Weekly Wrap up - Where is fall?

Today was another 'scorcher' - high of 82 with 42% humidity. Definitely better than last week. Still, it's officially fall now and while I'm not ready for pants and sweatshirts all of the time, I'm certainly ready for long sleeves!

This Week's Training

Mon: 3.4 miles with Ellie, which meant it was basically a fartlek run
Tue: 1500 pool swim, "Easy Dozen" workout
Wed: Rest
Thur: Volleyball
Fri: 6 miles on the bike
Sat: Rest
Sun: 8 miles @ 12:10 pace

See all of that rest in there? I'm not super happy about it, but at the end of the day it's what my body needed. Wednesday I packed my bag up for a good run downtown. I realized about an hour  before my run that I didn't bring a sports bra. It seemed like a sign from the God's that a run wasn't in the cards for me. I'd had some nagging pain in my left shin and knee that was really freaking me out. That, coupled with a mounting "to do" pile at work allowed me to say, "No, i need the rest". I ended up staying late at work and getting through the mountain of undone motions, notes, and briefs so that I could come home with less stress and anxiety. Sometimes, things really do work out the way their supposed to.

We had to move our long run since we had a football game yesterday. I actually liked running today better than on Saturdays. Felt more restful and relaxing afterward. We slowed down considerably today but I think it actually worked out well. I also fiddled with my nutrition a little bit: I took 2 gatorade chomps and added some electrolyte powder to my handheld. No side stitches! The gatorade chomps actually went down relatively well and didn't cause my stomach any problems. Afterwards I soaked in the ice bath again for about 15 minutes. I'm an ice bath convert now. It really does help take away the initial soreness and I'm confident I'll feel better tomorrow than I would have otherwise.

Totals: 18.39 miles, 3:29:48, 2, 594 calories

This Week's Nutrition
Not really sure where I stand on this anymore. I gained back what I'd lost last week and I'm taking it relatively hard. I'm going to add body measurements into my routine instead of just the scale. If i'm working out as much as I am and continuing to increase that, then I may not actually "lose" weight in the traditional sense. Measurements will help me see actual tangible changes in my body that a number wouldn't show. Otherwise, I was great with my goal of "No Work Candy" and managed to sneak in only a piece or two the whole week. I need to focus on HYDRATION while at work. I find myself getting super dehydrated if I'm not careful, and then it's just a downward spiral to my workout.

I did splurge and get some froyo today after a trip to my parents house. I declined sweets the whole rest of the weekend for this treat, so I think I earned it =D

Next Week:
- BLOG! Should have one on deck…stay tuned :P
- Keep up the chocolate crack down
- More bike time
- Make up that Wednesday Work out
-More pics

To everyone who raced this weekend - Way to go!!

Happy Running!

Did you race this weekend? How did it go?
Have you ever dealt with a weight plateau? How did you overcome it?

Weekly Roundup

Another good week in the books. The first three days of the week were three of my favorite work days of the year. It was the "judicial college", which meant that 10 of the 23 judges I'm in front of were gone and courts were restricted. It was absolutely lovely. I didn't even have court Wednesday. Of course, Thursday & Friday more than made up for all of the work but, oh well.

This Week's Training

Mon: 3.65 miles @ 11:32 min/miles
Tue: 1,500 yard swim - swam the first 1,200 without stopping followed by kick and sight drills
Wed: 5.25 miles @ 11:51, a modified tempo run. Best run of the week by far
Thur: Volleyball night - sorest night of the week. No jumps and no arm strength
Fri: Rest day & a wedding!
Sat: 7 Miles @ 11:50 - TOUGH run, hot and humid
Sun: 2.2 mile walk with my mom through the neighborhood

All in all a great week in training! Worked in a swim - which went REALLY well - and got some really good runs. Also - I took an ice bath after the 7 miler and it felt great. I put on several layers, jumped in the cold tub and dumped ice over my legs. I feel great today and I'm convinced it's because of the ice bath.  Overall, I'm super happy with how things are going at this point. My Saturday runs continue to feel…well…crappy. Not entirely sure why other than I guess they're supposed to feel crappy. Hoping to get back in the pool this week!

