Where's the Beach?

I don't know what's going on with our weather this summer, but we're possibly hitting more record lows and record low highs again this week. After the crazy Polar Vortex , we quickly warmed up with heat indices around 105-109 over the weekend. See, that's the summer we're used to and enjoy complaining about. The upside was that the pool warmed back up, the downside was that it made for some tough weekend running. But apparently we've got another cool blast moving in and moving the humidity out. This morning the humidity was only about 70% and temps at 66 degrees. Hello amazing! I will admit that I was dragging a bit at the start of the run, but then I saw the sun starting to come up and the sky was spectacular. Sometimes you just need something beautiful to help get you motivated. The picture really does not do the sunrise the justice it deserves. But I didn't hesitate to stop and enjoy the views for a minute. Just simply breathe and soak it all in. T...

To say this week is totally off kilter is a mild understatement. Of course Monday was a holiday for us, so that throws off the week from the get go. But now my running emotions are all over the place. Because I was off Monday, I had decided to get in my 10-mile run. Well, originally I thought I would do 6. The decision to go farther came a little bit later, and how I came to that one I had no clue (you'll understand in a moment). What I failed to take into consideration is the insanely hot, just shy of 40 mile bike ride Jason and I had gone on the previous day. And of course it was still hot and humid Monday. It was 77 degrees when I set out just after 7am. Thankfully there were a few sprinkles along the way. That was about the only good part of the run it turns out. Oh, and because my initial intention was 6 miles, I didn't eat anything prior to the run. Yep, keeps getting better for me. From the start, I felt off. I couldn't seem to get my breathing regulated, my fo...

After talking about being stressed yesterday , I thought I would take today to re-read and share some quotes that I find inspiring and energizing. I don't often post a lot of quotes, but sometimes, they really can help change your perspective or give you a new outlook on things. Are you a quote person? I'd love to hear your favorite quote. And I can't forget Way to Go Wednesday . Here are my shout outs for the week. Who do you want to give a shout out to? Kat from Sneakers and Fingerpaints just passed her NASM exam. Lisa's (RunWiki) husband completed a 27 mile endurance swim . Carla (aka MizFit) gave away her Strength (A must-read post) Mrs. StuftMama herself is back to running - slowly but surely after a run-stopping injury.

TGIW - It's a weird holiday week for Americans - we have Independence Day tomorrow so today is sort of like Friday. I guess that made yesterday Hump Day. But then most of us work again Friday so that's like having 2 Mondays and 2 Fridays. With me still? All I know is that I'm looking forward to a much needed rest day tomorrow - from work and work outs.  I've been having trouble sleeping, lots of tossing and turning, then waking up at 4:30 am. Yawn. Thank goodness we're still having mild weather right now. That gives me something to look forward to with the running - that and meeting up with Amy. It was a gorgeous morning to be out running. Very peaceful. Oh and I saw a family of 6 very plump raccoons scurrying about. Hard not to smile at that sight, or taking a minute to enjoy architecture (the picture really doesn't do this former church justice). I got in 2 miles then met up with her for another 4.5 miles for a total of 6.5 miles. We were both sort of...

Halfway through the week! This morning I had to get up early to take my sis to the airport. I would have taken today as my rest day, but since I was already up at the crack 'o dawn, I decided to get in a run. I won't even say how hot and humid it was, that's just going to be how it is from here until October. Gotta suck it up and deal with it I suppose. I was feeling pretty good even after having run 9 miles yesterday. Maybe it's because I'm embracing my Summer Pace and not pushing myself harder than I should. With that in mind, I set out with no set distance or time. I fell into a pretty nice pace. I absolutely zoned out too and 3 miles flew by. So I decided to keep on keeping on. I ended up with 6 miles. I was a sweaty, hot mess and it looked like I'd been swimming. Since I already looked that way, why not jump in the pool right? I started keeping a bathing suit downstairs so I could quickly change and jump into the pool. I worry about the chlorine ruin...

