on starting in December or so. I have posted a tentative 2008 schedule...we'll see how ambitious I am.

A Run at Last

For those that read here on a fairly regular basis, you know I’ve been dealing with a tight glute/hamstring or some issue for quite some time and it has made running uncomfortable and not much fun at all. I was on the verge of giving up running all together after my 25K on September 9th. I only ran 9 miles from 9/10 - 9/16 and from 9/17 - 9/23 I didn't run at all.

During my week off last week, I was working on all I could do to work on the stability in my hips, which are probably the biggest problem. I've been doing exercises to work the inner and outer hip abductors and trying to stretch all sore and potentially sore areas along with the stability exercises. By not running, I thought things would improve, however, I was having a tightness in the hamstring that was different from what I had had before so I asked L if I could get a massage on Saturday and he worked on the trouble leg for about 40 minutes. He found tightness in my inner left abductor that I had been unaware of, and also tightness in my hamstring and he thinks it might be a quad problem so worked on areas in there. I had also been having some tightness in my inner knee, but that seems to be a joint issue and I’m just icing to try to get that feeling better. Finally he worked in the glute again and that wasn’t quite as tight as it has been, so something must be working. Anyway, after it was all worked out, I felt better, still a bit tight on Sunday but I decided I was going to try a run last night.

I dressed in some of my favorite running things including a fun pair of shoes I almost never wear because they are more my racing shoes for shorter distances. I went out and things seemed to be feeling OK, although I felt some tightness along the left shin. I hesitate to use the words “shin splits” because a PT once informed me that after age 13-14 for girls shin splints are more just a generic term for pain in the area…anyway, that is kind of what I was feeling, a tightness around the outer left shin a little bit when going uphills. I tried to be sure I was running “normal” and not babying the left side, but must’ve been doing a little of that. The results of the run though were favorable. I didn’t wear a watch, but it felt like a moderate to slightly fast pace, I did 3 miles and stopped to stretch each mile. When I got done I did more stretching, used my scaro wedgy and later, after talking to L, and on his suggestion, used my stick on my shin and then on my hamstring. I seemed to have loosened up the hamstring some more and I iced both the shin and knee as well

I at least it seems to be having some improvement and maybe eventually it will all be fine and I can start focusing on future runs again. I’m taking today off, although will be stretching and doing the icing, then tomorrow I’ll head out for another 3-4 and continue an every other day thing, slowly building up and seeing how things hold up. I have no specific races, but I found the World Run Day that I think I want to do on November 11. Just have to decide on a distance...