Total: 19.18 Miles, 4:17:36, 2,135 calories

Rockin' that flying pig headband in the ice bath

This Week's Nutrition:

I've really hit a wall with my nutrition. I've been super dedicated to packing my lunch and keeping out of the candy bowl at work. Still haven't seen any results in either my activity level or my weight. I'm pretty proud of myself for my choices at the wedding Friday - water to drink, one plate of food and no cake. That's damn near perfect as far as I'm concerned. This week I want to work on limiting sweets and drinking more water. Lets see how this goes….

Next Week:

• Work is ramping back up so I want to keep the momentum I've built going forward
• BLOG - I have some new updates to share so I want to get them out there
• Limit sweets - i.e. no dipping into the co-worker's reese's bowl (damn him!)

Do your co-workers keep candy in their offices? How do you stay away from work temptations?

How do you deal with balancing work and running?

Come and find me

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Long Hot Run

Woke up this morning just not feeling it.

Spent a lot of Friday hydrating. We went to a wedding in the evening and I made sure to drink lots of water and some (Delicious) pink lemonade in anticipation of this morning's run. By the time we were ready to get out the door - about 11:00 a.m. - we had a very rude surprise: the cool temps and overcast we enjoyed last week were nowhere to be found. Instead, we got 75 degrees, sunny, and 73% humidity. In perspective this doesn't sound so bad since we've run in much worse this summer, but after last week we'd really gotten it in our minds that it was going to be cool. That's Kentucky for you.

The first few miles felt pretty gross, but I expected that they would. I usually hate the first mile of any run. It reminds me of how I used to hate warming up in swimming. It hurts, i'm sore, I'm bored, and I pretty much think about how much I hate what I'm doing. But then, almost in sync with my garmin beeping "one mile", I feel a lot better. I knew we were starting out too fast but I've never really figured out how to pace with Josh. I can't get a good feel for the pace. Regardless, I tried to slow us down, which seemed to work. I kept dumping water on myself and drinking a lot. While I'd planned on taking my Gu Chomp around mile 5, I felt pretty crappy when we got closer to four. We hit a stoplight so I took that as a sign that I needed some nutrition. I let myself walk while I chewed and drank enough to make sure I got the chomp down. Then we pressed on.

I hate to say that I had to walk a little bit more the last few miles. Anytime my virtual partner would get 0.xx miles ahead of my goal, I'd let myself walk until it went back down to .yy ahead of my goal. While I'm happy with our overall pace, I'm disappointed that it's not more consistent. Oh well, the biggest thing is that We did it!!

Not sure how we went faster?

Happy Saturday!

How's the weather where you live?
Did you run today?

End of Summer Excitement (with pictures!)

A lot has been happening around here that has kept me off the blog. Rest assured, it's (almost) all good stuff.

Firstly, we went on vacation! First vacation since last September and it was long overdue. While training was going really well the stress of work was really getting to me. I could tell a difference in my body - and my brain - and the vacation was mandatory.

We spent a whole week in San Francisco. Neither Josh nor I had ever been and it was a BLAST. After the 90 degree temps and high humidity here in Louisville 70's with low humidity was a welcomed change.

Can I go back now, please?

It was a ridiculous mix between exhausting and relaxing. The second day we were there we walked 14 miles. And that's according to my fitbit, so I know it's a little bit off. Labor Day we rented bikes and trekked across the Golden Gate Bridge into Salsalito. It was phenomenal. First time I had been on a bike in ages so It was a little perilous. However, we managed to get up - and down - all of the hills and across the bridge no problem. It was a lot of fun!

8.1 miles to Salsalito

All in all it was an amazing trip - and the best thing is, we didn't lose any fitness! We went for a 3 mile run along the shore Thursday before a whole day of travel.

Not too bad for vacation!