Leg Day Happy Hump Day! This morning I headed out for a nice 6-mile solo run. It was just a tad cooler, 69 degrees. At this point, any single degree cooler I'll gladly take. I forgot to bring my sunglasses with me though. It's crazy how early the sun is up now. I misjudged that one once again. I'm still slacking on my leg workouts. I've just not been consistent at all. So today I decided to get in my legs during lunch. That way I couldn't make up excuses to put it off again. I know that I desperately need to strengthen my glutes and hamstrings, as well as vastus medialis and lateralis. Oh and then of course quads and calves. In other words, there are a LOT of exercises I should be doing. Because I was short on time, I decided to go with a circuit, gearing the exercises more for running and my current imbalances. Of course, it would be a good one for anyone. Start with a 5-minute warm up to get the blood flowing and loosen up your joints. Choose a weight that...

This morning Jason got up early with me for a morning rundate. I knew it was going to be warm, but when I actually checked the weather I was really shocked: 77 degrees, 85% humidity and dew point of 72 at 5:30 am. Yowzers. We got moving and kept the pace relatively slow and steady. There was virtually no breeze to speak of. Usually running in the wind can be miserable, but sometimes having a breeze can be a blessing to help cool you down. No such luck. At least the sun wasn't high in the sky though. There were some sprinklers on near a park we run through. The water was warm so that didn't help out one bit. The pond started looking pretty inviting I must say. By the time we hit the house, 6 miles later, it looked like we had gone swimming. It's about time to keep a bathing suit downstairs so I can change into then jump into the pool to cool down (note for Friday's run). It was definitely not an easy peasy run. But, keeping a much slower pace made it more manageabl...

Today is National Running Day . Guess what I did this morning? Cycling? Nope. Lifting? Nope. I bet you thought kickboxing right? Nope. Running? But of course! I actually sort of planned my running days this week just so I could participate this year. I didn't get to run last year and didn't even know about it the year before. But running has become such an integral part of my life and who I am, that I couldn't miss this year. Basically, I run to feel alive . It calms me, it helps me work through life, it's often a reason to get out of bed. No matter how tough a run is, it makes you feel ... period. My plan was to get in 5 miles (got in 5.5 actually). It was about 10 degrees warmer this morning and definitely more humid. That always makes for a tougher run. We decided to take a different route today. Well, it was really only a few streets over different, but still. The point is we took a different street. Sometimes that's good, sometimes not. I did realize th...

Four-day work weeks always throw me off kilter. Compound that with just getting back from vacation and I am absolutely out of sorts with my days. It's Wednesday, but sort of feels like both Tuesday and Thursday at the same time. Just me? Not only am I feeling off kilter getting back into the groove of needing to know what day of the week it actually is, I'm also trying to get back into my usual workout schedule. Yes, I ran and did the elliptical and abs in Florida. But it was still not my normal schedule of times, or even workouts really. I did get in 7 happy miles on Sunday plus did biceps later in the day (I was itching to lift after not having access to weights on vacation). Monday I opted for weights (back and legs) and some kickboxing. This morning was an early-morning run - another 7-miles. It was warm and humid. Summer has arrived, and I feel like it's already affecting my running. It just felt hard. But now I need to figure out when to schedule in my other wei...

Stress Free Vacay Happy Hump Day everyone. It's one of those weeks where I'm a day off. It feels like Thursday. I think I'm just eager to get to the weekend because we'll be headed to the beach! That reminds me, I need to pack. Funny how I freak out about packing for almost every trip except this annual trip to Florida. There's not really much you need for the beach other than towels, bathing suits and a few books right? I used to pack outfits for each day (day and night). Then I began to realize how rarely I wore even 1/3 of what I was carting along with me. This vacation isn't about getting out and sight-seeing around a city. We don't go out to eat. At best, we might venture to the outlet mall, but that's only if it's a rainy day and we're somehow bored. We will visit with some friends who live there now. So, that makes packing so much easier. Just a few outfits, lounge clothes, bikinis, oh and running attire. Luckily the condo does ha...