Things have settled down since we got back. Back to work and back to the routine. First thing on my list was to get up and go for a RUN Sunday. We were a little off the training calendar but I owed myself a 5k at race pace which I nailed. Then back into the rhythm of the training!

This Week's Training

Seems a little sparse when you look at it this way

Monday: 3.50 miles, including warm up walk, at average pace 11:26 min/mile. Ellie walk in the    afternoon
Tuesday: Rest day
Wednesday: 7.16 miles with the girls
Thursday: Volleyball - 3 matches, high intensity
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 7 mile run @ 12:27 min/miles
Sunday: Rest

As I was getting dressed in my office on Wednesday I heard the girls in my office getting ready to leave for theirs. They're training for the full Marathon in Chicago in early October. They said they were doing 8 so I figured I'd tag along for the four I had planned. Garmin crapped out almost immediately and, to be honest, it felt GREAT. I loved running with them and talking and being part of the 'team', so I just kept going. And going….and going. 7 miles later we rolled back into the office on very tired legs. I"m super proud of myself for doing it, but I think I definitely set myself back for our long run Saturday. Come saturday my legs were super stiff and my feet hurt. I've been religious about the compression socks, hydration and stretching so hopefully this week is a restart for my body.

Totals: 19.06 miles, 2:13:25 hours, 1,381 calories

What's up for next week?
BIG THINGS! Probably even necessitating another blog post…

Stay Tuned!

The "Get to"

This week's training was the bright spot in my week. I've been really trying to psych myself up for my runs, to get excited about training. For awhile I think I'd really gotten myself in the mindset of "have" to run instead of "get to" run. I used to only run because it was the only way to eat and drink what I wanted to (see: college). Now, I'm not necessarily seeing any physical results of the running so I'm trying to make the runs their own ends. Profound, I know.  Lets talk about this week's runs

This Week's Training

Best Week yet

Mon: Walk 3 min, Run/Walk 5 min/3 Min 5 times for a total of 43 minutes. Didn't stretch
Tues: Took Ellie for a long walk around the park for 2 miles
Weds: 3 min walk then some running, did sets of 1/10 sprint/run/walk 4 times for 3.3 miles
Thurs: Tournament night so 3 matches - exhausted afterwards!!
Fri: Rest
Sat: 4 miles @11:26 min/mi, negative split. Quick stretch and protein shake after
Sun: Rest

Overall Great week in training. I accidentally shorted myself Saturday and only did a 4 mile long run instead of 5. As it turned out, I didn't have enough time for another mile anyway, but I made up for it with a 2 mile walk that night. My back is a little sore today - whether that's from running or the house cleaning I did today I don't know. Mopping is a killer. Looking forward to continuing next week!

Totals: 14.69 miles, 2:53:07, 1,377 calories

This Week's Nutrition

The week's plan was to push a big breakfast. I had mixed results. Some days I was too full to eat lunch from just a cup of whole grain cereal. I'm just not sure my stomach is awake enough early to eat a big breakfast. Still stalled this week on the weight loss front - no progress. I've also been experiencing a lot of negative side effects of the gastroparesis. I'm starting to get super frustrated, but hopefully it will pass. Going to work this week on adding more watermelon in - though in smaller portions! I went a bit nuts after my run Wednesday and at like 16oz of it. My stomach wasn't thrilled.

Next Week

• I'm looking forward to a little 'vacation' at work - all of the prosecutors go to their conference starting Wednesday so court dockets are light. I definitely need this reprieve from the constant stress that is my work life
• Prosecutors conference means the hubby will be out of town for three days. That means that Ellie & I are all on our own. Am I a bad wife if I say i'm looking forward to some solo time with the pup? 
• I'm going to keep pushing the "get to" - I want to take advantage of every opportunity to move, run, and improve myself. I'm lucky to be physically healthy and able to run. I'm not always great about remembering that!

                                      

Do you ever feel like you take running for granted?

How do you deal with plateaus in your nutrition or weight-loss journey?