Working Out This is one of those weeks where Wednesday feels like Thursday. Anyone else having that kind of week? I guess I'm still thrown off after returning from Long Beach last week. It's always hard to get back on track after any vacation. You spend so much time just trying to play catch up that you don't really even get to rest up. Luckily, I have another trip coming soon. We'll be heading to FL for a super lazy week on the beach in a couple of weeks. I always look forward to this particular trip as a way to completely unwind. No agendas, no scheduling, no set plans other than to enjoy. While I enjoy checking out new sights, scenery, restaurants, shopping, etc. on vacations, sometimes it's nice to not have any plans. Just "be." Do you prefer to "be" or "do" while on vacation? Maybe a combo or maybe just depending on where you go? One thing I've been doing is keeping with my workouts at least. I may not be able to ke...

Packing Woes I don't know why, but this week is feeling crazy long. Anyone else feel that way? I am leaving Saturday for Long Beach, CA, so maybe the impending travel is making the week seem sort of off kilter. I'll admit that I've already been stressing about what to pack, which includes food. The room doesn't have a microwave or mini-fridge. I know I can heat up oatmeal with water from the coffee pot, but I don't see that helping me out with any protein sources. Being a vegetarian, I am often limited when I go to restaurants. So I almost always bring my own protein source to add to meager salads and sad piles of steamed veggies. When I travel, this can get trickier though. How do I store an open can of beans or tofu? How can I heat it up if needed? I know that Laura at Sprint 2 the Table is a pro when it comes to food and traveling. I may be scouring her blog for some better ideas, and may be investing in a super cheap, throwawayable cooler for our room. ...

Working Out I haven't really talked a whole lot about my workouts lately. They're getting done though. My mileage has dropped back considerably from 35 miles a week to only about 25 right now. This is really due to my plantar fasciitis not a lack of desire to run. Prior to my half marathon March 3, the plantar fasciitis issue was acting up. But it wasn't a show stopper. I was still able to get out there and run my miles. After the half? Total show stopper. So, while I baby my foot, my miles are down. I am getting in more cross training right now. And that's not a bad thing. I do enjoy lifting weights and doing a variety of DVDs (typically Cathe Friedrich workouts like MMA Boxing , MMA Kickboxing or her new XTrain Tabatacise ), or taking a spin on my bike (on it's trainer still). Variety can be a really good thing. But, I still love my running. I miss being outdoors when I'm doing some other workout. And, even with the pain in my foot, most of my runs ha...

Weather and Running I hope everyone is having a good week so far. Monday started off with great weather - actually felt like spring. Jason and I got in a good, quick 4-mile run at lunch. It was sunny and about 70 degrees, which felt insanely warm considering the week before I had been running in tights, long sleeves, gloves, and ear coverings. Though, it was a much needed, mood-boosting run so it was worth it. Definitely nicer than my run on Friday or Sunday. Friday morning's run looked like this: And also included a run-in with a goose that has it out for me, similar to this My dad sent this to me as a cruel joke. There is this one white goose near a park I run through that has run after me 4 or 5 times now. Friday I was so focussed on the storms rolling in that he almost got me. Sunday's run was stuck inside on the 'mill because of storms. So Monday's run was a nice change of pace. Today I have a run planned with my running partner. But the skies are loo...

Just Livin' Well, I guess it's kind of a low-key week so far. Been doing a lot of studying for my ISSA Personal Trainer Certification. Getting in my workouts. I got in a super chilly, 6-mile run with my friend Tuesday morning. I thought it was spring, and I thought I lived in the South. But, it was a brisk 23-degree windchill kind of morning. Oh, and dark. Gotta love that it's pitch-black again at 6 am...or not. I will say, I won't complain too much because I know that summer will hit in full force before we know it. We rarely have a transition period to adjust. One day it's 40 then the next day it's 80 and it just goes up from there. I've had lots of people continue to ask about Heath . So far he's doing much better. He was even trying to play ball last night. But the vet did say that there's really no follow-up or anything that can be done other than maintenance with new food for liver "health." Eventually, he will succumb to this ...