Happy running!

Hitting Restart

This week marked the last week of Couch to 5K and the first week of training for the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon. My midweek run was a little "ugh" but I'm really excited to be training again. I have a totally different feeling about this cycle than I did the doomed 2014 Flying Pig Half in May. So here's how it went:

This Week's Training:

Not Too Shabby!

Mon: 5 min warm up, 3 miles @ 11:52. First time doing 3 miles straight since April, I think!

Tues: Walk around the neighborhood with the pup. My calves were surprisingly sore and cramp

Weds: 5 min walk, 3 miles @ 11:08. Serious calf issues in this run and had to walk several times

Thur: Volleyball. Great workout this week - much more movement

Fri: Rest

Sat: 3 min walk, 4 miles (12:02, 11:48, 11:49, 11:04), followed by stretching & protein shake

Sun: Rest and a 1 mile walk 

Totals: 12.84 miles, 2:48:54, 1,441 Calories

This week's Nutrition:

Nutrition went mostly uncharted this week, i'm sad to say. I didn't even bother to step on the scale. It was the week we ladies loathe and my emotions were so off the wall that I knew I couldn't handle a weight gain. Sometimes, you have to know when to say when. I did switch my breakfast plans. I'm trying to go with a bigger breakfast and ensure that I"m taking most of my calories in the morning. Bigger breakfast and several healthy snacks in the afternoon with a lighter dinner. We'll see. I've been craving fruit. After we got back from our "long" run Saturday all I wanted in the world was Watermelon. I bought a half of one and cut it up. It's mostly water, right? Apples and Bananas are really hard for me to eat. They have all that fiber and nutrients and dense stuff that makes them really good for you. Watermelon is mostly water, right? We'll see how it goes!

Next Week

• Real weekly training begins! I'm excited for my run tomorrow morning. While I'm "following" the training plan, I really want my body to guide me here - weekly mileage goals are just that; goals. 
• Keep pushing the big breakfasts. I got some of my favorite cereal and fruit smoothie that I like in hopes of encouraging the trent. 
• STRETCH

Hubz & I before our 4 miler on Saturday

What do you like to eat after you run? Do you crave anything?

Are you a big breakfast eater? Always been like that, or did you have to train yourself?

Progress is Progress

Another good week under my belt. The weather got hot again but not so much so that it was unbearable outside. The week wasn't quite as hectic work-wise, though some of my days were super long. For some reason I feel like making all of my runs for two straight weeks feels like a huge accomplishment so I'm going to celebrate it accordingly!

This Week's Training

Gotta do something about those pesky "zero" days!

Monday: 5 min walk, 2.75 miles @ 11:15 min/mi on the treadmill. Good stretch after & some planks
Tuesday: 45 minutes of yoga on the back porch including 3 sun salutations on each leg - oy!
Wednesday: 5 min walk, 2.75 @ 11:18 min/mi. 2:45 min walk and stretching
Thursday: Volleyball  - we won 2/3 but I didn't feel like I got much of a workout.
Friday: Rest day - legs and back were sore from yoga/volleyball
Saturday: 5 Min Walk, 2.75 mile run @ 11:09 with stretching in Click!Mocha after
Sunday: Rest day - though I did some gardening which was great for the upper body!

Totals: 9.38, 1:51:15, 1,179 Calories

This Week's Nutrition

Courtesy of Fitbit

I felt a lot better this week about what I was eating and the choices I was making. Somehow, the scale says I still gained a little. Wednesday I set out to eating small meals every 2 hours. That's the recommended strategy for people with Gastroparesis. Less food = easier digestion and no feelings of super fullness. I failed on the first try. I set my fitbit to vibrate every 2 hours during the workday. This is how it went:

8:00 a.m. - Green monster smoothie & coffee

10:00 a.m. - reach for my fruit buddy & realize it's in my fridge in the office

12:00 p.m. - time for lunch, but i'm still in court

1:50 p.m.  - Finally eat lunch. Hummus & 2 soft flour tortillas

3:00 p.m.  - Luna Protein Bar. Well, half. These things make me super full

5:30 p.m. - Run

8:00 p.m. - after getting home and showering it's 8:00 p.m. before I can eat my dinner

Thursday wasn't much better and Friday I missed lunch entirely. For the 4th straight friday I was in court from 8:30 to 3:00 p.m. vomit. This is exactly why Amanda @ Run to The Finish intrigued me with her blog post today. 

Check out the post here 

Extreme stress & weight gain both seem to be a huge part of my life! Doing some more research to see what's out there on this. 

Next Week

• Last week of the Couch to 5K program! It's working in perfectly with the start of my training plan for the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon. I've tweaked it a little bit but I think it's going to be a good one. I'll post it up here so you can get an idea of what we're up to
• Get a better handle on timed eating - my stomach can't really be trusted to know when I'm hungry. If my sugar/glucose levels spike/drop my mood does the same and the eating just continues. This week I want to be diligent about charting my calories & the times I take them in. Hopefully it'll help me even things out
• Also, I got sunburnt this weekend at a super awesome ridiculous girls-only pool party my boss throws. It was well worth it, but wearing a sports bra is un-fun right now - yikes!

What are some of your favorite mid-day snacks?

What are some markers of success you use in your training? Meeting mileage goals, pace goals, marking training runs off of your calendar? 

Turning Up the Heat

After a brief reprieve from the weather by a mid-summer polar vortex (ok maybe it's not really a polar vortex, but I like saying it), Louisville Summer is back up and running. It's been hot. Hot and Humid. This week also happened to be a really difficult work week week for me. I was in trial on Wednesday and Thursday, which also coincided with the Hubby's birthday. Lets just say there was more celebratory cake and commiseration pie than I'd planned for.


This week's training

Via Daily Mile

Not too shabby!

Monday - 5 min walk, 2.5 mile run @ 10:46. Finished with stretching & Click Mocha
Tuesday - 1 mile walk with Ellie around the neighborhood while I finished trial Prep
Wednesday - Full day devoted to trial & Josh's birthday
Thursday - 5 min. walk,  mile-ish. Overall pace 11:28 min/miles. Finished with stretching
Friday - No organized activity. We did walk to dinner and back though
Saturday - 5 min. walk, 2.5 miles @ 10:49, 5 min cool down walk and stretching after + Click Mocha
Sunday - Rest day

Totals: 9.30 Miles, 1:56:18, 1,165 calories

This Week's Nutrition

Up & down week. Wednesday & Thursday my meals were sporadic and sparse. Though we did have curry & cake. 

Don't mind me, I'm just sideways

I am proud of myself for some food choices on Thursday. I was dying to emotionally eat and wanted to be super gluttonous. Rather then reach for the supreme fattiness I wanted - chicken fingers, fries, hamburgers, chocolate cake - we had sushi. I felt decadent, I felt special, and I did not feel gross afterward. Problem solved.

Next Week

• 8th out of 9 weeks of Couch to 5k! I've really really enjoyed the program. It's ending right in time because we registered for the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon on October 25th! I'm going to complete the three workouts and spend some extra emphasis on stretching this week
• Food-wise my mind is on FRUIT. If you'll recall I have a goofy, lazy, no good stomach that really doesn't do well with raw fruits or vegetables. At all. So I've stocked up on Fruit Buddies, a lovely "Baby-food-esc" fruit product that I've really come to love. I think I bought 10. I want them all gone by next Sunday. Bold challenge? Yes! Lets do it!

Are you an emotional eater? How do you handle extreme situations that trigger emotional eating?

Cake preference: Yellow/Chocolate/White? Buttercream/chocolate ganache/cream cheese? 

Expectations

When I saw that my last post was November, 2012 I was, honestly, surprised. Did I really miss all of 2013? Apparently so. 

So why blog?