Heath Update Just a quick thank you to everyone who's sent happy thoughts, vibes and love for my Heath Man. We had hoped he would be home last night, but the vet decided to keep him overnight. This always makes me crazy worried of course. We found out that he has Gallbladder Mucocele . While I tried to stay away from the internet and searching about gallbladder issues for dogs, I ended up breaking down and searching after we got the diagnoses. I really want to know as much as I can. To know what to expect, possible treatment options, etc. Our vet wants to go with the options recommended in the article I linked to above. Mostly medication, a change in his food to include more liver boosting nutrients. But I've read other articles that suggested surgery was a better option. But then I read others that suggested an even higher mortality rate post-surgery. Any vets out there who want to weigh in? Apparently when Heath had health issues last July and they thought he had ...

Blood Clots & Plantar Fasciitis  I don't know about you guys, but I'm definitely getting twitchy for the weekend. It didn't help that I knew I had a follow-up appointment at 7:45 this morning with the hematologist. I just hate hate knowing that I'm about to have to have blood drawn. Doesn't make for a pleasant morning. I also hate going to the doctor, waiting waiting waiting, and then not really hearing anything new. So, not really any follow-up news for me to report other than a scheduled CT scan at the end of the month to see if the clot is still there. The scan will be of the clavicle area where the clot was and where I still have a weird pain as well as my chest just to see if I've had any clots in my lungs - as I did have shortness of breath previously. They never did take a scan of my chest initially. On the upside, I did get to finally run this morning with my friend. It was my first run since my half marathon. I've been babying my foot lik...

I wanted to thank everyone again for your many congratulations on completing and getting a PR at my recent half marathon . The support and words mean so much to me. My legs feel absolutely fine after the race. I could have run yesterday if it weren't for my left foot. So right now I'm trying to heal my left foot. I mentioned that I've been having problems with plantar fasciitis in that foot and that it was the cause of much pain during the race. Since the race, I've been unable to walk on it very well. Lots of hobbling going on. I've been icing it and trying to keep it elevated. But, I noticed that it's started to get some bruising, not horrible, but worrisome. Not sure if it's better or worse for it to be discolored vs red and swollen. However, this could be indicitive of a tear. But, my bigger concern with the bruising is that indication that there's been bleeding. Being on Xarelto for the blood clot means my blood doesn't clot very well the...

Workouts Before I get into Way to Go Wednesday, I thought I'd talk for a minute about workouts. I haven't really been talking about them much lately. I did manage to get in a 5-mile run this morning with my running partner. Despite the dark and cold, I was looking forward to it. I haven't run since Friday because of severe plantar fasciitis pain in my left foot. Saturday and Sunday were spent literally hobbling around. In fact, the left side of my calf is sore from said hobbling. I've been icing and rolling and stretching and as of yesterday, I could finally put weight on my foot and walk mostly like a normal being. So, this morning I decided to test it out. The plan was to do 4-5 miles depending on how my foot felt. I won't lie and say it didn't hurt at all. It was slightly achy, but then it chilled out until right at the end of the run. So I definitely stopped in time. 5 miles was the max and I was honestly happy with that. I spent a good deal of time i...

Sky On Fire This morning I peeled myself out of bed to get in a run before the sleet moved into town. "A" and I were going to run after work, but Mother Nature had other plans. She couldn't run in the morning, so I was going to head out solo. But, Jason said he'd give it a shot. So we headed out into the cold, windy morning around 6 am. The skies are starting to get lighter around 6:20 am though. Such a refreshing change. And as much as I hate the cold weather, there's something quite invigorating about a cold run. It was in the low 30's - not sure what the windchill was at that time, but looks like mid-20's - as long as we weren't heading north into the freezing, heavy wind, it wasn't too bad. What made it all worth it was the sunrise. It was simply spectacular. It looked like the sky was on fire with the deepest pink, almost red creeping up from the east. I wanted to take a picture, but didn't think I could get a good one with my phon...