- Accountability: I don't think it's a coincidence that some of my best training and greatest fitness accomplishments coincided with my actively blogging. Knowing that someone is going to read my progress - or lack thereof - is a big motivator. After all, no one likes to tell the world they missed a work out. 

- Community: being a part of the online running community is something I truly enjoy. I'm not part of one here in my hometown (though there are plenty) & I love reading about your accomplishments & your races. 

- Proof: something for me to look back on and say, "yep, I did that." 

So What Am I Going To Do?

Blogging on the same level as I used to just isn't an option right now. I struggle with maintaining a running regime alongside a ridiculous work schedule & family. I don't want to pretend I can update every day. I also don't want the pressure that comes with that. So what do I want? Here it is:  

- Update at least once weekly. Include mileage & weight. 

- Post monthly goals. I've been doing "monthly goals" since March and posting them on my bulletin board at work. It's been super helpful. I want to share them with you guys. Keep me accountable. 

- Read your blogs once a week! I don't make enough time to keep up with you all and your adventures. I want to make time to read about you & your running journeys. 

Let's see if we can do it. New beginnings start now!

Thanksgiving & Humble Pie

I checked the blog to make some layout changes earlier today and realized that the last time I posted was October 11th. Well....whoops. Suffice it to say, work has been absolutely ridiculous. Sworn in October 4th and then BOOM, immediately in the deep end. It started out harmless enough, and then somehow within the last 3-4 weeks I've been working 11 hour days Monday through Friday and Sunday afternoons.

Ron, thoughts?

Last time I posted, I was still "Undecided" about the Louisville Sports Commission Half Marathon. Suffice it to say, I made a decision: I did not run. It was one of those things where I knew there was only one right choice, but it didn't make it any easier. I've never quit a race I entered or failed to finish one that I started. I sold my bib to a friend who wanted to run, so at least it didn't go to waste. Still, it was a big, steaming slice of humble pie that was very difficult for me to choke down.

Since then, my running has been minimal at best. The first week or two I was working this schedule I was absolutely wiped out once I got home. I can't express how hard it is to be a newlywed, let alone a runner, when you work 8-7 and fall asleep on the couch at 9:30. No, I'm not exaggerating....that's really how it was. Very very unglamorous.

Sleepy Puppy, Sleepy Mom

Never fear, however, because I'm finally back in the groove. I'm finally starting to get the schedule under control - or at least being more comfortable with it - and working exercise into the routine. At first I felt really guilty for leaving work at 7 and going to the gym for an hour: I have a husband and a puppy at home who miss me so much and I'm going to further delay my arrival? After the first day or two though it started making sense: workout after work, stay up later and enjoy more quality family time (and be a nicer person around said family). We're still adjusting, but it's been really enjoyable having an hour to "detox" from work before I come home.

The rebirth of the Runner-Me couldn't have come at a better time! Last week marked the beginning of the 2012 Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge. Last year was my first experience with the Challenge and it gave me the kickstart I needed to stay honest and motivated over the holiday (Read my turkey day wrap up from LAST year here!). The challenge is exactly what I needed to get me back in the habit of exercising and generally being good to my body (which I've not done at all lately).

Like most people, Thanksgiving is a real test of both my willpower and predisposition towards Gluttony. One of my favorite traditions for years now is participating in a Turkey Trot. I used to run by myself at my local Y but now that we spend the Feast Weekend with Josh's family, we've joined in on their fun. The Boston Marathon it is not, but it is a lot of fun and an awesome excuse to wear a ridiculous hat.

Much to my family's embarrassment, I wore the hat the whole way!

We ran 10:09 min/miles which is better than I could've asked for considering my complete lack of preparation, minimal water intake the day before, and lack of breakfast or fuel. Not too shabby.

So what's on the docket for this week? Trying to earn those coveted HBBC points of course! First and foremost though my main goal is DRINK MORE WATER. I've been indulging in too much soda and coffee to get me through the day rather than giving my body proper hydration. To fix that, I've packed several small water bottles and removed all the soda-machine change from my bag. Bring it on, Monday!

Thursday Quick Hits

After catching up on your blogs I felt sad about my poor inert status. So, since I only have 20 minutes before I have to be in court, here are some quick hits:

• I passed the bar exam! It was super dramatic (Josh & I were in a bank opening our joint account when we found out on our iphones). I was a ridiculous mix of relieved and overwhelmed. Thank God I don't have to do that again
• Along those lines, I got sworn in as a member of the Kentucky Bar! Not just me, but Josh too. As of last Thursday we're both Attorneys and I'm an Assistant Public Defender and he's a Jefferson County Prosecutor. We're a sitcom waiting to happen.
• My back is back to 100%. Once I realized that I needed ice not heat, it healed really quickly. Talk about feeling like an idiot. Oh well, hindsight and all that
• With my back "back" in gear, I continued with my training for the Nov. 3 LSC Half Marathon. It's more difficult than I thought to get back in the habit of running 4 days a week, but not unpleasant
• A lot of my runs lately are run/walks with the puppy. I say puppy, but at 7 months old she has a level of strength and endurance that is astonishing. She loves to go for runs with me and gladly lets me take my walk breaks. I've found a lot of joy in taking her after I know she's been cooped up in her crate all day.
• Did my first "long run" Saturday and made it 6 miles! Can't tell you how happy I am about this since my last "Long" run was a 5 miler before the wedding (so....back in August). I took walk breaks every five minutes for thirty seconds and felt strong and comfortable at the end. 
• I"m still undecided about this half Marathon next month. My work schedule is starting to pick up and I'm just exhausted when I get home at night. I think if I do run it I'm going to have to seriously reevaluate my goals. Not a bad thing, just something to think about. 

So that's what's been up with me - What about you?!

Happy Running!

So that's what that feels like

More often than not, when I take time off from running my first run back is a complete disaster. For instance, you may recall this lovely little run a few weeks back:

That first run after time off usually feels as awkward, exhausting and just plain weird as it can get. Add to that the fact that I haven't taken more than one full week off from running since....well, I don't know, and you can understand why I was a little apprehensive about resuming training this week.

Josh went for his run first and I stayed with the puppy and the whole time I thought "ugh, this could be bad." What feeble attempts at running I've had in the last 3 weeks have been just that, feeble. Nonetheless, I laced up my shoes and headed out the front door as soon as Josh came in the back.

What I got? A beautiful run! The weather was perfect and my legs steady and overall it just felt like a lovely little afternoon trot.

Despite today's awesome effort, I'm feeling more and more unsure about this November 3rd half Marathon. Last week I had an appointment with my friendly Sports Doc. and got both good and bad news.

Good: my back is just a bad muscle pull. He gave me some exercises (that I was already doing) and prescribed a muscle relaxer. Unfortunately, you can't drive or really do anything while taking said prescription, so I haven't even had it filled. We'll see how long this "hold out" lasts. Two weeks later and my lower back is still one big ball of OUCH 

Bad: I finally got my knee looked at. While he could definitely feel the swelling and tell there were differences between my legs/knees, he couldn't figure out the cause. Luckily none of the ligaments or muscles appear torn and the structure of my knee is intact. Unfortunately, he wants me to get an MRI. With work the way it is, the likelihood of me actually getting said MRI before Veterans Day is unlikely. On a positive note, he didn't give me any restrictions - manage the pain as best I can and just don't do anything more than what I've been doing. Since "Marathon" is on my list of "recent physical activities" I'm pretty sure I'm cleared for anything

So in light of these most recent developments, I've basically scrapped my original training plan. Lucky for me there was a great article in the August issue of RunnersWorld (I'm a bit behind!) tailored for just this situation. You can find the article here and while it's listed under the Beginners section, I think it's applicable for just about anybody. So in accordance with their advice and my desire to actually heal, here's the plan for the week:

Monday - Check! Tuesday, I'm coming for you next!

Have you ever taken a significant amount of time off? How did you recover?

Happy Running!